COE student obtains full scholarship for ASEAN-Korea K-onnect Youth Network Workshop

MALAYBALAY CITY – Mr. Kent John Benemerito, College of Education – Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in General Science student, obtained a full scholarship for the ASEAN-Korea K-onnect Youth Network Workshop sponsored by the ASEAN-Korea Centre and Passage2 ASEAN (P2A) to be held in Seoul, Korea (6 days) and Danang, Vietnam (5 days) on July 17-27, 2023.

Mr. Benemerito was declared as one of the three winners who have won full scholarship under this program. The other two of which were from STI Myanmar University and Binus University in Indonesia.

Mr. Benemerito said in an in-person interview after his achievement, that the questions asked were based on ASEAN-Korean Commission-Mission, Vision, Achievement, and when it was inaugurated. There were also questions about the culture of Korea and Vietnam.

He said that the International Affairs Unit has helped him in doing the script and videos, and in researching about Korean Hallyu or popular Korean culture.

After being declared one of those who made it to the Top 10 spots last March 7, 2023, he underwent the final e-interview on March 14, 2023 and had successfully outshone 170 other applicants from nine (9) ASEAN countries, finally securing the Top 3 spots of the competition.

BukSU received 11 applications from students for the scholarship program from the College of Arts and Sciences (Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, and Bachelor of Arts in English Language); College of Technologies (Bachelor of Science in Information Technology); College of Business (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration); College of Education (Bachelor of Secondary Education).

The ASEAN-KOREA K-onnect Contest 2023 composed of three rounds: ASEAN-Korean Understanding Questionnaire, Video Submission, and Final Round (E-interview).

The full scholarship includes return flights from/to home countries, accommodation, meals, and field trips. 

He said that he will be an ASEAN Youth Ambassador to Korea after the scholarship trip. “One of the visions of the ASEAN-Korean Commission is people-to-people exchange. This scholarship will help me to be culturally diverse in an international platform which I could use to promote our tourism,” he added. (Diana Rose B. Lagoy/Information Unit)