Lincoln, Neb.--When University of Nebraska–Lincoln students traveled to South Korea this summer for the "Seoul Immersion Design Media & Innovation" study abroad course, they experienced far more than museums, landmarks and sightseeing.
They spent two weeks building creative partnerships, navigating cultural differences and discovering firsthand how design and media can connect people across borders.
Led by Jinku Kim, assistant professor of emerging media arts, and assistant professors of practice in graphic design Jen Landis and Rachel Stuckey, the course brought together students from emerging media arts and graphic design for an immersive exploration of Seoul's vibrant design, media and technology landscape. A centerpiece of the experience was a collaboration with students from Kookmin University, where Nebraska students worked side-by-side with their Korean counterparts on creative projects that challenged them to communicate across languages, cultures and artistic disciplines.
Kim said Seoul offered an ideal setting for students to examine the intersection of graphic design and emerging media arts.
“Seoul Immersion was a two-week study abroad course that used Seoul as a living classroom for students to explore design, media, technology, culture and everyday urban life,” he said. “The class was not only about studying Seoul, but also building relationships, sharing perspectives and learning how design and media can connect people across places and cultures. Seoul is a particularly rich place to explore that intersection [between graphic design and emerging media arts] because the city brings together layers of history and tradition with contemporary design, technology and media culture.”
The course was designed to move beyond the traditional study abroad experience. Students toured design studios, visited universities and explored neighborhoods throughout Seoul, while working closely with Korean students on collaborative projects that began before they ever boarded the plane.
The collaboration called "Ping Pong: In Between Conversations," paired students from UNL and Kookmin University through a creative T-shirt design activity during an online pre-departure meeting. The teams continued working together virtually before meeting in person in Seoul, where they spent two intensive days gathering photographs, sounds, videos and observations from the city before creating collaborative multimedia projects.
“The event itself went very well,” Kim said. “It created an environment where students could work with people who had different cultural backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. Kookmin students helped UNL students understand Seoul from a local perspective, while UNL students brought their own experiences and viewpoints from Nebraska and beyond. This collaboration was one of the most valuable parts of the class. Students learned from one another not only through formal activities but through conversation, shared experiences, and spending time together. It gave them a direct experience of working across language and cultural differences in a very human way.”
For Kim, the lessons extended well beyond design.
“International experiences are important because students are entering a world where creative work is increasingly global, collaborative, and cross-cultural,” he said. “Whether they work in design, media, technology, art, education, or communication, they will need to understand people, contexts, and systems that are different from their own.”
He also emphasized the lasting value of the professional relationships students began forming overseas.
“I also believe that building global networks is one of the most valuable outcomes of international education,” Kim said. “The relationships students form with peers, faculty, artists, designers, and institutions in other countries can become lasting connections that support future collaborations, professional opportunities, and creative growth.”
Those connections became one of the defining aspects of the course for many students.
Devon Williams, a senior emerging media arts major, had previously studied abroad in South Korea through another UNL program. While that trip focused on history and culture, this experience allowed her to collaborate directly with fellow artists.
“I actually completed a different South Korean study abroad program hosted by UNL in 2024, but the experience was completely unrelated from what I’m studying in my major,” Williams said. “It was primarily history and culture focused, which was amazing. I knew this was my chance to return to Seoul and have a new experience that would help me grow as an artist. The program offered a chance to collaborate with fellow South Korean art students at Kookmin University, which is mainly what captured my interest. This would not be an opportunity that I would be able to have if I was simply solo traveling, so I decided to head back to Seoul for round two; this time, to meet new friends who shared my same interests.”
Once in Seoul, those friendships developed naturally.
“It felt more like exploring the city with friends rather than an instance of forced proximity,” Williams said.
The experience also broadened her outlook for the future.
“I personally wanted an international experience because I think it’s so fascinating meeting people whose lives could have been mine had I been born in another country,” Williams said. “The Kookmin students I met are the same age as me, study the same art as me, and like the same music as me. The only difference was our cultures, which vastly differ, yet somehow brought us to the same conclusion. After taking this class, I have begun to seriously consider living abroad for a few years. Whether it be in South Korea or somewhere else, it feels like a viable option now rather than an unattainable dream.”
Sophia Harding, a senior computer science and graphic design major, said collaboration was at the heart of the course.
“The class itself was an experiential learning opportunity intertwined with getting to work with students at their respective home design schools,” Harding said. “Design, to me, is about collaboration and connection with others, and that seemed to be the thesis of what the class was focusing on.”
She found common ground with students despite being thousands of miles from home.
“College students are college students, no matter where you are in the world—we are food-oriented, highly caffeinated, and open to meeting new people,” Harding said.
The experience also changed her perspective.
“Studying abroad is a pivotal experience I think every student should try to have,” she said. “Not only did this trip make me want to travel more, but it also shifted my perspective on other design students across the world and made me want to work with more people like that in the future. I feel as though I am a better designer, citizen, and person after this experience.”
Faculty members intentionally created opportunities that students could not experience through ordinary tourism.
“So, of course, we did some tourist type of things, but then also we tried to give the students some experiences that they would never get to do if they just came as a tourist,” Stuckey said. “They got to do a two-day project with Korean students from Kookmin University. And then they went to another university to have an afternoon, things like that. But we went to studios and different places like that to give them more exposure that you couldn't really get as just a tourist.”
She believes those interactions helped students better understand not only Korean culture, but also their own perspectives.
“I think it's just great to have a perspective and see you know to kind of even understand your culture and where you're coming from,” Stuckey said. “Through a lens that you know has all these different experiences. And to just kind of put those skills to use of thinking about different cultures, even within wherever their location where they end up.”
Landis said the relationships students built with their Korean peers made the experience especially meaningful.
“I'm so excited they got the experience to meet their college counterparts in South Korea, make those relationships that they'll have for life,” she said.
For Liang Endacott, a senior emerging media arts major, those relationships and cultural exchanges will have lasting professional value.
“This experience also broadened my career perspective,” Endacott said. “I had considered working outside the United States before, but I had never thought about South Korea specifically because I was unfamiliar with the industries and opportunities there. Seeing the creativity and innovation in Korean advertising, design, and media was inspiring to me. If I ever had the opportunity to work in marketing in South Korea, I would seriously consider it because of how colorful, creative, and visually engaging their advertisements and music videos are.”
