A Discussion with Seng Theara, Graduate Student, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea

With: Seng Theara Berkley Center Profile

May 14, 2015

Background: As part of the Education and Social Justice Project, in May 2015 undergraduate student Dana Drecksel interviewed Seng Theara, an international graduate student at Sogang University. In this interview, Seng discusses what influenced his decision to study at Sogang, the emphasis on social justice and inclusivity at the university, and the role religion plays in education.
To start off, will you please just say a little bit of background about yourself? Like where you’re from, and what you study at Sogang?

I’m originally from Cambodia. I study philosophy here, and in the Department of Philosophy here at the graduate level, I am the only foreign student. So that is very interesting.

Ahh…so how did you come to attend Sogang?


When I was in Cambodia, I also studied philosophy. And Sogang University has cooperation with the Jesuit schools of Cambodia. And I also worked with philosophy translation with the Jesuits of Cambodia, and at the end they had an announcement, a scholarship announcement, in cooperation with Sogang University. So I applied for that scholarship, and because they needed a student who wanted to study philosophy at Sogang University, they sent me to Sogang University, so here I am.

And while studying philosophy, I received a scholarship from the board of trustees, the Sogang University board of trustees here. They support me and encourage me to study philosophy at the department.

In my department, there is only one foreign student, and that one foreign student is me. They treat me equally, and they are kind. In the classes, because the classes are 100 percent conducted in the Korean language, and because I am a foreigner, even though I have studied Korean language a few years, I still face the gap of language. They even try to encourage me, and explain to me informally, outside of class. And they ask me to meet with them, the professors and my friends.


That’s great that they are reaching out to you—that’s really nice.


Yes, and the Office of International Affairs always conducts a kind of trip for foreign students—not only for foreign students, but for all the current students. They just want foreign students to make friends with Korean people here. So they conduct a kind of trip, where we go to different provinces or gwangyeoksi [metropolitan cities] in Korea.


That sounds like fun! Since you’ve been at Sogang, have you participated in or witnessed any sorts of social justice activities on campus, or in the wider Seoul area?


Social justice… I saw that they had a kind of labor movement here, go out and call for rise of the rich. Students also attended this demonstration. In my perspective, Korean students—or Korean people— try to help the people who have difficulties here. For example, cleaners do not have my chance to have access to higher salary, but they try to give the chance to them, in terms of, like, incentives and things like that.

That’s great how the Korean people and students are trying to be involved with some of those tough issues. How does the curriculum at Sogang try to incorporate social justice?


I am a foreign student, and I think that the school curriculum is equal to all students. Because I am in graduate school, in the general graduate school, all curriculums are the same. They don’t distinguish between curriculum for foreign students and the curriculum for Korean students. But there are specialized graduate schools, for those who are interested in international studies, or those who are in the business school. Their curriculum is more international. They have many subjects and classes that are conducted in Korean or in English. So you have more chances to select which subject you want to study. But in general graduate school, I can say that two-thirds of the subjects will be conducted in the Korean language. We don’t have a choice; we have to take those courses.


But in class, it is quite different if you are a foreign student. Professors will not ask you more questions because they are afraid that we, the foreign students, will feel more pressure, or not do well in class. So they try to avoid questioning the foreign students. But they try to be friendly to foreign students. That’s my perspective.

I’m glad that the professors are friendly. What are some of your favorite classes you have taken here at Sogang?


The classes that are conducted in English! My worst time of class, I went to a class conducted in the Korean language, and because it was my first time, I didn’t understand a thing. I really wish all the classes were conducted in English.

Because my major is philosophy, what I like the most is classes that talk about philosophy in general perspective. They try not only to focus on Korean society, but a global view. I think that is a nice one, a nice one.

Definitely. Given that Sogang is a Jesuit institution, can you comment on the Jesuit presence or values on campus here? In your classes, or any other part of campus?


In my country, there are the Jesuits of Cambodia, and they treat people equally. I am not a Catholic, or Christian. I am a Buddhist. But still, they encourage me to come and study here, at a Catholic university. Sogang is a Catholic university. I would call that justice, because I can also have an equal chance to get an education here.

Yes, I am glad that they told you about this opportunity, and that you were selected to come and study here at Sogang. How was your transition from Cambodia into Seoul, and specifically, into Sogang University?


It was great. Nearly every month, the president of Sogang University invites me and other students to have dinner with him. We also experience religion there, because before they have their meal, they pray.

Wow, that’s awesome that he invites you to dinner! That’s pretty special! So how long do you have left at Sogang, and what do you plan to do afterwards?


I have been here three and a half years, and I leave next semester. The first semester I came here to study the Korean language, and then I went to school. After graduation, I will go back to Cambodia to teach philosophy. But I will come back here to visit, because in graduate school here, I am very busy. I have many things to do, so I do not have time to go out to the sites.

I feel very friendly toward Korea and Korean society; I can say that Korea is my second home now. Every time I go home, I want to come back to Korea.

If I didn’t get support from the university and the Jesuits of Cambodia, I could not come here, because the tuition is much more expensive than in my country. And by coming here, I learned many things, in terms of general society, and living here.

I’m impressed with how receptive Sogang has been, and that you have such good feelings about Korea.


Those are all the questions that I have for you. Are there any other comments that you’d like to add?


Related to the Jesuit mission, or religious mission, nowadays in my country, many Korean people are going there in the name of Christianity, and they often fill the school for the poor children in rural areas, and they also ask for the funds from the rich for the children to go to school, like higher education. And in my perspective, it is because of religion that students can have a chance to have access to education. So I can see that the rich try to promote justice in society in terms of education because students can get educated; they can have equal access to jobs or status in society.

This is great; thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me.
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