CEFIA News

AKS's Center for International Affairs hosted the "Online Textbook Seminar for Educators of Philippines" over two days on October 5 and 6 (Monday and Tuesday), 2020. Due to the prolonged effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this training session was held online over Zoom.

The training session included a textbook seminar and lectures on Korean culture and was attended by four education specialists from the Philippines. They included Chief Education Program Specialist Besy C. Agamata of the Philippines Department of Education, Senior Education Program Specialist Jejomar C. Alda, and Education Supervisors Jimmy G. Catanes and Leo D. Camposano of the Philippines Commission on Higher Education.

The online training was composed of a textbook seminar and lectures on Korean culture. The textbook seminar which was part of the training including presentations and discussions on the education systems in Korea and the Philippines, textbook policies in each country, online education, increasing and introducing new Korea-related contents in textbooks in the Philippines, and the creation of Korea-related material. These topics led to a discussion of how Korea can be better introduced in the Philippines' education system. In addition, two lectures titled "Korea's Economic Development and Culture" and "Korea's Popular Culture and Culture" were given, allowing the participants to obtain a deeper understanding of Korean culture.

After the COVID-19 pandemic abates, we plan on expanding the online seminars to in-person sessions to increase and introduce new Korea-related contents in textbooks in the Philippines.

The 85th Societas Koreana Lecture Meeting was held in the AKS Culture Center conference room on Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Professor emeritus Albrecht Huwe (University of Bonn, Germany) presented a lecture titled "Hunmin Chŏngŭm / Han'gŭl & IT – About the Particular Importance of Korean Script for Korean People and Culture." Due to the spread of COVID-19, the lecture was given without an audience and videos were produced separately.

Professor Albrecht Huwe received a PhD in Korean and Chinese studies from Bochum University in Germany. He is an expert on Hangeul, having researched it for the past 47 years, and is currently professor emeritus at the University of Bonn. In 2010, he published a research paper titled "Hangeul and Computers: Finding the Secrets to the Korean Alphabet" in German. Nine years later, he published "Hangeul with Wings" in Korean.

In his lecture, Dr. Huwe spoke about the importance of Hangeul to Koreans and in Korean culture. He first explained the historical background and purpose behind the creation of Hunmin Chŏngŭm and introduced the development of Hangeul. Then, he emphasized the fact that Hangeul is a scientific alphabet based on Yin-Yang and the five elements theory. The lecture marked the 475th anniversary of the creation of Hunmin Chŏngŭm and was held to commemorate King Sejong's love for his people and to help remember the Korean people's history. Additionally, we look forward to possible developments in various academic fields through the combination IT and interest in Hangeul, which has been recognized worldwide for its excellence and scientific qualities.

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AKS's Center for International Affairs Division of the Understanding Korea Project hosted the "Online Textbook Seminar for Educators of Guatemalas" over four days from October 13 (Tuesday) through October 16 (Friday), 2020. We had originally planned on inviting four experts from the Guatemalan Ministry of Education and the textbook publisher Santillana for a seven-day program in Korea. However, due to the spread of coronavirus, we held the program online.

Using Zoom, we held the textbook seminar on October 13-14 and held lectures about Korea on October 15-16. Throughout the four days, eight additional people from the Ministry of Education joined the four presenters, so we can see that interest about Korea is high in Guatemala.

Presenters at the textbook seminar included researchers from the Division of the Understanding Korea Project and education and textbook experts from Guatemala. Topics of discussion included each countries' curriculum and education systems, Korea's reading education, Guatemala's multilingual textbooks and teaching methods, Korea-related reading material found in Guatemalan textbooks approved by the government, and additional Korea-related material that could be included in Guatemalan textbooks.

The lectures on Korean culture and literature were an opportunity for the participants to expand their knowledge of Korean history and culture and Korean literature. The participants expressed interest in Korean literature that has been translated into Spanish. Orlando Escobar, the officer in charge of improving elementary education at the Ministry of Education, reported that he bought and read the Korean book Leafie: A Hen into the Wild after receiving the lecture notes before the program.

Through this online culture training, we were able to enhance the Guatemalan textbook experts' interest and understanding of Korean education, history, and culture. The participants agreed to work together to promote the mutual understanding of students in each country through textbooks and material about Korea.

AKS's Center for International Affairs Division of the Understanding Korea Project hosted the "2020 AKS Program for Textbook Specialist in Europe" online on October 17 (Saturday) and October 18 (Sunday), 2020. This program was the first in a series of planned seminars which will gather textbook experts from different regions around the world including Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. This program was held for the first time this year and gathered textbook experts from Europe. Participants of the program came from eight countries including Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Serbia, and the UK. The program included lectures on Korean studies and time to discuss how Korea is being taught in Europe.

The program opened on the first day with welcoming remarks from Director Yoong-hee Jo of the Center for International Affairs at AKS and an explanation of the Understanding Korea Project from Wonsuk Chang, head of the project. The Korean studies lectures were given by professors from SOAS University of London in the UK. The eight textbook experts learned in depth about Korea from the following lectures: "The Division of Korea, the Early Cold War and the Origins of the Korean War" by Dr. Owen Miller; "Korean Art – Past and Present" by Dr. Charlotte Horlyck; and "Understanding Korean History" by Dr. Anders Karlsson.

