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Last April, DISA(DGIST International Student Association) was officially recognized as the first official international student organization in DGIST. DNA, the DGIST newspaper, met with DISA president Sharma Pranita (who goes by Pranita) and vice president Tran Thi Thanh Thuy (who goes by Thuy) to learn about the background and stories behind the establishment of DISA, which leads unique activities with students from around the world.
1. What is DISA?
DISA, the DGIST International Student Association, is the first official international student organization established to assist international members in their school life in DGIST. Although named a student organization, it also includes ▲professors, ▲researchers, ▲staff members, and ▲their family members, encompassing over 100 people from more than 10 countries.
Previously, some unofficial organizations were formed by international students, but DISA is the first official organization and operates under the International Affairs Team (IAT). Pranita and Thuy ran for the positions of president and vice president of DISA, with the goal of helping future international students integrate more smoothly into the school and feel at home.
2. DISA’s Goals and Plans
DISA aims to resolve the difficulties faced by international members in DGIST. Coming from diverse international backgrounds, many international members struggle to adapt to the new culture, food, and language, which often creates barriers between international and Korean members. The biggest challenge is often the language barrier. Although DGIST has recently pursued a bilingual campus and offered Korean language classes based on textbooks for international students, the language barrier remains significant. Furthermore, digital translators cannot fully capture the original meaning of a language, making them an insufficient solution.
Besides the language barrier, adapting to food is also challenging. With various religious and cultural backgrounds, food is often limited, and it can be difficult to adapt to unfamiliar Korean food. Fortunately, the campus's Kimbab Cheonguk (김밥천국) has recently added a few international-friendly food menu options, which helps in adapting to Korea.
To overcome these daily challenges, DISA is conducting and planning six major activities:
Events
Even though international students have been a part of DGIST for a long time, and there are currently around 100 members, being scattered across different labs made it difficult to interact with other international members. It often made students feel lonely in a foreign land. Therefore, DISA holds many fun events like, ▲the cherry blossom picnic, ▲photo contests, ▲ member-selected trips, etc., which give international members the opportunity to network and meet others. This also helps in reducing the boundaries between international researchers and students.
Language Exchange
To overcome the difference between textbook-based language and actual conversation, a Language Exchange program was recently started. This program helps both Korean and international students participate in daily conversations in English and Korean. Many items are related to culture that cannot be learned from textbooks. This program not only helps with language skills but also creates a common platform for bridging the gaps between Korean and international members.
Culture and Food Exchange
Just as international students have gained various experiences of Korean culture thanks to the IAT, DISA also plans culture-sharing activities in which international students from various countries like ▲India, ▲ Pakistan, ▲ Iran, ▲ Ghana, ▲ Vietnam, and many more nations can participate. It is hopeful that this will be a lasting opportunity for international and Korean students to explore and understand each other’s cultures.
Seminar by International Professionals Living in Korea
To help aspiring DGIST members find jobs in Korea in both academia and various institutes, there is a plan to hold seminars by international professionals working in Korea in different sectors. These seminars will either be conducted with the help of the Career Development team or sometimes separately by DISA. There is also a plan to promote external companies in the future.
Assisting IAT in Larger Events
The IAT conducts various events throughout the year such as the orientation week dinner gathering which occurs twice annually, cultural events highlighting Korean culture, etc. DISA assists in some larger events like dinner gatherings and proposing extra social and cultural events which are jointly conducted by the IAT and DISA.
Promotion and Media
DISA is building platforms where anyone can conveniently share their ideas and feedback about life in DGIST. Further, each of the previous and ongoing activities conducted by DISA are posted on DISA's official social media platforms (Instagram: @dgist_disa, Facebook: DGIST International Student Association).
3. Organization Structure of DISA
DISA is composed of six executives and two main teams. The Event Team plans and operates various events and the Communication Team manages promotions and social media. The six executives include the ▲president, ▲vice president, ▲ event & communications team directors, ▲secretary, and ▲treasurer.
The President and Vice President were elected by the international members via a student election conducted by the IAT. Other executive members were selected through an interview process which was jointly conducted by the IAT, and the President and Vice President of DISA. Apart from the directors, each team has 3-4 core members and volunteers. Additionally, there are independent positions: the advisor from the IAT; and the chairperson (student) is recommended by the IAT. Their main role is approving and supervising all DISA activities to ensure smooth program operation.
4. DISA’s Aspirations
Although DISA started as an international organization, it is emphasized that they do not want to separate international and Korean members. DISA’s goal is for all members of the school to become “one big family.”
Korean members can volunteer for DISA through which they can participate and even manage DISA events. Future programs, like the language and cultural exchange, are open to all members. Anyone interested in joining DISA as a volunteer can apply by sending an email to DISA at (disa@dgist.ac.kr).
DISA aims to create an open community that builds bridges between Korean and international students. Planning activities that consider the backgrounds of diverse individuals can be challenging. Pranita and Thuy stated, “Since DISA was created for the first time this year, every step forward feels like a major challenge, but members are working together to address each one.”
DISA is an interactive community for all DGIST members. If you want to volunteer or interact with international members, please participate in DISA events or visit the Global Lounge next to the E7 student cafeteria. You are always welcome to join. Through the activities of DISA, DGIST’s first international student organization, we look forward to becoming a campus where diverse cultures thrive together.
By 김선민(Kim Sunmim, sunmin.kim@dgist.ac.kr)
이서연(Lee Seoyeon, bluecu1216@dgist.ac.kr)
배송윤(Bae Songyun, song00-99@dgist.ac.kr)
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