KORAIL provides new opportunities for internships

Deputy Director of Moscow representative office of Korail Moon Yong-Il and Academic Supervisor of the Programme D.A. Shcherbakov signed an agreement about internships for students in the Korean railway company. On February 12th Mr. Moon made a presentation on Korail's activities as part of the signing of the agreement. The lecture was offered specifically for students of the Double Degree Programme in “Economics and Politics in Asia”, in the end of the presentation Mr. Moon Yong-Il awarded D.A. Shcherbakov and Chang Beom-Seok, Deputy Head of Program, with certificates of honor, and also gave them the status of advisors to Korail's representative office in the Russian Federation.

Korail is the main railway company in South Korea that has been existed since the 1960s. Korail formally got this name in 2005. Their representative office has been opened in Moscow since 2018. Since that moment Korail railway company began to take an interest in the Russian direction and accordingly specialists from Russia.

This year representatives of Korail and signed an agreement according to which students of the programme can do traineeships in their representative office. At the moment two students Alexandra Nikitina and Alena Evdokimova are already undertaking internships at the company.

Why did you choose an internship at Korail?

Alexandra: I helped my father who works at Russian Railways, so I thought that at Korail I could use my knowledge in this field and gain experience in how a Korean company operates.

Alena: Korail is widely known in South Korea, and I heard about this company earlier, so the idea of ​​an internship there interested me.

What were your expectations and what happened in reality?

Alexandra: According to the reviews from the other students, I expected that the internship would not be very interesting. Other companies mostly give translation-related work to students, and there is practically no communication between colleagues. But in Korail there is a friendly team, and we were met very well. I often communicate with colleagues in all 3 languages ​​on completely different topics.

Alena: I expected that work would be mainly connected with translations of various documents, but I don’t have to do it.

What do you have to do?

Alexandra: I am mainly searching for reliable information about Russian Railways, because Korea collects information about it in order to better both interaction and cooperation. Also, last time I did a task at the railway station, when we communicated directly with employees. It was refreshing!

Alena: My work is mainly related to searching for information.

Would you recommenf the internship in Korail to your peers?

Alexandra: Yes, I would like to recommend the internship at this company to other students. Korail employees really want their trainees to get the best possible experience, and are always ready to help. Everyone is ready to come by and explain everything. Employees care about each other in the office, so working in this company is comfortable.

Alena: I cannot answer this question, because the area in which Korail specializes is narrow, and may not be interesting to everyone. But the internship at this company is an important experience, which you don't have to refuse.

Who will be most interested in this internship in to your opinion?

Alexandra: First of all, it will be interesting for students who study Korean language. In the company you can practice language skills, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Korean company with all its features, and even go to dinner with the colleagues. And if you are interested in railways, this company will be a great discovery for you. I was very surprised how well Korail works and how much they care about their passengers. All projects are thoughtful to the smallest detail. I would like to work in this company in the future.

Text by: Anastasia Borisenko