Nuffic Neso in Korea

For my MBA in South Korea I got a small scholarship. This scholarship is a start to pay my tuition.
I got this scholarship from Nuffic.
Nuffic: Netherlands Universities Foundation for International Cooperation. It is a non-profit corporation for the Higher Education and Research in The Netherlands. Nuffic is based in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Nuffic was established in 1952 for the reason of the benefit of International academic cooperation. On behalf of the Dutch government and some public and private organisations, they are promoting the internatiol mobility of students through scholarships and grant programmes. This is for them to attract students from all around the world, who want to study abroad. It is a way to promote higher education in the world.

Nuffic is specialized in several areas;
Scholarships programmes for international mobility and for grant programmes
Promotion of the Dutch higher education
Public information of the Dutch higher education
Public information on studying abroad
Credential evaluation
Research

Nuffic is not only in The Netherlands. They have several offices around the world. There are 8 offices in Brazi, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Tapei, Thailand and Vietnam.

Nuffic has a office in South Korea, Seoul. To promote Dutch Higher education in South Korea.

http://www.nuffic.nl/home/nuffic-offices/neso-korea



he Netherlands education support office in Korea provides information for Dutch organizations. One of the core activities of Neso Korea is to enhance cooperation between Dutch and Korean higher education institutions. Here you can find more information about the promotion activities of Nuffic Neso Korea.

Address
Nuffic Netherlands Education Support Office (Nuffic Neso Korea)
3F, C2 Square Building, 61-21, Taepyeongno-1ga
Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 100-101
Phone: +82 (0)2-735 7671
Fax: +82 (0)2-735 7675
Email: info[at]nesokorea.org
Website: www.nesokorea.org

Nuffic Neso recently organized Queensday in Seoul. Queensday in The Netherlands is every year on the 30th of April. All the Dutch people who are living in South Korea are invited by Nuffic Neso to celebrate it with them. They organize an activity around it.
This year, they invited the Prime minister of The Netherlands to the event.



One of my friends with JP Balkenende

G20 in Korea 2010

Last week I had to present in my course: Asia Regional studies, about the Asia Financial Crisis. During my study in The Netherlands, I have heard about the Asian Financial crisis, but we havent really discussed it more detailed. I think they should educate on this. It is very interesting and by presenting it, I thought it would nice to give you some information about it. Also because the G20 will be soon in Korea.



From the website: http://www.g20.org/


Welcome from the Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea is honored to chair the Group of Twenty in 2010.

The G-20 was established in 1999, in the wake of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, to bring together major advanced and emerging economies to stabilize the global financial market. Since its inception, the G-20 has held annual Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meetings and discussed measures to promote the financial stability of the world and to achieve a sustainable economic growth and development.

To tackle the financial and economic crisis that spread across the globe in 2008, the G-20 members were called upon to further strengthen international cooperation. Accordingly, the G-20 Summits have been held in Washington in 2008, and in London and Pittsburgh in 2009.

The concerted and decisive actions of the G-20, with its balanced membership of developed and developing countries, helped the world deal effectively with the current financial and economic crisis. The G-20 has already delivered a number of significant and concrete outcomes. It committed to implement the unprecedented and most coordinated expansionary macroeconomic policies, including the fiscal expansion of US$5 trillion and the unconventional monetary policy instruments; significantly enhance the financial regulations, notably by the establishment of the Financial Stability Board(FSB); and substantially strengthen the International Financial Institutions(IFIs), including the expansion of resources and the improvement of precautionary lending facilities of the IFIs.

Reflecting on these achievements and recognizing that more needs to be done to ensure a strong, sustained and balanced global recovery, the G-20 Leaders at Pittsburgh Summit designated the G-20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. In 2010, the June Summit will be held in Canada, and the November Summit will be held in the Republic of Korea.

Building on past achievements and close cooperation among members, the G-20 will double its efforts in 2010 to help the world make a successful transition from global recovery to stronger, more sustainable and balanced growth.

We look forward to working closely with our Troika colleagues, the UK and France, and drawing on valuable experiences of other G-20 members. The Republic of Korea will spare no effort to ensure success in 2010.


