Local Integration
On April 10th, George Mason University Korea (Mason Korea) held an opening ceremony for the spring 2023 semester of the Global Campus program for the Incheon Citizen Life College.
The opening ceremony took place at the Global Lounge of Mason Korea and was graced by the presence of 14 internal and external officials, including Dr. Robert Matz, Campus Dean of Mason Korea, Pyung Ryun Yu, Chairman of the Incheon Global Campus (IGC) Foundation, Jeong-hak Choi, Executive Director of the Incheon Institute for Talent and Lifelong Education, and Dr. Shannon N. Davis, Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs at Mason Korea, alongside numerous Incheon citizen students.
During the ceremony, Dr. Robert Matz gave a congratulatory speech to the Incheon Citizen Life College students, expressing his appreciation for their commitment to lifelong learning. "Acquiring new knowledge is the role that citizens should play in a free and prosperous society, and Mason Korea’s mission is to provide education to those citizens," he said. "I am pleased and grateful to be able to fulfill this mission with the Incheon Citizen Life College students."
Incheon Citizen Life College is the largest lifelong learning platform in Korea, which allows residents of the Incheon metropolitan area to take courses for free. Mason Korea operates the Global Campus program for the College in cooperation with other universities located in the Incheon Global Campus (IGC).
This semester, Mason Korea is offering four courses, including Peace and Conflict Resolution in Incheon, Communication and Community Building, Modern Chinese Culture and Language, and Modern Society and Volunteerism. The courses are being taught by Mason Korea faculty members and external lecturers. The Conflict Resolution in Incheon, Communication and Community Building, and Modern Chinese Culture and Language courses were particularly popular, resulting in an increase in the enrollment quota to accommodate a total of 85 students.
"We believe in education as a public good. Education should be available to all, regardless of one’s background and abilities. The Incheon Citizen Life College is a true example of how George Mason University Korea is living up to our ideals of education as a public good,” said Dr. Shannon N. Davis. “I am honored to be a part of this opening ceremony to celebrate the start of a new set of invigorating conversations that can begin to create more change for good, for the public good, in Korea."
Incheon Citizen Life College students who attended the opening ceremony were gifted Incheon Citizen Life College welcome kits, prizes, and commemorative items. In addition, an event called the "Go Go Go Challenge" was held, and various prizes were given to students who wrote a commitment letter for the new semester.
Enrolled students receive an honorary student ID card from Incheon Citizen Life College, granting them access to various seminars and public events, as well as a 50% discount on the IGC swimming pool fee. Upon completing a certain period of study, Incheon Citizen Life College students are awarded an honorary citizen degree by the mayor of Incheon. Notably, those taking courses provided by George Mason University Korea can join the Mason Korea English Cafe, a weekly one-hour English discussion group, for free.