Seoul Institute of the Arts Internationalization, Contains the Changes of the Times

Panoramic view of Seoul Institute of the Arts

Seoul Institute of the Arts, the birthplace of Hallyu, recruits international students
Selected as the only government-funded university among art colleges in Korea
Vitalization of contactless international exchange through on CultureHub
Special admission process for international students: Fully online from application submission to practical exam

Seoul Institute of the Arts (President Nam-sik Lee) is recruiting international students through special admissions process for the 2022 academic year. Seoul Institute of the Arts (SeoulArts) provides professional creative education centered on practical skills based on variety of contents integrated with technology and is constantly in communication with artists around the world and with applicants who dream of becoming artists. SeoulArts graduates are leaders in art and culture scene in Korea and abroad and are in the forefront of the Hallyu in performing arts, media arts and new media fields. SeoulArts, which has been leading non-face-to-face education for over 10 years, is continuing its active international exchanges despite the pandemic, befitting its reputation as Korea’s most prominent arts college.

Leading international exchange with CultureHub in the contactless era
In this contactless era that has rapidly arrived due to COVID-19, the horizon of performing arts has expanded beyond theaters and stages to living rooms around the world with the production and distribution of immersive video content such as XR. SeoulArts has made efforts to reorganize the curriculum in preparation for this era and to strengthen the capacity to produce convergence contents. By establishing a solid infrastructure called ‘CultureHub’, a network of studios in New York, Los Angeles, Italy, and Indonesia, the major bases of world culture and arts, SeoulArts is connecting Korea and the world through culture and arts.

SeoulArts provides a venue for experimentation of new-form art creation based on its network with world CultureHubs, and strengthens global creative capabilities through special lectures and workshops. Students communicate with international artists in real time through the screen and constantly challenge themselves to grow into global artists.

‘Admissions process for International Students’ conducted entirely online from application to practical exam
Due to the coronavirus, there are restrictions on movement between countries, and difficulties for international applicants are increasing. The Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), which is required to apply for entrance exams, is also being postponed or canceled. Considering the situation, Seoul Institute of the Arts will conduct all entrance examinations online for international applicants, from the application process to the practical test.

The Korean language proficiency screening criteria have also been expanded. In addition to TOPIK level 3 or higher, King Sejong Institute Korean Language Intermediate Level 1 certificate or higher, Korean university language education center/language institute level 4 or higher certificates will be accepted. In particular, the Institute will temporarily operate the ‘Korean Language Proficiency Test conducted by SeoulArts’ for applicants who have difficulty taking the TOPIK in their home country. This test will also be conducted online.

The application process for screening documents for special admission for international students will be accepted from August 23 (Mon) to September 9 (Thu), 2021. The in-house Korean language proficiency test will be conducted during the document review period, and qualified applicants will be able to apply online from September 24 (Fri) to October 4 (Mon), 2021. The online practical test will be held from October 16 (Sat) to October 31 (Sun), 2021 and the applicant should check for their time slot from the Institute’s website.

Seoul Institute of the Arts selects talented students with great potential to grow into world-class artists, so if you are interested in the arts, you can apply regardless of nationality or age. For further details, please refer to the ‘2022 Early Admission Guide for International Students Associate of Fine Arts Program’ at Seoul Institute of the Arts website (www.seoularts.ac.kr).

Selected as a ‘government-funded university’ by the Ministry of Education, high expectation for future steps
SeoulArts will receive financial support from the Ministry of Education for three years from 2022 to 2024 as it was selected as a financial support university in the ‘College Competency Diagnostic Assessment’ of the Korean Ministry of Education in August. Nam-sik Lee, President of Seoul Institute of the Arts, said, “The results of the diagnostic evaluation show that Seoul Institute of the Arts has been evaluated as a university with very good educational capabilities. We will do our best to develop differentiated and excellent educational programs and to meet the increased expectations of the public”.

Seoul Institute of the Arts, based on a solid curriculum built through long tradition and innovation, has developed new curriculum tailored to the recent trend change of the young generation and aims to rise to a world-class arts Institute as it is facing the 60th anniversary next year. The admission process and the selection method has been simplified and customized as well for the benefit of the applicants.

Promotional video for entrance exam attached:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI–_tlCjw0

What is Seoul Institute of the Arts CultureHub?

CultureHub is a non-profit cultural arts organization jointly established in 2009 by Seoul Institute of the Arts and La MaMa Experimental Theater Club (NYC) in New York.

The two institutions have established CultureHub in many parts of the world to explore in-depth the impact and potential of new technologies that will transform art creation and education, and community formation. These Tele-Presence studios are set up with the same standard.

Through ‘Tele-Presence’, SeoulArts students are working to realize their dream of becoming a global artist by meeting with artists from all over the world via the real time interactive platform to exchange opinions, do workshops, seminars, and produce performances.

The mission of CultureHub is to support experiments that integrate emerging technology with art, and to create and nurture a new artistic form combined with technology. These attempts are groundbreaking experiments that break away from existing creative norms and create a new multicultural type of hybridity.

For more than 10 years, CultureHub artists have been conducting programs and innovative activities on creative topics to realize the experimental spirit (Ethos).

The network of CultureHub has been expanded to LA in the United States, Spoleto in Italy, and Bandung in Indonesia and further networks are in the process to strengthen artistic collaboration unhindered by distance.

In the contactless era brought about by ‘COVID 19’, SeoulArts CultureHub uses digital technology to expand opportunities for artists to exchange culture for in-depth reflection on human nature through the convergence of art, technology, and education thereby contributing to the expansion of the horizons of art.