Bellevue College Hosts Keimyung University Delegation for NextGen Startup Challenge and XR Lab Visit

A group of students participates in a hands-on VR experience in a classroom setting. Many are wearing VR headsets and holding controllers, actively engaged in virtual activities. Others are observing, chatting, or preparing equipment. A poster on the back wall reads “XR LAB – BC Library Classroom,” indicating the event is hosted by Bellevue College’s XR Lab. The room is equipped with white chairs, projectors, and tables filled with gear, creating a lively and interactive learning environment.

This spring, Bellevue College’s Computer Science Department welcomed a visiting delegation from Keimyung University in South Korea for a week of innovation, collaboration, and exploration. As part of the NextGen Startup Challenge, students from both institutions worked together to brainstorm entrepreneurial ideas, participate in workshops, and strengthen cross-cultural academic ties.

The week-long program provided a dynamic environment where students engaged in hands-on learning activities designed to foster creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. Energy levels were high throughout the workshops, as participants tackled real-world challenges and refined their startup concepts.

A young woman wearing a red jacket and gray scarf is immersed in a virtual reality experience featuring an underwater scene filled with glowing jellyfish. She wears a VR headset and holds motion controllers, smiling as she interacts with the digital environment. The vivid blue background with translucent jellyfish enhances the feeling of being submerged in a deep-sea world.

As part of their visit, the delegation also explored some of Bellevue College’s unique learning spaces:

  • At the XR Lab, James Riggall and Bruce Wolcott introduced students to cutting-edge virtual and augmented reality technologies. Visitors had the opportunity to experience how XR is being used across disciplines to support immersive education, training, and innovation.
  • At the Bellevue College Planetarium, Professors Guadalupe Lizana and Joel Lamb guided the group through a journey across the cosmos, offering a deeper understanding of astronomy and the universe beyond Earth.
In a classroom setting, a man with glasses and a beard is demonstrating how to use a VR headset and controllers to a young woman wearing a pink scarf. The woman attentively examines the controllers in her hands. Other students in the background are either preparing equipment or engaged in conversation, suggesting a hands-on VR workshop or training session. White chairs and modern classroom equipment fill the room.

These visits allowed both BC and Keimyung students to experience how Bellevue College integrates technology and science into the academic experience, creating opportunities to explore STEM pathways through interdisciplinary engagement.

The collaboration between Bellevue College and Keimyung University reflects the importance of global partnerships in higher education, particularly in rapidly evolving fields like computer science, entrepreneurship, and immersive technology.

Bellevue College extends its thanks to Professors Guadalupe Lizana, Joel Lamb, James Riggall, and Bruce Wolcott for their efforts in making these experiences possible, and to the students and faculty from Keimyung University for bringing enthusiasm, innovation, and new perspectives to campus.

We look forward to continuing to build international collaborations and fostering environments where creativity and technology meet.

A classroom at Bellevue College where students sit in a semicircle watching a VR demonstration. An instructor at the front wears a virtual reality headset and gestures with controllers, while a large projection screen behind him displays the VR experience titled "theBlu." The room is equipped with chairs, VR gear, and presentation technology, creating an immersive learning environment focused on virtual exploration.

Last Updated May 20, 2025