Hana Du is a MBA (2008) student at the KDI School. She is currently in an exchange program at Institut Superieur du Commerce in Paris, France.

Q1 What are you studying at ISC?

I was actually planning to build on my MBA studies from the KDI School but ISC offers very few English courses for its MBA program. Therefore, I am currently studying in the School of Management. The educational system here in France is quite different from that of Korea. Typically, right after high school graduation, most French students go into a two year college program. After the two years, they move on to schools such as ISC Paris which offers a three year masters program. Therefore, it turns out that most of my classmates are 21-23 years old, making myself and other exchange students the oldest group in the student body.

Q2 What were your motivations for applying to ISC?

The first and foremost factor which brought me here was the cultural experience. I received my undergraduate degree in the US and after a year in the KDI School, I wanted to have the chance to set my foot in Europe. The KDI School has exchange program partnerships with a number of schools in Europe and I found ISC to be particularly attractive as it is located in Paris. The city is an extremely enchanting and vibrant place to be as it is blessed with culture and rich in diversity.

Q3 How are your studies at ISC? Any tips or advice for those who are interested in going to ISC?

Some of the courses at the ISC School of Management are exceptionally out of the ordinary and I would have never been able to take them if I did not seize this opportunity. The courses I am taking this semester are Luxury Marketing, Wine Industry, Cultural Travelling, Tourism Management, and Business of Art. I strongly believe that an education in these diverse areas will widen my perspective and knowledge and allow me to have exuberant boundaries for my future business. I am extremely satisfied with the programs ISC offers.

Q4 How is your life in Paris?

Paris is really the perfect place to be for someone who is interested in museums, galleries, and operas. But I am still not accustomed to some of the ways things are done here in Paris.I remember when I first got here and wanted to open a bank account. I was well aware that Europeans are, in general, slow in these types of processes but they were even slower than I expected. In Korean banks, opening a bank account would only take few minutes but here in Paris, I visited a local bank and they told me that I must first make an appointment with the banker. I came back to the bank on the day of my appointment and it took over an hour to just open my bank account. It took another ten days for my debit card to be activated! Believe me; you will have hard time adjusting with a ppali ppali mentality.

Not to mention that most of the banks are closed on Mondays and during lunchtime.One word of notice I would like to share with those who are interested in visiting Paris or attending ISC is that the living costs are quite expensive, especially due to the constant dip of the Korean Won from the economic slump. Additionally, I recommend you study or at least pick up some French language before coming here.

For readers that have any questions about the ISC programs or life in Paris, Ms. Du says they may feel free to contact her at hanadu@gmail.com for more information.

By Jun Hyun PARK (MPP 2009, Korea)