CEFIA News

AKS’ Center for International Affairs hosted the “Textbook Seminar for Educators of Montenegro” from July 1 (Monday) through July 6 (Saturday), 2019. Participants of the program included Jasmina Djordjevic, textbook writer and employee of the Ministry of Education and Sports, and Lazo Lekovic, editor of the national textbook publisher.

At the textbook seminar, the participants discussed ways in which Korea related contents in Montenegrin textbooks could be improved by introducing each country’s education and textbook publication systems and Korea related contents and data in Montenegrin textbooks. Participants also took time to learn and discuss Korea in depth through lectures on the following Korean Studies topics: “North and South Korean relations,” “Korean history,” and “Korean culture and everyday life.”

Additionally, they visited Mabuk Elementary School in Yongin City, Gyeonggi-do, and visited classes and met teachers and staff. This experience helped them learn about all aspects of Korean education. Also, they visited the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, the National Palace Museum of Korea, and several cultural sites in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. These visits were another chance for the participants to experience and discuss Korean royal culture, modern history, and Korean culture they had learned about in the Korean Studies lectures.

The 161st Colloquium on Korean Studies Abroad was held in the B1 Conference Room of AKS’s Culture Center at 10:30 am on Friday, July 12, 2019. Evgenia An, PhD from Germany’s Goethe-University, gave a presentation on her research entitled “Gender, Ethnicity and Generation – Deconstructing and Reconstructing Koryo-Saram Identity.”

During her time in Korea, Dr. An conducted research on Koryo-saram living in Korea. In particular, she discussed the social position of female Koryo-saram from two different perspectives, introduced interview data regarding specific genders and age, and presented analysis based on that. The colloquium was enhanced by the attendance of interested researchers and students.

The Center for International Affair’s Promotion of Korean Studies Abroad team at AKS hosted the 27th AKS Summer Program for International Students over three weeks from July 8 (Monday) through July 26 (Friday), 2019. This summer program brought international undergraduate students (sophomores and above) who are majoring in Korea related topics to Korea to experience Korea’s history and culture. This helps deepen their understanding of Korea and opens their eyes to possibilities as the next generation of Korean studies scholars. 23 students from 23 different countries around the world participated in this program.

The program included Korean language classes structured to accommodate the students’ proficiency levels and special lectures and site visits on Korea’s history, culture, and art. The group was able to see for themselves the different aspects of Korea from traditional times to the present through visits to Duksugung Palace, the Seokjojeon Daehan Empire History Museum, Jeong-dong modern heritage site, the National Museum of Korea, the National Hangeul Museum, the Gyeongju historic and cultural areas, and Panmunjeom and the DMZ. In addition, the participants were able to meet Korean university students and local residents through a program held in conjunction with the Seongnam City Bundang Pan-gyo Youth Training Center.

Having raised their own level of awareness and knowledge about Korea during this program, these students will play a pivotal role in spreading knowledge of Korea in their home countries.

This program provides variety of funding opportunities for researchers affiliated with educational or research institutions outside of Korea, to enhance the quality of Korean studies and globalize Korean studies. Anyone who are interested in this program and meets the eligibility is welcome.

     1. Programs
        - Academic Research
        - Conference and Workshop
        - Scholarly Publication
        - Educational and Cultural Program
        - Translation of Overseas Korean Studies Monograph
     2. Required Document
        - Signed Application Form
        - Personal Information Collection and Usage Agreement
        - Project Director’s CV
     3. Submission Deadline : September 29, 2019
     4. Result Notification : The result of your application will be notified on our website and also by email in December, 2019.
     5. Contact Information and Submission : Division for the Promotion of Korean Studies Abroad
        - E-mail : grant@aks.ac.kr