New Spring Attachment Programs: Seoul, South Korea and Cannes, France

Students on the South Korea study abroad trip at the Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul. Photo courtsey of Vania Omosemoje '28.

The Marist 100 Strategic Plan Pillars state, “We will bring Marist to the world and the world to Marist, building a broader community and richer learning environment for all.” 

This year, in alliance with this statement, the Marist University Abroad Office added two new Spring Attachment Programs: Seoul, South Korea and Cannes, France. The main takeaway from both professors who led these trips was undeniable: you could never get this experience inside a classroom. 

Seoul, South Korea

Dr. Sang-Keun Yoo, an assistant professor of English at Marist University, led the inaugural study abroad program in South Korea to further their business skills and learn about Korean culture and language. Students on this trip visited diverse places in Seoul and two other cities to immerse themselves in Korea's history, literature, traditions, technology and most importantly, its popular culture. 

“Learning about Korea's dominance in pop culture is essential for Marist students, whatever their majors are,” Yoo said. “I think it's really important we invest more in Asian studies overall, more specifically in Korean studies. To make Marist students really prepare for the 21st century, contributing more to this kind of trip and classes are really important.”

Among many other sites and locations, students visited the Samsung Factory headquarters, Korea’s Literature Translation Institute and the Korean Demilitarized Zone. This wide range of locations appealed to a diverse range of interests, from technology to English and history. 

“The trip made me even more interested in Korean history and culture, and just learning about the way the country has developed itself in so many different aspects in such a short amount of time,” said Vania Omosemoje ‘27. 

The group also had a one-night stay at the Buddhist Temple, which Yoo noted was to understand the cultural aspect, as opposed to a religious experience.

“To understand the world, and the nature around us in a different manner, in a more sustainable way, and think about our existence in a different setting, in a different mindset and different world view,” he continued. 

Looking ahead, Yoo would like to plan the trip in the middle of the summer so students can visit other Asian countries before and after the trip and have more time to prepare. He also plans on assigning students to conduct interviews with local Koreans with their own research agenda and create a blog-style video. 

“I'm committed and willing and passionate to expand and develop Korean studies, overall Asian studies,” noted Yoo. “I will keep organizing a series of events centered on that, and also have this study abroad in Korea every year.”

Cannes, France

Another new study abroad trip visited France to attend the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising and related fields. This inaugural trip was led by Senior Professional Lecturer of Advertising, Joanna D'Avanzo. 

“Being able to go to Cannes as a student is an opportunity like no other. It’s very rare to even attend Cannes as an industry professional, so going as a student is such an impressive thing for agencies to look at on your resume,” said Cara Lacey ‘26, a student on the trip. 

The group departed a week before the festival began to gain cultural experience in Marseille, Nice, Antibes, Mougins and Grasse in the south of France. To appeal to all students' interests, D’Avanzo had everyone submit three places that they wanted to visit in the south of France and compiled that list based on students’ opinions. 

“Doing any sort of attachment course, I feel like you need to learn about that other country and immerse yourself in that,” D'Avanzo said. “But it also tied into one of the outcomes of the course: the more you experience, the more you learn.”

The professor strategically structured her class as an asynchronous online course, so students enrolled at any Marist location could participate. By doing this, two students from Marist Italy and a student studying abroad in Paris for the semester participated in the program, making a total of 14 students. 

At the festival, students were able to speak with industry leaders, professionals and other students from over 100 countries, while attending workshops, screenings and seminars centered around creativity in advertising. 

“I think the biggest takeaway outside the classroom was the networking. The number of connections that students made was unreal,” D’Avanzo explained. “I think it opened up a lot of people's opportunities and understanding.”

Lacey said, “I don’t think people outside of the advertising world understand how truly magical a place the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity really is.”

Despite feeling exhausted from the summer heat, D’Avanzo recalls this as a mindblowing experience, and a program that she will continue to lead every other year.

“I think that these types of courses are super important for us as an institution to stay competitive,” D’Avanzo said. “Being a place where students say, ‘Gosh, I want to do that; I want to go there and be a part of that.”