[Mr Seunghwan Lee]

President of KAIE (Korean Association of International Educators)

On behalf of Korean Association of International Educators, I would like to congratulate opening of K Conference here in Korea. And it is my privilege to convey my sincere thanks to K Conference to invite our member universities to join this event and offer us opportunities to learn about the updated trends and share the invaluable information of international education with colleagues and friends from all over the world.

Currently, this global village is confronting a lot of dilemmas. Wars and terrors have been threatening this peaceful world, and we still do have neighbors suffering from starvation. Serious environmental issues such as 'global warming' 'fossil fuel depletion' are the ones that we have to take care of for our descendants and this beautiful globe. And also, the dark clouds of global financial crisis and unemployment of youth betoken the future of the global market and economy. Right in this point, we have to raise a question to all of us. New ways and solutions for us shall be coming from what we do and what other do without borders. That is "globalization".

In the history of Shilla Dynasty about one thousand years ago in Korea, we could learn that our ancestors traded with many foreign countries varying from neighbor countries, China and Japan to countries in the Persian Gulf. If you go to a King's tomb in Gyeongju, exotic faces of the statue of the tomb will welcome you. And some old books read that Shilla Dynasty hired foreigner as its government officers. I am very sure that "Globalization" was a key issue in that time about one thousand years ago.

We cannot live alone. Our country itself cannot stand in this world alone. We have to communicate and live with others and other countries. In order to cope with an ever-lasting truth, our young generation should be educated globally and locally. We, international educators make an every effort to let the students have open-minded to the world so that they can meet another new world. We also get them ready for the world citizen, not citizens from his or her own country.

I sincerely hope this conference will help create a new paradigm of international education as well as foster and strengthen the ties between participants. And contribution from all the participants will play a crucial role in helping us achieve further progress toward a globalized community. In closing, I would like to express my deepest thanks to organizers of the conference.

Thank you.