Kim Hee-ae

Kim Hee-ae, an international admissions officer at University of Bradford, was in Korea for the 19th Education U.K. Exhibition in Seoul last weekend, which drew 53 universities from Britain. Kim has been visiting Korea every year since she started working at the university five years ago.

"Although it isn't very well known in Korea, the University of Bradford is well established for its MBA and Peace Studies programs," she says. "The Peace Studies program is especially well received, and a considerable proportion of students enrolled in the program are international students, including Koreans."

Kim left Korea for Australia in 1996 to study tourism management, and it was love that made her settle in the rural North of England, where Koreans are still a rarity. "I met my husband, Jonathan Fay, while I was studying in Australia," she says. "I never thought I'd marry a foreigner. After I finished my studies in 1999, I came back to Korea. But I kept thinking about Jonathan, who had gone back to Britain."

After several months, Jonathan came to Seoul to see her, and their relationship continued. After living in Seoul for a year and a half, Jonathan persuaded Kim to move to Britain. Due to her busy life in Seoul, they saw each other only rarely, and Jonathan had to struggle with the language barrier. Also, he hoped to work in his field of expertise in paints and materials, and in 2001 the two moved to West Yorkshire.

Kim Hee-ae gives admission information to visitors at an education exhibition.

Although Kim thought life in Britain would be easy as long as she had her husband by her side, the reality was different. She was the only Korean in the town at the time. Picturesque though the countryside was, it soon became boring, and she did not know how to find anything to do in a small town. But with her friendly and sociable nature, Kim started volunteering in the community, assisting teachers in primary schools, and that paid off when she got the job at the university.

"Because I used to study in a foreign country myself, I know the hardship that international students go through, especially problems resulting from language and cultural differences many Korean students experience. It's a fulfilling job as I'm helping them adapt to a new country," she says.

One advantage of living in Britain is the proximity to the continental Europe. "I strongly recommend studying in Britain for those who wish to study in a traditional academic atmosphere and want to work in the European market," she says.