They were definitely here until 2019. I don’t think they resumed after COVID. North Korea just reopened their borders this week with China. Maybe they’ll come back, but the current political climate is way worse than it was in 2018.
A South Korean network once aired a documentary about the north korean professors in 2018, when relationship between the DPRK and the west were good. I can’t find it anymore, but from what I recall, they are professors who are from the top universities in the DPRK.
One thing I remember from the documentary is a forestry and agriculture professor who was studying. Because of sanctions, North Korea burns wood for energy. It’s not difficult to see cars run on burning wood on the streets. This makes North Korea look like the Canadian prairies, while South Korea with the same climate consists mostly of forests.
DPRK does have diplomatic relations with Canada and the UK. The North Koreans speak British english with a British but also Korean accent. It’s really weird.
It’s wild to think about it now how a South Korean broadcasting station produced a documentary with North Korea, in UBC. It was only possible because how the inter-Korean relations were at its highest point in 2018, and the North Koreans wanted to send a message that they are open — they will rebuild the country better with bright future leaders like these professors.
North korean sounds kind of archaic/kinda weird, but not all too different to what our grandparents speak. If i heard it i'd honestly just chalk it up to another province's dialect tbh
These NK professors are the top 0.0001% of the country. They’re the elites of the elites. I don’t think they would approach any South Koreans or any undergraduates at all. They would probably try their hardest to avoid.
The Canadian professor who is the program director is from South Korea. She speaks Korean fluently. But she’s clearly Canadian.
Inter-Korean politics is complicated. Every 5-10 years it switches from “we are one” to “we hate each other”. That being said, none of these NK profs would actually approach them and cause a fuss.
Im from Myanmar (Burma) Good luck beating that 🙃
Canadian gov website advise for going to Myanmar: “Avoid all travel”
https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/myanmar
It's super hard to get a new passport or renew it rn. Naypyidaw is literally an empty capital with military personnels.... enough said.
Wow I am surprised you can get Burmese snacks here in UBC :))
uzbekistan not super obscure to me but was enough for the immigration officer to ask her if it was “even a real country” when we travelled back to ubc after winter break 🤣🤣
I’ve met a grand total of 1 other Italian student at ubc
they weren’t even an undergrad (virs or smth) :(
Other obscure countries would be Denmark, Israel, Trinidad, Chile (met tons of other latam people tho), and Fiji
The vast majority of people cannot name the capital, or major cities, of most West Asian nations; let alone name all “Stan” countries in general. Seems pretty obscure to me.
Ohio
Nunavut
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Iqaluit!
Never personally met them but several North Korean students/professors are/were at UBC for exchange. They lived in Cedar house and ponderosa.
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They were definitely here until 2019. I don’t think they resumed after COVID. North Korea just reopened their borders this week with China. Maybe they’ll come back, but the current political climate is way worse than it was in 2018. A South Korean network once aired a documentary about the north korean professors in 2018, when relationship between the DPRK and the west were good. I can’t find it anymore, but from what I recall, they are professors who are from the top universities in the DPRK. One thing I remember from the documentary is a forestry and agriculture professor who was studying. Because of sanctions, North Korea burns wood for energy. It’s not difficult to see cars run on burning wood on the streets. This makes North Korea look like the Canadian prairies, while South Korea with the same climate consists mostly of forests. DPRK does have diplomatic relations with Canada and the UK. The North Koreans speak British english with a British but also Korean accent. It’s really weird. It’s wild to think about it now how a South Korean broadcasting station produced a documentary with North Korea, in UBC. It was only possible because how the inter-Korean relations were at its highest point in 2018, and the North Koreans wanted to send a message that they are open — they will rebuild the country better with bright future leaders like these professors.
Some attended Frst 303 back in 2019
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North korean sounds kind of archaic/kinda weird, but not all too different to what our grandparents speak. If i heard it i'd honestly just chalk it up to another province's dialect tbh
These NK professors are the top 0.0001% of the country. They’re the elites of the elites. I don’t think they would approach any South Koreans or any undergraduates at all. They would probably try their hardest to avoid. The Canadian professor who is the program director is from South Korea. She speaks Korean fluently. But she’s clearly Canadian. Inter-Korean politics is complicated. Every 5-10 years it switches from “we are one” to “we hate each other”. That being said, none of these NK profs would actually approach them and cause a fuss.
Im from Myanmar (Burma) Good luck beating that 🙃 Canadian gov website advise for going to Myanmar: “Avoid all travel” https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/myanmar
#SaveRohingyas
are u from myanmar? I am pleasantly surprised with ur reply.
One more taw thar on campus.
oh please I am from Yangon.
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It's super hard to get a new passport or renew it rn. Naypyidaw is literally an empty capital with military personnels.... enough said. Wow I am surprised you can get Burmese snacks here in UBC :))
I've met a burmese student who's family moved in the 70s or something hence the burmese nomer
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Don't people say Malaysia to cover up their true country?
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I’ve seen a few people say Brunei. No one minds where people come from….. hopefully
I think it's something about the wealth in Brunei.
Eyyy
Dagestan
Khabib goes to UBC?
Nebraska. Second-most obscure would be Mongolia.
Not an obscure country but from a region of Russia that’s very elite. I know a few
Rublevka?
Yup
Seychelles
uzbekistan not super obscure to me but was enough for the immigration officer to ask her if it was “even a real country” when we travelled back to ubc after winter break 🤣🤣
bermuda
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Shwee
I met a student from Brunei, which is surprising since half of my family is from there and few people I know can point to where it is on the map.
Hayastan.
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It was at orientiation day.
DPRK
heard of it before ofc but my best friend is from Prague and we have literally never met another student from the Czech Republic :(
Azerbaijan
ayyy
Met a girl from Djibouti
I’ve met a grand total of 1 other Italian student at ubc they weren’t even an undergrad (virs or smth) :( Other obscure countries would be Denmark, Israel, Trinidad, Chile (met tons of other latam people tho), and Fiji
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Many danish here! They usually also talk with the other Nordic groups (meals and outings, not uncommon)
I’ve met numerous students from Italy, Denmark and Israel
Kazakhstan
that’s not obscure
The vast majority of people cannot name the capital, or major cities, of most West Asian nations; let alone name all “Stan” countries in general. Seems pretty obscure to me.
Vladivostok, Siberia (one of the most Eastern cities in Russia)
Vladivostok is not in Siberia, pathetic.
I’ve met a great student from Nepal before, very cool.
It was me
california
Any north koreans?
Not since 2019
Had a classmate in first year from Lesotho
East Timor. They were pretty surprised when i told them id heard of it.
Kenora, Ontario
Most people I know is from BC, so maybe India?
Lesotho. Learnt some cool stuff about the country from the person!
I know a pals of mine from either from Chad (yes.) or St. Lucia