The G20 countries:

* Argentina
* Australia
* Brazil
* Canada
* China
* France
* Germany
* India
* Indonesia
* Italy
* Japan
* Mexico
* Russia
* Saudi Arabia
* South Africa
* Republic of Korea
* Turkey
* United Kingdom
* United States of America

Lotus Lantern Festival

Every year the Koreans celebrate the birthday of Buddah. Every year it is on another date in May. Buddah’s birthday is held every 8th day of the month May, GEBASSEERD on the Lunar calendar. In Seoul they are celebrating it over 600 years. In Korea Buddah’s birthday is called Seokga tansinil (석가탄신일 : The day of Buddha’s birthday)
During Buddha’s birthday Korea celebrate it with the Lotus lantern festival held in their capital Seoul in Jongno. During the whole month May, the city is covered with lanterns.


This year Buddha’s birthday is on Sunday 21st of May 2010. People who are joining the festival can explore the Korean Buddhist culture.
The first activity of Buddha’s birthday is the Lighting Ceremony at Seoul Plaza. By having the Lighting Ceremony at Seoul Plaza they want to symbolize the religion Buddhism and the birth of Buddha. After this event there is a Grand Harmony festival. This is the lantern Parade that starts at Dongguk University till Jogyesa temple in Jongno. The whole day there are different activities to do and to see for visitors of the festival. About 100,000 lanterns will light up Seoul.

Overview festival





This day is not only for Buddhist in Korea, but for everyone who has interest in Buddhism. Everyone can experience the culture and the religion. With this event, there are many foreigners.




Why it is called Lotus lantern festival? The Lotus represents purity and Buddha, also is has been depicted in many paintings and scultpures in the Buddhist religion. The Lotus is a water flower. It doesn’t matter how dirty the water is, the blossoms of the Lotus will remain clean. They believed Buddha was like the Lotus, it doesn’t matter how dirty the environment and surroundings were, Buddha stayed clean. 14 years ago this started as a national event. Every year there are thousands and thousands of people joining the Lotus Lantern Festival with a lot of volunteers who take care of this whole event.





By lightning a lotus-shaped lantern it symbolizes a religious devotion to do good deeds and to bring lights enlightenment to the people who are in pain and are lost. To think about others and not only about yourself. It is also a way to bring everyone together, to make it multicultural, the Korean people and the foreigners.
During the lantern walk from Insadong to the Jogyeka temple there will be more than 100,000 people walking with the Lotus Lanters, elephants, dragons and other kind of lanters swaying along the stream and the Jongno street.

Universities in Korea

Universities in Korea are very important. The university where you will go, will decide your future. Education is very important for the Koreans. The parents want their children to have a good future prospect. From the beginning of the childhood the children are getting the best education till they finish university.

Ranking
The ranking of the universities is also very important. Everyone is trying to get into the best university of Seoul. What I know from the Korean students is that they have to make a test to enter the University.

Top 4
1. Seoul University
2. Korea University
3. Yonsei University
4. Sungkyunkwan University

It just happened that I am studying at Sungkyunkwan University. Of course in The Netherlands we look at which university is the best in The Netherlands. In The Netherlands, universities are not ranked. And there is not 1 the best of the best. Universities have several areas where they are the best in. Like Erasmus University in Rotterdam is the best in economics.
I choose my university, because of the study and the atmosphere of the school and city. Not because it was the best university or the best study.
I think it is a good thing that Korean parents focus a lot on education. You want to have a good future for your children, and why not starting when they are young.

Information about Korea & Seoul

South Korea is a country in Asia. In 1945 it became official Republic of South Korea. It is boarded next to North Korea.

Korea has a population of about 48 million people. The capital of Korea is Seoul and the 2nd largest city in Korea is Busan (the harbor city). Korean is the official language spoken in Korea. They are using Hangul for writing. About 45% of the population doesn’t have a religion. There are several big religions in Korea as Christianity, Protestant, Catholic and Buddhist.

Seoul became after splitting up North and South Korea, the capital of the Republic of Korea. It has a population of about 11 million people. With the suburban’s is has a population of 23 million people.

As you think of it 23 million with suburban’s, the Netherlands is nothing comparing to Seoul. We only have 16 million people living in the Netherlands. It is a very small country and closed populated.

Capital: Seoul
Language: Hangul
Government: Republic
Population: 50,062,00
Area: 100,140 Km2
GDP(2009): $1.364 trillion
GDP per capita: $17,074
Currency: South Korean Won (KRW)