[KS] Korea Research Foundation Travel Grants

[Anthony]

Until now, the KRF has quite regularly paid the return air fare for
Korean academics presenting papers at international conferences. I have
learned that the program has been effectively discontinued as from now,
without warning. They insist that no final decision has been taken but
then admit that they have not assigned any money that might allow the
program to continue until such a decision is taken. Since I am President
of a tiny Association (The Medieval English Studies Association of
Korea) several of whose younger members have been preparing for more
than a year to give papers at Kalamazoo this May, I am understandably (I
think) upset for them. It seems to me that the direct participation of
Korean scholars at international meetings is of the utmost importance. A
very small number of Korean universities (including Seoul National
University) have funds of their own for such travel grants but most do
not and this will effectively mean that Korean scholars will no longer
be able to attend conferences abroad. Have other members of this list
heard of this (undecided) decision? Is there no way it can be challenged
or revised?
Brother Anthony (An Sonjae)
English Dept, Sogang University, Seoul


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