'Political relationship must be anchored by educational, cultural initiatives
The Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which they expect will serve as a hub for Korean studies in South Asia. The academy has also extended a grant to the university (New Delhi) recently, spoke to Tirna Ray on how the initiative will strengthen the evolving relationship between India and Korea:
Why is 2010 a year of significance for Korea-India relationship?
It is significant because of the conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries. Korea and India established their diplomatic ties in 1973. The two countries are bound by close cultural ties, which may be traced back to the ancient past. Buddhism, India's unique gift to the world, facilitated exchange of ideas and served as a bridge connecting the two civilisations (Korea and India). Close cultural ties bound Korea and India in the past. In the modern times, the two nations face the common destiny of colonial oppression and the task of nation-building.
What is the objective of Academy of Korean Studies?
AKS aims to promote Korean studies through in-depth research and innovative teaching of Korean culture. AKS has defined new frontiers of inquiry in Korean studies and fostered competent scholars in Korean humanities and social sciences with global perspectives and values.
What will the MoU between JNU and AKS imply?
First and foremost, it will facilitate exchange of students and faculty between India and Korea. Full-time professors from AKS can visit India and collaborate with teachers here or engage in teaching. Further, hopefully, the grant will enable academicians from JNU to visit Korea, collect material for their research, or start a journal which will publish articles by Indian scholars on Korea, and so on. As of now, the grant money has been awarded for three years and it amounts to about $ 65,000. It is important that we cultivate competent scholars of Korean studies and qualified graduates who understand Korean language, culture and society in its entirety. They in turn will be able to convey the core concerns of Korea adequately to the Indian audience. Only then will this initiative acquire a sustainable dimension. A political relationship or understanding between the two countries can have a future only when it is anchored by education and cultural initiatives.
As a Korean scholar, i am glad to know about the rich history of JNU's Korean Studies programme and of the role of its graduates in projecting and promoting close and comprehensive partnership between Korea and India. I am confident that with the two institutions - AKS and JNU - coming together, we will be able to forge a relationship of strategic partnership and take Asian studies to a new height.
Why is 2010 a year of significance for Korea-India relationship?
It is significant because of the conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries. Korea and India established their diplomatic ties in 1973. The two countries are bound by close cultural ties, which may be traced back to the ancient past. Buddhism, India's unique gift to the world, facilitated exchange of ideas and served as a bridge connecting the two civilisations (Korea and India). Close cultural ties bound Korea and India in the past. In the modern times, the two nations face the common destiny of colonial oppression and the task of nation-building.
What is the objective of Academy of Korean Studies?
AKS aims to promote Korean studies through in-depth research and innovative teaching of Korean culture. AKS has defined new frontiers of inquiry in Korean studies and fostered competent scholars in Korean humanities and social sciences with global perspectives and values.
What will the MoU between JNU and AKS imply?
First and foremost, it will facilitate exchange of students and faculty between India and Korea. Full-time professors from AKS can visit India and collaborate with teachers here or engage in teaching. Further, hopefully, the grant will enable academicians from JNU to visit Korea, collect material for their research, or start a journal which will publish articles by Indian scholars on Korea, and so on. As of now, the grant money has been awarded for three years and it amounts to about $ 65,000. It is important that we cultivate competent scholars of Korean studies and qualified graduates who understand Korean language, culture and society in its entirety. They in turn will be able to convey the core concerns of Korea adequately to the Indian audience. Only then will this initiative acquire a sustainable dimension. A political relationship or understanding between the two countries can have a future only when it is anchored by education and cultural initiatives.
As a Korean scholar, i am glad to know about the rich history of JNU's Korean Studies programme and of the role of its graduates in projecting and promoting close and comprehensive partnership between Korea and India. I am confident that with the two institutions - AKS and JNU - coming together, we will be able to forge a relationship of strategic partnership and take Asian studies to a new height.
Feb 10, 2010, 12.00am IST
The Times of India
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