The “Talk Concert with Ambassadors” event took place at George Mason University Korea, with ambassadors from nine countries participating on May 14. Co-hosted by GMUK Career Development Center and the IGC foundation, this event enabled students to meet the ambassadors from various countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Bolivia, Vietnam, Nepal, Mexico, Honduras, Senegal, Peru.
The Talk Concert began with three respective keynote speeches given by the ambassadors of Vietnam, Mexico, and Senegal. Each ambassador generally explained about basic information of their countries and their relationship with Korea. Ambassador Nguyen Vu Tu of Vietnam was the first to give the keynote speech, expressing the cultural and historical solidarity of both nations. Mentioning that Korea and Vietnam have similar cultural values and strong historic ties, the ambassador emphasized he hopes both countries can utilize these factors to create stronger diplomatic relations. The ambassador of Mexico, Bruno Figueroa, gave the second speech titled “Korea and Mexico: Strategic Partners in a New International Economic Environment.” He expressed the long diplomatic relations between the two countries since 1962, noting his opinion on the like-minded democracies and social policies of the countries. Finally,the ambassador of Senegal, Mamadou Faye, introduced his country as a ‘land of business opportunities’ with democracy and political stability.
Following the keynote speeches, the event proceeded to the Q and A session. Mason student Pamela Ellis (Sophomore, Global Affairs), asked the first question directed to all ambassadors, asking the ambassadors’ plans to bring more Koreans into their countries, and vice versa. The ambassador of Honduras stated, “We are trying to establish [a] FTA to bring commerce and goods in the enterprise and private sector. Also, we want more families and more people to visit both of the countries. We hope to work together and make a plan for the upcoming four years. Also, collaborating with NGOs in Korea and establishing volunteers students are good ways as well.” The ambassador of Peru answered that they want more bilateral ties that can bring investments from Korean automobile companies such as Hyundai and Kia.
Yet, one of the major fallbacks of the event was the extensive delay of the planned schedule. Most students had to leave during the event, because the event overlapped with their class schedules. While some were satisfied with the event, others wished for more specific information, rather than the general demographics of the country. Pamela Ellis (Sophomore, Global Affairs) stated that she liked the event, and that “it was very interesting to see and have conversations with the ambassadors.” Kristen Talman (Sophomore, Business Management), however, mentioned, “It would have been better if the event was going right on time, so that there wouldn’t have been many people leaving.”
Hyunseon Kim | Reporter
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