The Objective and Significance

International Exchange Seminar is an exchange event between Seoul National University International Relations Major students and Japanese Hitotsubashi University Legal Studies students every summer break and discuss the major issues in international politics. The exchange seminar first started in 1997 under the name ‘Hitotsubashi University Annual Seminar,’ and have since been renamed into ‘International Exchange Seminar’ in 2002, and it is one of the biggest event in International Relations Major that enables both academic achievement and friendship between the two countries.

International Exchange Seminar is an exchange event between Seoul National University International Relations Major students and Japanese Hitotsubashi University Legal Studies students every summer break and discuss the major issues in international politics. The exchange seminar first started in 1997 under the name ‘Hitotsubashi University Annual Seminar,’ and have since been renamed into ‘International Exchange Seminar’ in 2002, and it is one of the biggest event in International Relations Major that enables both academic achievement and friendship between the two countries.

Secondly, International Exchange Seminar provides a broad perspective by encouraging an exchange between Korean and Japanese students. This is significant since it expands communication both regionally and internationally, and such a broad and balanced perspective is an important quality for international politics students should possess. International Exchange Seminar attempts to examine various International Political issues from all aspects: the global perspective, the East Asian regional perspective, and various national perspectives. Through such an analysis, International Exchange Seminar aims to understand the in-depth and complicated movements of International Politics.

The Process of Preparation and Progress

Late March every year, after new members are selected, the International Exchange Seminar team will discuss with the Japanese side to finalize two topics to be examined in the seminar. After the topics are finalized, there will be two pre-seminars organized so that the members can find the topics they are interested in to form two teams. Afterwards, each team will decide on a research question, conduct an intensive literature referencing and other research processes, and comprehensively understand the topic through at least five internal seminars. In this process, there will be frequent communications with the Japanese side about the progress and opinions about the program, and through such process, the seminar will be organized by both Korean and Japanese students. Finally, as the result of such effort, the students will complete two sets of papers – one in Korean and in English – and will prepare a seminar based on them. In short, the preparation process for the International Exchange Seminar will serve to be a compressed version of a general research process.

Korea and Japan will take turns to hold the International Exchange Seminar, and each team will be divided into two sections. In the first section, the students from the two countries will make a presentation. The presentation will be in English, where the students can comprehend the questions at hand and opinions regarding the topics, and there will be short questions and answers session after the presentation. In the second section, the seminar will begin in earnest as the students will engage in a vigorous debate and exchange their opinions enthusiastically. For a more profound discussion, the second section will include Korean-Japanese translations. When each team’s seminar ends, the students will come together to receive feedback from the advising professors, and share the arguments and contents of the seminar.

Afterwards, there will be a friendship-enhancing time where the students can interact with each other freely and openly without any restrictions over dinner, and develop friendship they can cherish over the years. The students will also be given an exchange time where they can give and receive the various gifts and letters they had prepared before the event. In addition, they will be given a chance to tour the area with each other the day after the seminar to interact in a more causal setting. Through such exchange, we hope that the students from the two countries form unforgettable memories and lasting friendships.