Gachon University (President Lee Gil-ya) has wrapped up its 2026 Gachon International Summer School (GISS) program, which launched June 22 and drew strong enthusiasm from participating students.
The program brings together Gachon students and exchange students from partner universities abroad during the summer break for joint classes and cultural activities aimed at building international competencies. Foreign participants gain direct exposure to Korean culture and content, while Gachon students receive an overseas-equivalent international exchange experience through English-language instruction and cultural interaction with their foreign peers.
This year, 285 students took part — 55 from Gachon and 230 international students from 14 universities across nine countries. The program ran in three separate rounds tailored to the backgrounds and cultural profiles of each group. The first and second rounds drew 252 students, who have already completed the program, while 33 students are enrolled in the third round, with a completion ceremony scheduled for Friday.
Participating institutions included California State University, Fullerton; Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary; the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom; Amberg-Weiden University of Applied Sciences in Germany; Sapienza University of Rome in Italy; Mejiro University in Japan; and Xuzhou Medical University in China.
Beyond coursework, participants took part in a range of cultural and leisure activities — visits to the Korean Folk Village, Gyeongbokgung, Caribbean Bay and Lotte World, as well as taekwondo and bowling sessions. Group free-tour outings also gave students the chance to explore traditional markets and museums firsthand.
Gachon students who participated as buddies received two academic credits through the "Special Topics in English" course, scholarships of 200,000 to 400,000 won ($283) and bonus points toward applications for exchange, visiting-student and overseas dispatch programs, including the university's Hawaii campus.
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