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Our university's GTEP, they participated in the exhibition in Italy

The Cheongdae Times Reporter Hoseok An

As the new semester begins and the warm spring weather sets in, some students have left South Korea to participate in overseas exhibitions. From March 21st to March 23rd, the COSMOPROF exhibition took place in Bologna, Italy. Three students from our Cheongju University participated in the exhibition, representing our university with pride.

At our university, a total of three GTEP agents collaborated with companies to participate in the COSMOPROF exhibition. GTEP is Glocal Trade Expert Incubating Program, which is a project aimed at fostering specialized young trade professionals.



Through activities such as e-commerce practice and participation in domestic and international exhibitions, the program aims to assist exports of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises and cultivate global trade talents who can lead the trade market. These individuals, as GTEP agents, supported companies in their efforts to expand into overseas markets.

▲ This is from the Bologna, Italy exhibition. / Photo = provided by Uiin Jee

The COSMOPROF exhibition held this time is a beauty and cosmetics trade fair centered around the European market. It took place in the city of Bologna, Italy, and this edition marked its 55th occurrence. Covering a total area of 160,000㎡, the exhibition featured a Korea Pavilion where Korean companies were gathered. A total of 70 countries participated in the event, with approximately 2,980 companies attending, making it a significant cosmetics trade fair in terms of scale.

▲ Exhibition Korea Pavilion photo / Photo = provided by Jaehoon Lee

The participating student, Uiin Jee, the English Language and Literature department, class of 19 said, "I feel that experiencing trade practices firsthand and learning about the process leading up to exports through direct field experience is much more valuable than simply studying in a classroom. As a GTEP agent, it was truly an invaluable opportunity for me to learn a lot."

Dongyeok Park , a student majoring in International Trade, class of 19 said, "It was great to experience real trade practices, and since I am considering related career paths in the future, this opportunity was very helpful in deciding my future direction. It felt good to take another step towards my career through this experience."

However, he mentioned that it was physically exhausting due to the time difference, and he couldn't eat properly. Nonetheless, he expressed that it was nice to spend time with team members, relying on each other for support.

Jaehoon Lee , a student majoring in International Trade, class of 19 said "As it was an overseas exhibition, both language proficiency and practical skills were necessary. I felt disappointed that I couldn't naturally engage in conversations with customers. Therefore, the most significant realization for me was that I need to study languages and learn more about companies and product information in detail."

He emphasized that while there were many things to learn at the exhibition, the most crucial aspect for us to grasp is conversational skills.

They each collaborated with different companies to facilitate overseas exports. Additionally, as GTEP agents of Cheongju University, they directly experienced and learned trade practices, demonstrating further growth. Let's give a round of applause to these individuals for their diligent participation in overseas exhibitions as representatives of Cheongju University.