We are now living in a hyper-connected society, the era of Homo Connectus. In this environment, people and people, people and technology, and people and society are intricately linked and interact in real time. Cultures here and there no longer exist separately; instead, they reflect and intersect with one another, creating new meanings. Culture continuously moves with people, being reconfigured and forming new relationships. The boundaries between online and offline, local and global, center and periphery are also gradually blurring.

In this time of transformation, learning a different language and embracing a new culture is a deeply meaningful endeavor. It allows us to understand the world of others and to view our own lives from new perspectives. Language goes beyond being a tool for conveying concepts and information; it is a key to understanding different ways of life and sensibilities. The Institute of International Education at Kyung Hee University strives to incorporate this need for learning into a diverse curriculum, creating spaces where a “culture for all” can emerge through harmony and interaction.

The Institute of International Education at Kyung Hee University began as the Audiovisual Education Center in 1970. It introduced foreign language programs in 1991, Korean language programs in 1993, and was reborn as the “Institute of International Education” in 1997. For more than half a century, we have expanded pathways to connect with the world through language. Today, the Institute stands as both a window to the world and a gateway through which the world enters, establishing itself as a leading institution in Korea for Korean and foreign language education.

Currently, the Institute operates a wide range of language education programs based on a network of approximately 150 faculty and staff members and around 500 language education specialists worldwide. In an environment that integrates both online and offline learning, we provide learner-centered, customized education, creating a space where diverse cultures around the world are connected through language.

The lyrics, “You’ve shown me I have reasons I should love myself” (Answer: Love Myself) by BTS illustrate the process of discovering reasons to understand and love oneself through others. This realization begins with others, leads to a deeper understanding and love of oneself, and expands into empathy and inclusion toward others. How deeply one can love oneself and how broadly one can embrace others are interconnected. In this process of connection, language serves as a powerful bridge that brings us closer together. We invite you to join us in exploring the broader possibilities of connection that the language and cultural programs of the Institute of International Education at Kyung Hee University will open.

Thank you.