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Address: 123 Naberezhnaya Kanala Griboedova, room 322
190068 St Petersburg
Phone: 8 (812) 644-59-11 *61289
Elizaveta Grinevich, a graduate of the Department of Korean Studies, received an award in the final round of the King Sejong Institute global essay contest.
Elizaveta recently received a prestigious grant from the Government of the Republic of Korea, allowing her to advance her Korean language studies at Hanyang University in Seoul. She also participated in the King Sejong Institute Essay Contest, where she reached the final round among 222 entrants from around the world. Her success provided her with access to a cultural program organized for contest participants (세종학당 우수학습자 초청 연수 2024). Through this program, Elizaveta engaged in various cultural activities, including visits to Suwon and Paju, Taekwondo classes, museum tours, and an excursion to the famous Lotte World theme park.
We spoke with Elizaveta to learn more about her unique experience and the journey that led our graduate to such success.
I began learning Korean in my first year of the program, and even after completing my undergraduate degree, I continued to advance my skills in the courses at the King Sejong Institute in St. Petersburg. I believe that my six years of experience contributed significantly to my success in reaching the finals. To qualify, I had to secure first place in the initial round held at the King Sejong Institute. For that round, I chose the topic "What I gained from studying Korean" (한국어를 배우며 얻은 것), while the final round’s overall theme was "Our King Sejong Institute: King Sejong and my method of learning Korean" (우리 세종학당, 그리고 나의 한국어 공부법).
Both topics are quite personal, so I think it's crucial to share your own story in an original way that distinguishes you from others.
The cultural program lasted five days, with the first day focused on speaking and writing finals. In the following days, we visited several cities, including Suwon, where we toured the Hwaseong Fortress, and Paju, where we explored the Odusan Unification Observatory (오두산통일전망대) and observed the border between North and South Korea. While in Seoul, we had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of Korea and the Hangeul Museum, stroll around Gyeongbokgung Palace in traditional Korean costumes, ride a cable car to the top of Namsan, take a boat trip on the Han River, spend half a day at Lotte World amusement park, and view contemporary art exhibitions at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) cultural center. The schedule was quite packed, but I believe the organizers did an excellent job of showcasing the main attractions of Seoul and Korea.
There were more than 200 participants in the program, so due to the limited time and my busy schedule, I didn't have the opportunity to get to know anyone very well. However, it’s important to mention that contestants from all over the world came to Korea for this competition! In our group alone, we had participants from the USA, Brazil, England, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Turkey, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. I am confident that after sharing such a cohesive experience, we will fondly remember our week in Korea for a long time to come.
I encourage my juniors to study Korean with dedication and continue to broaden their knowledge so they can engage in various competitions and activities related to the language. Such enriching experiences can significantly boost their self-confidence, improve their skills and inspire them to strive for even greater achievements!
We congratulate Elizaveta Grinevich on her remarkable achievements, are genuinely proud of her, and wish her success on her exciting new journey at Hanyang University!