On May 16, GIST and KENTECH held the “GI-KEN Games” (Jiken-jeon), the first joint athletic competition between the two schools, on GIST campus. Beyond wins and losses, students from both institutions shared a spirit of mutual respect and sportsmanship, taking the first step toward cooperation and exchange between their student communities.
The 1st GI-KEN Games: Scenes from the Field
The GI-KEN Games featured three sports: soccer, badminton, and basketball. GIST claimed hard-fought victories across the board, winning the soccer match 1-0, sweeping every badminton event 2-0, and taking the basketball game 40-36.
Results aside, what stood out throughout the competition was the sportsmanship and mutual respect on display. Park Seon-woo (’26, Challenge and Exploration Program), who played in the soccer match, applauded every athlete who took part in the friendly rivalry, saying, “It was great to see everyone playing such a gentlemanly game.” A KENTECH student who competed in mixed doubles badminton also shared a similar sentiment: “I’m glad I was able to make such good memories. I hope opportunities like this continue in the future.”
The People Behind the GI-KEN Games
GIST and KENTECH previously co-hosted a joint academic exchange festival in 2024. Hwang Ui-hyeon, Chair of the KENTECH Student Council’s Preparatory Committee (hereafter, the KENTECH Committee Chair), explained that the event was designed to build on that momentum: “We wanted to expand exchange between the two schools around two pillars — ‘athletic exchange’ in the spring semester and ‘intellectual exchange’ in the fall.” Kim Yeon-woo, Chair of the GIST Student Association (hereafter, the GIST Committee Chair), said, “We planned the GI-KEN Games to broaden our existing exchanges into something more participatory for students.” An athletic competition was chosen precisely because it allows large numbers of students to connect and take part regardless of their major or extracurricular background. The GIST Committee Chair added that the Games were about “exchange” rather than “competition,” marking the beginning of the relationship the two schools will build going forward.
Close cooperation between the two schools continued throughout the preparation process. The KENTECH Committee Chair credited “a solid working partnership” for giving the team great confidence in preparing joint events in the future. The GIST Committee Chair added, “Beyond simply co-running a single event, we confirmed that our student communities are fully capable of working together,” assessing the GI-KEN Games as a foundation for more diverse forms of exchange ahead. The organizers explained that their priority was less about running the matches themselves and more about creating an atmosphere where students could naturally mingle and come together. They considered various additional programs, such as club performances, but faced constraints in publicity and preparation time given that this was the first joint event.
Organizers from both schools expressed hope that the GI-KEN Games would spark exchanges extending well beyond athletics. The KENTECH Committee Chair hopes to expand exchange into the arts and culture through joint club performances and exhibitions alongside future athletic competitions. The GIST Committee Chair looks forward to discussions on regional industry and technological development centered on the Gwangju-Jeonnam area, drawing on the specialized expertise of both institutions.
Lessons from the First GI-KEN Games
As the first joint event, the Games also left room for improvement. Organizers from both schools pointed to the insufficient preparation period as their biggest regret. The KENTECH Committee Chair acknowledged that schedule changes and inadequate preparation had disappointed fellow students, and pledged to address these issues thoroughly in future events. The Committee also plans to expand the lineup of sports so that athletics can serve as a more substantial channel of exchange. The GIST Committee Chair likewise noted that field-day-style programs open to everyone (such as dodgeball or tug-of-war) had been considered, but difficulties in promotion and participant recruitment stood in the way.
Both schools have embraced this trial and error as experience to build on. They expressed their intention to develop the event further by widening the scope of student participation and adding more diverse elements of exchange beyond sports.
As the first joint athletic competition between GIST and KENTECH, the GI-KEN Games served as an occasion to confirm the potential for cooperation between the two student communities. Building on this experience, we hope the partnership between the two schools grows ever more active, leading to broader and deeper exchange.
Translated by Byeon Junil
(junil_byeon@gm.gist.ac.kr)