I’m here in Seoul with GSLIS Adjunct Professor Claudia Morner and eight GSLIS students for the inaugural Simmons – Yonsei travel course. This has been in the works since March 2008, so it’s fabulous to finally be here.
Over the next two weeks, the students will take an academic libraries course, team taught by Professor Morner and Yonsei Professor Ji-Hong Park. There are also seven Yonsei students in the class, so it’s a true cross-cultural experience. As Professor Park said in his introduction on the first day, it’s like bibimbap -?the ingredients, on their own,?don’t amount to much, but delicious things happen when you put it all together.
In addition to class meetings, we’ll be visiting eight different libraries around Seoul. Today, on our first visit, we’ll see the National Library of Korea.
Yonsei is a wonderful host, particularly Professor Jee Yeon Lee, Dean of the?Library Science Department. Last night we were treated to a welcome dinner?at a traditional Korean restaurant – no shoes, sit on the floor – which was a perfect opportunity to get acquainted with our Korean colleagues in a casual setting.
Check in over the next two weeks to hear from Professor Morner, some of the students, and myself.