Final Reflection:

Coming into this trip, I honestly didn’t know exactly what to expect besides the fact that we would be visiting companies, universities, and cultural sites throughout South Korea. Looking back now, it’s crazy to think about how much we managed to do in less than two weeks, trust me we were exhausted by the end. One minute I was stressed about finals and cramming for exams, and the next I was siting in an airport about to travel across the world. Even now, it still feels kind of unreal that I was able to experience all of this in just two weeks.

One of the biggest things I took away from this trip was how advanced and efficient South Korea is, especially in Seoul. Before the trip, we discussed smart systems and infrastructure in class, but actually seeing places like TOPIS made everything feel real in a way that the internet and social media never could. TOPIS monitors traffic, accidents, buses, and environmental conditions across the city all from one location underneath City Hall. Watching how quickly they could respond to traffic issues and monitor the city honestly made Seoul feel futuristic, and definitely very efficient. Throughout the trip, I kept noticing how connected and efficient everything was, whether it was the transportation systems, the KTX train, or even something as simple as robot waiters serving us lunch at POSTECH.

At the same time, places like TOPIS also made me think about ethical issues in engineering and technology. While the systems clearly improved safety and efficiency, they also rely heavily on surveillance and data collection. In the United States I feel like people are often more hesitant about being constantly monitored, while in Korea it seemed much more normalized. This made me realize that engineers and technology professionals have to think carefully about balancing efficiency and innovation with privacy and ethical responsibility. Just because technology can do something does not always mean people will feel comfortable with it. Seeing these systems firsthand helped me understand how engineering decisions affect everyday people and society as a whole.

Another place that made me think more deeply about engineering was visiting POSCO and Hyundai. Before touring the factories, I never really thought about how massive industrial production actually is. At Hyundai, it was incredible seeing how they could produce multiple different types of vehicles on one smart production line. Watching the finished cars get loaded onto ships so quickly and efficiently honestly looked like video game, as all the drivers zoomed by. At POSCO, the steel mill felt like an entire city of its own, when we took a tour of it in the bus it truly felt like we entered a whole new world. We could literally feel the heat radiating off the steel while touring the mill. The whole experience honestly felt like stepping into a game, especially when they used our faces in the giant 3D display room before the tour, and we saw big trucks and machinery.

However, these visits also made me think about how automation impacts workers and society. So much of the production process is becoming automated, which increases efficiency but also changes the role humans play in manufacturing and engineering. Engineers have a responsibility to think not only about creating faster and more advanced systems, but also about how those systems affect workers and communities long-term. However something I did notice was that even with all of this automation Korea has done a great job in maintaining jobs for their citizens. Even though they are being more efficient they still value humans and their skill sets.

The trip also taught me a lot about educational breadth and learning outside of my direct field. Some of the experiences that impacted me the most were not even the engineering visits themselves, but the cultural experiences surrounding them. Visiting temples, learning Sunmudo, exploring museums, taking cooking classes, and even going to a Korean baseball game all helped me better understand Korean culture and daily life. I realized that engineering and technology are always shaped by culture, history, and social values. So many things, including technology, are built off of one’s culture and I think that learning a country’s culture is an essential part in learning their technology because things we’re making efficient to us might not be as important to them and vice versa.

For example, one thing that stood out to me throughout the trip was Korea’s “pali pali” culture, which basically means “hurry hurry.” You could see that mindset reflected everywhere, from how quickly transportation systems operated to how advanced their cities and industries are. At the same time, Korea also places a strong emphasis on collectivism and organization, which probably contributes to why systems like TOPIS work so effectively. Experiencing this firsthand helped me understand how culture influences engineering decisions and public systems.

I also learned a lot about lifelong learning and continuing education during this trip. Visiting POSTECH and speaking to students there showed me how important research and continued learning are in enginering fields. I thought it was really impressive how many opportunities POSTECH students have for research, startups, and studying abroad. Talking to students there who had studied at Pitt before and who are coming to Pitt in the future also reminded me how global engineering and technology really are.

One thing I unexpectedly learned through this trip was how valuable reflection can be. Writing the daily blogs every night forced me to actually process everything we experienced instead of just moving on to the next activity. Some nights I was literally falling asleep while trying to finish writing because our days were so packed, but looking back now I’m really glad I documented everything. Reading through the blogs again reminds me of all the small moments I probably would have forgotten otherwise, like being roasted by middle schoolers at a bus stop for singing “Soda Pop,” fighting for my life hiking up the mountain at the temple stay, or realizing Korean Dunkin is somehow better than American Dunkin, even though “America runs on Dunkin”.

The social environment of the trip was also a huge part of what made the experience meaningful. Going into this trip, I honestly didn’t know anyone, which was definitely intimidating at first. However, spending almost every hour of every day together for two weeks quickly brought everyone closer together. Whether we were packed into buses like sardines, surviving 20,000 step days, getting lost on public transportation, or singing K-pop songs at karaoke, those shared experiences made us all bond really quickly. By the end of the trip, I wasn’t just leaving with memories from Korea, but also with genuinely close friends that I know I’ll stay connected with after coming back home. I think traveling together and stepping outside of our comfort zones together made those friendships happen naturally and made them stronger in a way.

The trip also helped me improve my ability to function on multidisciplinary teams. Throughout the program, we worked on presentations, group videos, and other collaborative assignments. Even though many of us were engineering students, everyone still approached tasks differently. Some people were more organized, some were better presenters, and others were more creative. Working together taught me how important communication and flexibility are when working in teams. I especially noticed this during the final group presentations and video editing process. Seeing everyone’s final videos honestly felt wholesome but also sad because it showed how many memories we created together in such a short amount of time.

Beyond the academic and professional development aspects, this trip also helped me grow personally. Navigating public transportation in another country, adapting to language barriers, and stepping outside my comfort zone made me much more independent and confident. Even little things like ordering food, using buses and subways on our own, or surviving the temple stay pushed me to adapt quickly. I even learned some Korean, “그거 미친 거 아니야?” I also gained a greater appreciation for experiencing other cultures firsthand instead of only learning about them in a classroom.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was how it balanced professional development with cultural immersion. One day we would be visiting a steel mill or accelerator laboratory, and the next we would be learning K-pop choreography, making gimbap, or trying raw octopus at the market. That combination made the experience feel much more meaningful because it showed how engineering and technology exist within culture and everyday life, not separate from them.

Looking back now, I can honestly say this trip changed my perspective in a lot of ways. Before coming to Korea, I mostly thought about engineering as technical problem solving. Now I understand that it is deeply connected to ethics, teamwork, communication, culture, and society. Engineers are not just building systems or technologies. They are designing things that affect real people and communities every single day. Overall, this was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had. South Korea chalenged me, surprised me, exhausted me, and taught me so much both professionally and personally. Even though the trip is over, I know the experiences, lessons, friendships, and memories from these two weeks are going to stay with me for a very long time.

So for the last time, annyeong!

– Anshi