Korean Club at Abu Dhabi Women's College

There is an increasing interest in Asian culture among university students in the UAE from language to food to understanding how to do business in the region. Students at the Abu Dhabi Women's College have been exposed to this culture in recent events and this drove them to launch a Korean Club at their institution. The students sought and received the Korean Embassy's support and the club came into being a few weeks ago. The embassy did not hesitate to get involved, said Lee Kwang-je, first secretary of culture and information at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, at the club's launch. Article continues below Exposure Multiple events related to Korea, its culture and art took place in both the Abu Dhabi and Dubai women's colleges in recent semesters, said founding member Nouf Sultan, 20, an electronic engineering student. When ADWC offered Korean classes in 2008, they were hugely popular among students and this gave the Korean Club founders the idea to take their interest further. Maitha Al Rumaithi, who also played a role in cementing the idea of the club, said: "Students rushed to learn the Korean language. It was offered in four levels and all classes were packed. "Planning began four months ago. I recorded my ideas and objectives. I even launched a survey among the students, and out of 40 students I talked with, 22 joined the club before I even launched it." Taking the initiative Believing in an idea, taking the initiative, and putting plans into action proved successful for this young student. "I presented the entire project to our students' services department that was always encouraging us students to take up initiative for activities, and not to always depend on the administration," she observed. "Even my parents were encouraging me and were very supportive of the idea," she added. Lee said: "The relationship between the government and people of our countries continues to grow as a strategic partnership. "These cultural exchanges enhance the knowledge of each other's heritage and cultures and bring our peoples closer together."