SOM Student’s Arctic Experience in South Korea
In July 2019, Jillian Bjornstad, a senior in the business administration program, traveled to South Korea to attend the 5th annual Korea Arctic Academy (KAA). KAA is sponsored by the Korea Maritime Institute, Korea Polar Research Institute, and UArctic. People from around the world gathered at the Korea Maritime Institute to discuss current issues facing the Arctic. Each attendee gave an informative presentation on issues they have seen or researched. Some presentations were scientific in nature, while others shared observations related to certain Arctic issues.
The KAA participants also learned about the Arctic policies and planning efforts of various countries throughout the program. On the first day of the conference, they heard from ambassadors from Norway, Finland, Canada, Denmark, and Russia.
In addition to educational lectures on Arctic topics, participants had many chances to experience Korean culture. Several people joined a tour of Busan to explore and learn about the city. Other tours included shipyards, ports, the largest palace in Seoul, and the Korea Polar Research Institute. One activity that stood out was the tour of the Demilitarized Zone, a buffer zone of about four kilometers between North and South Korea, where participants learned about the history between the two nations.
Being from a small rural town on the Aleutian Chain and having never been out of the country before, Jillian says that the Korea Arctic Academy was an enlightening experience. “Thank you to UAF and the Korea Maritime Institute – without them, I never would have had this opportunity.”