[KS] FULBRIGHT KOREA eNEWS

[Horace H. Underwood]

FULBRIGHT KOREA eNEWS

KOREAN-AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL COMMISSION

VOLUME 1, NO. 2 (MAY 1999)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contents:
1. Revived Fulbright Forum Completes First Year
2. U.S. Fulbright Lecturers Needed in Korea
3. Korean Fulbright Website Traffic Increasing

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.  Revived Fulbright Forum Completes First Year

The Fulbright Forum completed its first year of new life  on 
April 19 with a lecture by Dr. Michael O'Donnell on "Health 
Promotion: An Emerging Strategy for Health in Korea."  Dr. 
O'Donnell, a Fulbright scholar at Yonsei University and 
Catholic University, is Editor in Chief of the American Journal 
of Health Promotion.  Health promotion is a new concept in 
health care which recognizes the importance of lifestyle 
practices such as exercise, nutrition, smoking, and stress 
management in preventing disease and death. The most 
advanced programs help people strive for balance in five
dimensions of health: physical, emotional, social, spiritual and
intellectual.  Health promotion is growing in the United States 
and is emerging in Korea because lifestyle practices are 
responsible for almost half of the premature deaths in the 
United States and Korea, and at least a quarter of the medical 
care costs.  Fulbright is fortunate to have been able to bring 
Dr. O'Donnell to Korea at the precise moment when, after long 
neglect, Koreans are beginning to show an interest in health 
promotion.

The next Forum, the last for the spring semester, will be held 
on Wednesday, June 9, 1999, at 6:30 p.m. at the Commission 
offices.  The forum topic will be:  "Paekche Paintings:  Evidence 
of an Amicable Korea-Japan Relationship."  The presenter, 
Ms. Virginia Moon, is currently enrolled in a master's degree 
program in Korean art history in the Department of East Asian 
Studies at Harvard University, and is a Fulbrighter doing 
research on Korean art history within East Asian art at Seoul 
National University.

Actual remaining paintings from the Paekche period are few, 
but those that have managed to survive not only serve to confirm 
the sophisticated artistry of the Three Kingdoms period, but 
exist as visual reminders of a once natural and beneficial 
relationship between Korea and Japan during the 4th-7th 
centuries.  This work in progress will introduce the art historical 
context in which these paintings have emerged, the nature of 
Korea-Japan relations at the time and some of the present-day 
controversies due to the cultural implications of these works of art.

The Fulbright Forum is valuable as a broad interdisciplinary 
gathering, with topics in the first year including the promotion of 
international education, documentary photography, Korean 
identity-building in foreign policy, 18th-century Korean writings, 
health promotion, and art.  The Forum is held together by 
appreciation of Korea and by the Fulbright name itself.  KAEC 
always welcomes to any Forum all Fulbrighters, senior lecturers,
junior researchers, Board Members, Fulbright alumni, Peace 
Corps alumni, Korean studies scholars, foreign graduate 
students, and other friends of Korea and members of the 
Fulbright family.

As always, the presentation will be followed by a reception.  
We hope many friends will come to enjoy the lecture, the 
discussion, the food, and the liquid refreshment.  Call 
732-7922 in Seoul for further information and directions.


2.  U.S. Fulbright Lecturers Needed in Korea

What should a Fulbright lecturer's experience be?  Fifty years 
ago Korean universities had few faculty with doctorates and 
American Fulbright lecturers were needed in almost every field.  
Fast forward to 1999, and Korean faculties are filled with 
Korean recipients of American Ph.D.s, the results of all those 
top Korean students in American graduate schools on the one 
hand and the Korean economy's ability to lure them home on 
the other.  So while Fulbright graduate student grants attract 
genuinely top applicants to go to the U.S., who needs Fulbright 
lecturers anymore?

The answer is, lots of schools.  In particular, while thousands 
of Korean doctoral students studied IN the U.S., few of them 
studied ABOUT the U.S., and so there are very few American 
studies specialists in Korea.  Suddenly Korea opened a 
half-dozen Graduate Schools of International Studies, supported 
by the Ministry of Education, taught in English, and with "Study 
of the U.S.A." as part of their Area Studies programs.  The 
programs emphasize American politics and American 
economics, American history and American sociology - i.e. 
the social sciences rather than the humanities.  And when the 
Korean  schools looked around for qualified faculty, there was 
an immense vacuum.  This vacuum, this niche, is being filled by 
Fulbright lecturers - for instance, this fall by Prof. Stephanie 
Anderson, an American political scientist from Bentley College 
who will be at Sogang University, and by Prof. Donald 
Whisenhunt, an American historian from Western Washington 
University who will be at Yonsei University.

MORE ARE NEEDED!  Fulbright in Korea had lecturing 
positions this year that could not be filled for lack of applicants 
in the right fields.  If you have a colleague whose field is the 
U.S. in any of the social sciences, particularly American 
political science, American economics, American business, or
American history, URGE THEM TO THINK ABOUT TEACHING 
A TERM IN KOREA!  The students are top-notch, are used 
to studying in English and anxious for qualified faculty.

Fellow Fulbrighters!  Help us find the faculty to teach in Korea!  
The deadline is August 1, 1999.  Tell them to check the Korea 
awards on the CIES website at:  <www.cies.org>


3.  Fulbright Korea Website Traffic Increases

The newly republished KAEC website (<www.fulbright.or.kr>), 
has been attracting increasing traffic from a variety of 
audiences worldwide.

Internet penetration in Korea is very high, with 60-70% of the 
students we meet (advising center, Study USA fairs) claiming 
high familiarity with and regular use of the Internet.  (This is 
one reason for the relatively low resistence to computer-based 
testing in Korea.)  KAEC is emphasizing its website as part of 
our effort to use electronic means for as much communication 
as possible, including information for Fulbright grant applicants, 
information on advising and testing, links for Fulbright alumni, a 
link to a website for former ETAs, local directions, KAEC news,
and corporate sponsors.  We are trying to serve a broad range 
of constituents; in fact, we want something for everyone who 
might come to look at Fulbright Korea.  Interestingly, a large 
number of website visits are at a  time of night when US 
computer-users are in their evening hours, implying hits 
from overseas.

The KAEC website has been purposely kept simple for 
speed of loading, with minimal graphics, lots of white space, 
and no scrolling at all on the first several levels.  The emphasis 
is on content and information, which our Fulbright customers 
say they want - if they wanted graphics they wouldn't be at our 
site anyway.

Come give us a look at <www.fulbright.or.kr>  We are still 
trying to improve - if you have ideas to make our site better, 
let us know.  All emails are welcome, always, at
<newsletter at fulbright.or.kr>




%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%