SUNGKYUNKWAN UNIVERSITY (SKKU), SEOUL, KOREA

"I started to think about what I can share with others after I saw a disabled student playing the flute for Arirang which he learned from a Korean volunteer." That was a passage from Tajik State University of Commerce student Mirzoaliev Khushnud's (25) writing for the 9th Central Asia Sungkyun Writing Contest about the subject of "True Happiness". At the writing contest around 40 students from four countries including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan participated: Khushnud received the gold prize.

SKKU holds the Sungkyun Korean Writing Contest every year in various regions like China, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and East Europe with the aim to expand Korean culture and cultivate students that can take part in exchanges between Korea and other countries. SKKU provides full scholarships for graduate programs to winners of the event. Aidarova Aigerim who won the gold prize at the 4^th Central Asia Sungkyun Korean Writing Contest received her degree at SKKU Graduate School of Political Science and Diplomacy and is currently working as a diplomat for the Kazakhstani government.

The Sungkyun Writing Contest overcame a financial setback in 2010 when SKKU couldn't hold the event due to a lack of funding in its budget. However, with support from KIM Hongduk, an SKKU alumnus and CEO of Ierae CS, the event was able to continue since 2011. "I would like to provide continuous support so that the Sungkyun Writing Contest can get bigger and bigger," said Mr. Kim.