The seminar continued on the second day with discussions and presentations on how Korea is being taught in Europe. The presentations began with "Suggestions on Korea-related Topics to Be Included in European Textbooks" by AKS researcher Jae-yun Jeong, followed by: "History and Geography of Korea in Albanian Curriculum and Textbooks" by high school teacher Lulzim Hasan Abdiaj (Gymnazium "Sami Frashieri," Albania); "Far Away on the Other Side: Korean History in Croatian Textbooks" by author and publisher Miljenko Hajdarovic (Profil Klett, Croatia); "Current Status of Korean History Classes at European Universities and Examples of Educational Material Use" by Professor Huntae Kim (University of Latvia, Latvia); "Korean War" by Professor Nikola Grahovac (Technical School "Ub," Serbia); and "Constructing National Narratives through Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea" by researcher Kristina Dziedzic Wright (Centre for Museum Studies, University of Oslo, Norway). These five presentations were followed up with discussions from Michael Maddison (Maddison Education Consultancy and vice president of England's Historical Association), Professor Asya Antova ("William Gladstone" School, Bulgaria), Professor You Jae Lee (University of Tübingen, Germany), Professor Jeong-im Hyun (University of Central Lancashire, UK), Professor Charlotte Horlyck (SOAS University of London, UK).

Through this first AKS Program for Textbook Specialist in Europe, we were able to examine and share how Korea is being taught in Europe. The program also allowed us to prepare for future cooperation and sharing with these European textbook experts.

AKS's Center for International Affairs Division of the Understanding Korea Project hosted the "Online Textbook Seminar for Educators of Greece" over three days from October 20 (Tuesday) through October 22 (Thursday), 2020. The training was attended by four people including the director of the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs' Institute for Educational Policy Social Science Division and AKS researchers in the foreign languages, information science, and natural science divisions.

Due to the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, this program was held online. Presenters from Korea, including researchers from the Department of the Understanding Korea Project, along with presenters from Greece examined each countries' curriculum and educational systems and the way Korea is portrayed in Greek social studies textbooks. Through this seminar, the participants were able to discuss the future of each countries' educational systems and educational cooperation from many different angles.

TAdditionally, the Institute for Educational Policy agreed to make plans to increase academic exchange with AKS in the future to promote the spread of academic exchange, seminars, and academic conferences. In addition, both institutes agreed that more effort is needed to work together to provide more accurate and meaningful content in each countries' textbooks.

The Greek textbook experts were particularly interested in the lectures about Korea's culture and economy. Recognizing many similarities with their own country, they shared ideas for maintaining and growing the cooperative relationship between the two countries. They also showed interest in new interpretations and interactions with Korean culture from different points of view. They were very positive and stated that the seminar was an excellent opportunity to experience the inclusivity of Korean culture. The participants discussed ways in which the relationship between Korea and Greece can be continued in the future through textbooks and other means.

AKS hosted the World Congress of Korean Studies, one of the largest meetings of Korean studies experts from around the world, on Thursday, October 10, 2020. The first Congress was held in 2002, and this year marks the tenth meeting. Korean studies researchers from around the world met to present cutting edge research results.

The meeting was originally planned to be held at the Free University of Berlin in Germany from August 31 – September 2. However, due to the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held in Korea. There were concerns that the Congress wouldn't be as big an event as previous years; but thanks to the enthusiasm of the participants, the Congress included more than 120 research articles and 30 panels on topics ranging from humanities, social studies, culture, and art.

In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the conference was held simultaneously off- and online using a videoconferencing platform for the first time. While some of the presenters from AKS presented their research in person, many of the presenters presented online from the places they live, be it Asia, Europe, America, or Oceana. In addition to the presenters, more than 320 audience members registered for the event and attended through the online videoconferencing platform in real time.

Despite unexpected limitations due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the participants showed the same passion for Korean studies research by showing interest in other researchers' presentations and making plans for further research and cooperation. The 11th World Congress of Korean Studies is planned for the end of 2022. We are excited for this upcoming return of a large gathering of worldwide Korean studies scholars.

AKS's Center for International Affairs hosted the "Online Seminar for Vietnamese Textbook Experts" on Monday, October 26, 2020. Due to the prolonged effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this online seminar was held over Zoom.

The online seminar was attended by Professor Nghiem Dinh VyHuyen (Department of History, Hanoi National University of Education), Dr. Pham Thi Thanh (editor of middle school and 6th grade history textbooks), and Dr. Cho Myeongsuk (Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities) from Vietnam. Participants from Korea included Professor Kim Jeongin (Department of Social Studies Education, Chun Cheon National University of Education), Researcher Shin Hangsu (Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation), and Adjunct Professor Park Junghyeon (Department of History, Soongsil University).

Through this online seminar, history teachers from Korea and Vietnam were able to examine how each country is portrayed in the history classes of the other country. Additionally, the participants discussed future cooperation and ways that material on Korean history can be increased and introduced in Vietnam's history education curriculum.