Seoul continues tertiary recruitment drive with study fair in Indonesia, next to be held in India

Seoul hosted a study abroad fair in Jakarta, Indonesia, with Seoul-based universities and plans to host another in India in December.

Visitors attend the 2024 Study in Seoul fair in Jakarta [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Seoul hosted a study abroad fair in Jakarta, Indonesia, with Seoul-based universities and plans to host another in India in December.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it held the 2024 Study in Seoul fair with 11 universities, including Korea University, Kyung Hee University and Sungkyunkwan University.

The fair was held at Jakarta's Ayana Midplaza on July 27 and 28, with around 2,000 prospective students, parents and local educational officials attending.

This is the first time the Seoul Metropolitan Government has hosted a university fair for international students. The government chose Indonesia, as it is one of the countries with a lot of students that want to study in Korea. There were around 2,500 Indonesian students holding student visas in Korea in 2023, which makes it the country with the 11th largest international student population.

The 11 universities attended the fair with their international admissions officers, setting up booths to introduce their degree programs, language study programs and scholarships for international students.

Seoul Global Center also attended, offering student visa consultations and advice on living in Seoul.

"We could see that there was high interest toward universities in Seoul, and we will continue to promote Seoul universities by working with local universities, study abroad agencies and language study centers," said a university official that attended the fair.

Following the first event, another Study in Seoul fair is scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India, in December. Further information will be announced by the city in the future.

The 11 universities that visited Jakarta, along with Yonsei University and Seoul Women's University, will be attending the fair in New Delhi.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, it chose India as the second location, as its students also have a high demand for studying abroad while also having a large pool of talented students in science and engineering.

"Korea has a high level of enthusiasm for education, with around 190 four-year universities, and 20 percent of them, or 38 universities, are located in Seoul," said Lee Hae-sun, head of the city's Global City Policy Bureau. "Many international students have become interested in Seoul's vibrant culture and contemporary charm, with the number of international students on the rise."

"We plan to put in more effort to improve the daily lives of foreigners and host educational fairs in different countries abroad to help bring international talent to Seoul."

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]