Sophia Magazine vol.5 / SUMMER 2017

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Students enrich their learnings and extend their network to the rest of the globe.Sophia University offers a wide variety of learning opportunities for students from both Japan and abroad.Here are some examples of students who face challenges daily while having priceless experiences.STUDENTS CONNECTING WITH THE WORLDfrom “KOREA” to“SOPHIA”hile studying Japanese at Dongduk Women’s University, my desire grew to improve my Japanese by learning it rsthand. When I began considering studying abroad, initially I thought of attending Ochanomizu University, a partner school of my university in South Korea. However, as I wanted to study other languages, particularly English, in ad-dition to Japanese, with further research I realized that Sophia University was the place for me to be. When I visited the Embassy of Japan in Korea, I learned about MEXT schol-arships. By passing the exam and interview for the scholarship my dream was fullled; I became eligible to study at Sophia University for one year.My interest in Japanese language began when I read the English translation of Takekurabe, a compilation of short stories by Japanese female author Ichiyo Higuchi (1872–1896). Her writing that portrays ado-lescence with a delicate touch and painterly expressions moved me. I immediately wanted to read the book in its original Japanese. It was unheard of in Korea during Higuchi’s time for a female author to be on the frontlines of the literary world, and the fact that she had reached that frontier sparked my interest in Japan, as well.At Sophia University, I learned about modern Japanese literature and the history of Japan and Korea, while broadening my knowledge of modern culture and lifestyles. After coming to Japan, I realized that I still had a lot to learn. I also noticed my habit of not coming right to the point when speaking. Studying at Sophia University has driven me to study Japanese from multiple perspectives.I enjoy Japanese manga, and I’m a huge fan of Gakuen Babysitters. I feel very fortunate to have been able to study in Japan. When-ever I’m homesick, I head to Shin-Okubo where there are many Korean supermarkets and restaurants to soothe my heart and belly. After completing my studies at Sophia, I will return to my university in South Korea and continue learning Japanese. I plan to attend graduate school, where I will further improve my Japanese skills. Recently, I became inter-ested in the IT eld, as well. In the future, I hope to acquire special expertise as an inter-preter to help Korean companies entering the Japanese market to succeed in Japan. WYun Gyeong Jeong➣ UNIVERSITY: Dongduk Women’s University➣ MAJOR: JapaneseYun Gyeong Jeong was a Japanese studies student at Sophia University on a Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to people willing to serve as bridges between Japan and their home countries through their studies of Japan and Japanese language, as well as to contribute to globalization of our society.BACKGROUND➣ DEPARTMENT AT SOPHIA: Faculty of Liberal Arts➣ PERIOD: October 2016 to July 2017 26Voice