Field Study Strengthens Ties between DU and CNU
By Park Ha-yeon, Senior, School of Dentistry
We live in a globalized world and many universities provide more chances than ever for their students to go abroad and experience globalized thinking and taste the cultures of other countries. The School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University (SDCNU) is certainly one of them, and gives ample chances for its students to experience other cultures first-hand and prepare the students for the globalized world.
Every January and February, the SDCNU sends its students to renowned dental institutions, domestic or overseas, for the purpose of equipping the students with balanced views on dental education. The institutions include the University of the Pacific, UCLA, King’s College of London, The University of British Columbia, McGill University, TMDU (Tokyo Medical and Dental University), Tohoku University, Hong Kong University, Dalian University (DU), University of Singapore, Chiang Mai University and the University of Otago. This “Feature” story covers the experience of a CNU dental team who visited the Dalian University in China from January 29th to February 4th.
Arranging Accommodation in Dalian
Before leaving for their destination, a team of four students had to arrange their accomodation. Should they stay in a school dorm or check into a hotel? The team chose to arrange a home stay. Not only was it economical but it was also a natural choice given the students’ wish to dig deeper than just the surface of Chinese culture. The team leader had to write to Professor Chang-Xin who was in charge of the international program at Dalian University. After several exchanges of emails each of the visiting team members was assigned a Chinese student. All of them attended Dalian Medical University and were majoring in Orthodontics. We supposed that they were from well-to–do families. Notably, one student’s mother happened to be a dentist and to our surprises her house was spacious and was equipped with the cutting edge electronic devices and appliances. China certainly seemed to have many faces. No sign of backwardness was spotted in any sector of Chinese society. The most impressive thing about these Chinese students was their English and their hospitality. They were eager to help and ready to create friendships with the Korean visitors. Their English was more than fluent, instantly expelling any worries of communication problems.
For one week they took excellent care of us, sometimes as a tour guide, sometimes as a co-worker in the same field and above all as genuine friends. The official program proceeded as follows: Welcoming Party on January 29th, Hospital tour & Observation from January 29th to February 3rd, Sightseeing in Dalian City on February 4th.
Academic Exchange
The main purpose of our field trip was for academic exchanges and to observe the dental training system in China. We noticed that there were some notable differences between the two countries, particularly regarding perception of dentistry. For example, the word “Stomatology” is used to describe dentistry, and the word has a broader meaning to include “Oral” in China. In contrast, the word “Dentistry” is commonly used in Korea. Also the professional field was not divided as specifically as in Korea, with the exception of Orthodontics. In Korea, there are several departments focusing on specific sub-areas. For example, periodontology is the specialty dealing with supporting tissue of teeth including gums in Korea, while there was no such thing as a periodontology department at DU. Endodontics is the sub-area specializing in root canal therapy, cracked teeth, and dental caries treatment. It was noteworthy that private dental practices seemed to enjoy popularity in China. Private clinics seemed to be perceived as places where patients were able to get kinder and more focused attention, though not particularly a higher level of medical quality.
Cultural Exchange
The team was to accomplish two things throughout the program: Cultural exchange between China and Korea, and academic exchange with Dalian Medical University. Understandably, cultural exchange was more subtle to carry out than academic exchange. In retrospect, the decision to stay with Chinese families was the best choice that we could have made. We experienced, observed and learned a lot while staying with the Chinese families. It was rather strange to find only one child in every family we stayed with. It was weird to think that the Government decided how many children people had, even if it was a telling example of how seriously the population problem had been regarded in China. The Chinese students, the only child at their own home, grew up receiving all the attention their parents could give. Their emphasis on education seemed as strong as in Korea. Three of the four Chinese students had actually been to foreign countries, whether for a visit or for studying. It was no wonder that their English was so fluent. The four families may not represent the entire Chinese population, but they were part of the rising class, and they were as sophisticated as any group that I know. The four of the team still cherish the meals the Chinese families prepared for breakfast. Knowing that Koreans didn’t like to have greasy food in the morning they cared to provide all sorts delicious dishes made mainly from fresh vegetables.
Restaurant food in Dalian was quite impressive, too. Since the city was located near the ocean, all sorts of seafood attracted our eyes and noses. It was delicious. Chinese are well known for their taste for tea. The variety of tea at the store was noteworthy, but our taste was so primitive and I still have not tried many of the different brands of tea that they gave as gifts when we parted ways.
Closer ties are inevitable
The university professors seemed to command respect from their students and parents. They also have some influence on the students and parents. At the welcoming party that they held at the school for us everybody seemed to listen to the dean and the professors of the school. They all showed their goodwill for Korea and Koreans. The students and their parents assisted and helped us in an impeccable manner. Obviously, Koreans and Chinese will become more connected and closer in the future. Geographical proximity, plus historical and cultural similarities are just a part of the picture. Our one-week experience told us that they are, among other things, very eager to cultivate closer ties with CNU dental school. We think that closer ties with Chinese institutions are inevitable as time goes by and it is only appropriate that we maintain a more positive attitude towards any future opportunities and both the school and the students should get ready to think and act globally. Such attitudes will pay and mutual benefits will result.
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