Diletta received the U21 summer school scholarship, and studied the Korean peninsula's history in Seoul, South Korea

The history of the Korean peninsula was something I always wanted to study, but never had the chance to

This summer I had the possibility to travel and study at Korea University in Seoul, South Korea. Thanks to the U21 scholarship, I attended a 6-weeks in-person international summer school where I studied the history of the Korean peninsula.

I was very happy to be able to take this opportunity because, throughout my undergraduate and graduate education, I was able to learn more about Korea, about the relations between the North and South, and about the country’s diplomacy with foreign countries. The history of the peninsula was something I always wanted to study but never had the chance to, so when I heard about this opportunity, I totally wanted to take it if possible!

The added value of this short-term summer program is that it allowed me for more flexibility compared to a longer exchange program.

Having less time available allows to have a very intense experience, meaning that I, together with the other international students, were always filled with activities and busy to explore the city alongside studying and attending classes.

Reflecting on the cultural differences between the Korean culture and my own was interesting and inspiring, also considering the historical legacy of the country which I have been learning at Korea University.

All of these experiences, my time abroad, the difficulties I naturally faced and the people I met allowed me to grow as a person and as an academic, contributing to my personal development. I became more resilient, more attentive to cultural differences, and my intercultural communications developed by connecting with people from all over the world. I feel very lucky to have been able to live such an experience!