With Swoop leading the way, members of the University of Utah Asia Campus fall 2026 incoming class raised their hands to form the Block U for their first class photo.

The moment capped three days of New Student Orientation and Welcome Ceremony activities held Aug. 18-20 at the Incheon Global Campus. Students met classmates, faculty and staff while taking their first steps as members of the University of Utah community.

This semester’s incoming class represents a wide range of national and cultural backgrounds, including students from Korea, the United States, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, France, Ukraine, Russia, Australia, Japan and China.

During orientation, students received guidance on course registration, academic planning, scholarships, counseling, career services and campus safety. Club introductions, conversations with current students and campus tours also helped them become familiar with their new academic environment and campus community.

Located in Incheon, South Korea, the U Asia Campus is an extended global campus of the University of Utah. Students follow the U’s curriculum and earn a University of Utah degree while studying across a university community that spans two continents.

That connection is at the heart of “One U.” Asia Campus students begin their studies in Incheon and, depending on their major and academic pathway, have the opportunity to study for one year or more in Salt Lake City. The exchange also moves in the other direction, with students from the Salt Lake City campus spending a semester in Incheon and becoming part of the Asia Campus community.

Although members of the incoming class arrived with different experiences and ambitions, they shared the excitement—and uncertainty—of beginning a new chapter.

For Film & Media Arts student Jiyoung Kim, starting college in Incheon marked a return she had imagined for years.

Kim attended elementary, middle and high school in New Zealand, where she developed an interest in film, visual storytelling and photography. Although she had spent much of her life abroad, she always hoped to return to Korea. When she discovered that she could study Film & Media Arts at the U Asia Campus, the pieces came together.

“I had always wanted to return to Korea and study something I truly care about,” Kim said. “I hope to gain hands-on filmmaking experience here and eventually work on professional film sets.”

Her mother, Sunah Lee, is already looking forward to seeing where that ambition takes her. Each spring, the Asia Campus hosts the annual F&MAD Film Festival Asia at a local movie theater, where selected student films are screened for a public audience.

“I hope that one day, Jiyoung’s film will be selected and shown on the big screen,” Lee said. “I would love to sit in the audience and see her work come to life.”

Electrical and Computer Engineering student Sangwon Kang came to the U with a different goal. His interest in neural interfaces led him to the Utah Array, a pioneering electrode array invented at the University of Utah that has contributed to advances in brain-computer interfaces and neuroprosthetics.

“Once I learned about the University of Utah’s work in neural interfaces and the Utah Array, I did not have to think long before applying,” Kang said. “I am excited, but I also have this feeling that something really big is beginning.”

His mother, Jeeyoung Yun, said beginning the journey in Incheon offers both familiarity and new possibilities.

“As a parent, I feel reassured that he can begin his global college experience in a familiar environment in Korea,” Yun said. “I hope he builds a strong foundation here and then expands his experience at the Salt Lake City campus.”

At the Welcome Ceremony, Gregory Hill, chief administrative officer of the U Asia Campus, encouraged the incoming students to make the most of the opportunities available across One U.

“Our students are not simply experiencing an American education in Korea,” Hill said. “They are joining one University of Utah community that connects Incheon and Salt Lake City. Perhaps the next unicorn founder is sitting in this room today.”

The incoming class arrived in Incheon from different countries, cultures and academic interests. Some hope to tell stories on screen. Others want to develop technologies that transform lives. Together, they are beginning their University of Utah journey as one class— and joining a U community that extends far beyond any single campus.