Yonsei’s First Students from Togo Familiar Country Due to World Cup Match in 2006 On June 27, in the Academy Information Center, an Orientation event was held for the undergraduate international students who had been awarded scholarships by the Korean government. The event was hosted by the National Institute for International Education Development. Students of diverse nationalities were selected as scholarship students. Of these, the two students of Togo definitely stood out. Among the four students from Togo who came to Korea this year, two students came to Yonsei, becoming the first students from Togo to study at Yonsei. The two students are Bleza Esso-Ekazi(22) and Gnamavo Kodjovi(19). Togo is a nation familiar to many Koreans due to the fact that the Korean team played against the team from Togo in the preliminaries to the 2006 FIFA World Cup Games. Not only in Korea, but in Togo as well, the 2006 World Cup was a memorable event. Adebayor, the soccer player who gained international fame in 2006, is considered a national hero in Togo. The students were very proud of the fact that Adebayor is playing with Arsenal in the English Premier League and also spoke about Coach Otto Pfister of the Togo national soccer team, who had left the team due to bonus payment issues but had returned. A Strong Affection for Soccer: Wearing Supporters’ Uniforms The two students showed a strong affection for the sport of soccer. Preparing for the event, the two had put on the uniforms of the supporters of the Togo soccer team. In addition to the strong relationship to soccer the two nations share, the students are especially meaningful in that they are the first students from Togo to study at Yonsei. The students are scheduled to study at Yonsei for four years and eight months, until February of 2013. Finding things still a bit strange in their new city of Seoul, the students are from Lome, the capital of Togo. While studying at the University of Lome as freshmen, the two students had been selected as government-funded students by the Korean government. Bleza, a math major, is the youngest of five and has an identical twin. Gnamavo is the eldest of seven and majors in physics. Both students intend to finish a language course and then study in the School of Engineering for four years, selecting a major that is more readily applicable than their original fields. The students shared positive feelings about Korea. Bleza commented on the science technology of Korea. “I hope to study the advanced science of Korea and become an engineer in Togo.” He had first found out about Korea at the age of 12. “We were studying the nations of the world, and that is when I first heard the name Korea.” The students were able to learn more about Korea after the 2006 World Cup, when Korean government and education officials visited Togo. Surprised at the Economic Development of Korea, but Already Aware of Yonsei’s International Fame Gnamavo expressed surprise at the rate of economic growth in Korea but said that he was already aware of Yonsei’s reputation. And although the students had never been abroad, they said that they had seen Korean students who were studying medicine or economics at the University of Lome. When asked to compare life in Lome and Seoul, the two students agreed that “Seoul is a fine city”: “There are many cars, the streets are full, and various organization and facilities are close to each other. There are great universities like Yonsei, and the computer and library facilities are great. The Yonsei-Samsung Academy Information Center provides books in many languages and computer access. However, the curriculum does not seem too different.” The students opened their Korean textbooks to show us what’s keeping them busy. They study at the Korean Language Institute for four hours every day, and study after classes are over to improve their Korean. “We are learning Korean in the Language Institute, but the classes go by so fast. We learn more after the classes are over.” After an eight-month Korean language course, the students intend to take engineering courses. Visiting Dongdaemun to Shop, and Other Sightseeing Opportunities The students have already visited Gyeongbokgung, Cheonggyecheon, and Dongdaemun Market. They bought book bags at the market and tried Korean food including bibimbap, bulgogi, eggs, chicken, fish, and Kimchi. Bleza grinned, saying, “I tried Kimchi for the first time in Korea, and I don’t have words to describe the taste.” They have only been in Korea for a week, but the students already miss home. The students call their parents three or four times a week, and meet students from Togo who attend other universities. Still, judging by the group of friends waiting for them outside the Global Lounge, they seem to be adjusting to Korea very well.