KHUddy's Welcoming Party wall poster

KHUddy, a student club in Kyung Hee University (KHU), held the Welcoming Party at Moca Factory Cafe near the Global Campus on September 27, 2024. Many international and domestic students from the Global and Seoul campuses participated in the event and had a meaningful time.

What Is KHUddy and Its Welcoming Party?

KHUddy is a cultural exchange student club based at KHU’s Global Campus. Its name, derived from combining KHU and the word buddy, reflects its mission of connecting international and domestic students. In line with this mission, the club has been organizing a variety of activities to promote interaction among the students.

Among the many events hosted by KHUddy, the Welcoming Party stands out as one of the most significant, kicking off the semester’s activities. As the name suggests, the party gives students the opportunity to meet and greet one another while welcoming newcomers to Korea.

The Welcoming Party is also a signature event for KHUddy. Since its establishment in 2013, the event has been held in the same way each semester. Song Ji-seon, the president of KHUddy, explained, “We have been revamping the overall activities this semester but kept the Welcoming Party unchanged because we see it as an essential part of our identity.”

The Party Went Successful

The popularity of the party went beyond expectations. Baek Hye-soo, the leader of the External Cooperation Team at KHUddy, revealed, “We expected around 100 participants, which is assumed as an average, but 183 showed up. This is unprecedented, as we had only 94 participants last semester and 107 in September last year.”

A bunch of students joined the event

This success can be attributed to the promotion strategy and cross-campus participation. Song mentioned that they established an External Cooperation Team this semester to promote their event more effectively. As a result, they were able to reach out to KHU departments that could share information with international students, such as the Institute of Language Education and the International Exchange Team. Additionally, having the party’s chief manager from the Seoul Campus contributed to attracting students from outside the Global Campus?something that had not been actively pursued before.

Thanks to KHUddy’s efforts, participants had a great time at the party. Seol Seung-ho, a student from the Dept. of Digital Art & Design, stated, "This is my second time attending this party, and I have really enjoyed meeting and connecting with international students this time as well as last time."

Bianca Papmehl-Dufay, a Swedish student currently studying at the Dept. of International Studies as part of an exchange program, also expressed her satisfaction. She shared, “I am having a great time so far. I was lucky enough to meet many new people as I had hoped, including several mutual friends. I think this is a great opportunity for international students to build connections."

Ahn Hee-sun, the owner of Moka Factory cafe, expressed a positive view of the party as well: “I saw many students gathering and having fun. It seems the Welcoming Party provides a valuable experience for international students. Events like this are probably rare in Korea.”

KHUddy’s Plans to Continue Providing Valuable Experiences

KHUddy has planned various activities beyond the party. In November, they will hold a retreat where 30 Korean and 20 international students can participate.

Additionally, small group meetings with diverse themes are planned. Song mentioned that they will conduct 10 times of small group meetings from mid-October. Participants can join activities such as food tours, Hanbok rentals, palace tours, art gallery visits, and cafe study sessions.

The upcoming events are expected to meet the needs of international students: Baek mentioned that they often express interest in making Korean friends and experiencing unique cultural activities.

Reflecting this trend, many international students are showing interest in KHUddy's activities. Song noted that KHUddy receives five to six messages from international students each semester, mostly inquiring about upcoming events and how to join them. "We have even had someone asking to become a KHUddy member," she added. This suggests that KHUddy's activities are well-designed to meet the expectations.

Wrapping Up: KHUddy’s Impact on Fostering Student Connections and Community 

This semester, KHUddy has been fulfilling its mission of connecting international and domestic students. They successfully hosted a Welcoming Party, marking a great start in creating value. Moreover, to build on this progress, they partnered with Moka Factory Cafe.

Ahn said, “After this party, I agreed with KHUddy to rent out the cafe on the last Fridays of March and September. Since they organized the event well, I am happy to continue our partnership.” This partnership will ease venue reservations and communication, allowing KHUddy to focus more on other aspects of the event.

To further fulfill their mission, they have also planned a variety of events for this semester. With these continued efforts, international students are expected to have memorable experiences and build meaningful connections.