KDI School welcomed its new incoming students for the year 2021. Due to the COVID-19 safety protocols, the membership training was held over Zoom. Dean Jong-Il You, the Director of Academic Affairs, and many other professors attended the membership training to welcome the new students.

Dean You reassured the students by giving examples of the excellent COVID-19 quarantine and prevention measures that took place in the past year. In fact, there not even a single student contracted the virus on campus. He also asked for cooperation in keeping the campus safe in the continuous COVID-19 situation. He also asked for active communication and networking with diverse students via an understanding of diverse cultures. Professor Seulki Choi, field chair of the MPP program, hoped this membership training could be an initiative to bring students together although it is not same as past face to face membership training.  Professor Yoon Cheong Cho, field chair of the MPM program, welcomed students by saying that she is always there when students need something even if it is outside of the classroom.

After the professors’ welcome remarks to newly accepted students, KDI School hosted the recreation session. In this session, an OX quiz was initiated and the winners who got all the answers right for the 5 questions received rewards. A bingo game was introduced as the second round and the winner was awarded the one and only item of a KDI School web camera. The third round was to guess the title of the song. This round was especially challenging as students had to guess the title of the Korean songs that were sang by international students unused to singing Korean songs. The winners went home with headsets. The recreation session ended with the draw which gave different students opportunities to win the prize.

This is an interview from one of student participants in the membership training:

Could you please briefly introduce yourself?

Good morning. My name is Sunkyung Kim, who entered the 1st MPPM course last semester. As a radiology specialist, I do ultrasound tests on patients or read various medical images such as CT and MRI. Originally, I liked science, but as I got older, I became interested in medicine and started as a doctor through a medical graduate school. In the field of radiology, I was able to adapt relatively quickly using my knowledge of physics, spatial perception, and dynamic perception skills. However, it is also the most job-threatened field in the future AI and telemedicine era.

What made you come to KDI School?

Last year, I was very disappointed as a member of the public government officials and doctors. I confronted the issue of the public medical school establishment; an establishment unable to make any concessions and failing to present a productive policy alternative.

It was a coincidence that I came to know KDI School at that time and applied for MPPM, but from the moment I received the certificate of acceptance, I seriously thought that I should work for communication and cooperation between the two groups.

How was it for you to participate in membership training?

The online MT, which was held for Korean students, was an opportunity to reflect on this initial intention while listening to the introduction and aspirations of new students. Studying is a lifelong task, and it''s never too late to learn something new. It is an honor to meet students from various backgrounds and ages through KDI School. We hope that our enthusiasm will be condensed and someday become the driving force to lead the developmental shift in the country.