[Junior Herald] Koreans turn to Singapore`s creative education제니카페<cafe.naver.com/writergeni>

SINGAPORE -- More Korean students are leaving the country to study abroad. Over 35,000 students under the age of 18 left the country as of 2006 to study in countries like the United States, China, Canada and Australia, according to data at Korea? Education Ministry (교육부).

The data shows that many students decide to study overseas because they want to go to a globally prestigious university. However, some also choose to study abroad because they think they cannot get good enough grades in Korea. *Art majors, in particular, choose to study abroad as foreign schools tend to focus more on each individual`s talent rather than overall grades. Last but not least, they can "at least" master English, if things do not work out. These reasons are why many Korean students are turning to Singapore these days.

Singapore`s practical education system encourages students to focus on their interests. It means you do not have to always study to succeed in society. If your interest is in cooking, you can go to a *culinary school and become a globally recognized chef. If you like to design clothes and make accessories, you can go to an art school and become a successful artist.

Most schools in Singapore are different from Korean ones in the way that they provide career opportunities right after graduation. And this often means that you will intern at various companies during your school years.

Singapore`s At-Sunrice culinary school is one such example. "Students with passion in cooking are welcome here. They will learn how to serve, how to cook and how to run their own restaurant," said Christophe Megel, At-Sunrice`s CEO. Megel was a world-renowned chef working for *five-star hotels and major companies in the past 20 years.

Students here study but also work at Singapore`s major hotels to build up experience. After graduation, they are hired by international hotels and famous restaurants. "Chef is a highly respected and professional job. You can make a lot of money while doing what you love," Megel said.

Egg Story Digital Arts is a school specializing in 3D animation and visual arts. It was established by Nickson Fong, who created computer generated imagery (CGI) for the "Matrix" trilogy. Fong is currently working on his own animation movie called "Kungfu Gecko," which will be released in 2009. Teachers here teach students how to produce animation movies and visual effects.

There are two Koreans currently working on the production of Kungfu Gecko. The school`s principal lecturer Roy Wilson said, "Animation is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Students here are passionate about what they do."

Raffles Design Institute (RDI) is a school where you can learn fashion, interior design and computer graphics. Students who graduate from RDI work for major clothing brands like Calvin Klein, DKNY or open their own boutiques.

Park Sung-hyun, 27, is majoring in visual communication in RDI. He had majored in IT network in Korea. But he gave up his job and came here to pursue his real dream in computer graphics. "I love studying here because all the classes are in English. And the career opportunities are much better in Singapore," he said.

By Jeong Hyeon-ji (hannahj@heraldm.com)

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