[KS] Re: Cambridge DJ Centre
Keith Pratt
Keith.Pratt at durham.ac.uk
Fri Mar 17 06:27:37 EST 2000
Dear List
As President of the British Association for Korean Studies (BAKS) I knew
that something like this was in the wind, but I am most grateful to Bro
Anthony for drawing it to everyone's attention and airing what is in many
people's minds in the UK.We should, of course, welcome any move to expand
the study and appreciation of Korea in Europe, but the way that this
particular step has been planned and executed raises many disturbing
questions.
The BAKS Council includes members from
all British universities - and other organisations - that have a strong
interest in promoting Korean interests and Korean studies here, and we
have excellent contacts with the Korean Embassy and KF. Yet at no time has
BAKS been consulted either about the advisability of establishing a
further centre of Korean studies in the UK, or where it might be best to
do so.
Noone, to the best of my knowledge, has taken informed advice about the
possible impact on those universities which already teach Korean studies,
or bothered to enquire into Cambridge's previous interest - or lack of it
- in Korean studies.
Of course we do not yet know exactly how the proposed Centre will be
funded (or for how long from Korea), or what it will set out to do. I
cannot see how it can compete with London, Sheffield or Oxford in terms of
library resources, unless, perhaps, it aims to be a research centre (in
political/economic studies?) with a fairly specialised base for which
the necessary materials could be fairly quickly bought up.
Much as it grieves me to say so, I await further information with baited
breath but a rather unpleasant taste in my mouth. Lest it be suspected
that the taste is of sour grapes, I must emphasize that my own university
- Durham - has no plans to expand into Korean as a major field of study,
and that I am responding on behalf of colleagues from other
institutions who might feel embarrassed to do so.
Keith Pratt, President, British Association for Korean Studies
Dept of East Asian Studies, University of Durham
Tel +44 [0]191 374 3231
Fax +44 [0]191 374 3242
On Fri, 17 Mar 2000, Brother Anthony wrote:
> I am finding it difficult to explain to myself and (even more difficult)
> to those surrounding me, the decision (reported in today's Korean
> newspapers) to name a newly established Korean Studies Centre at
> Cambridge (UK) 'The Kim Dae Jung Centre of Korean Studies'. The
> evaluation of his current standing will of course vary greatly among us
> all, some may even think that he deserves such an honour, but the only
> question I am being asked is, 'How much funding did he provide?' and I
> wonder if Cambridge realizes how nuanced (not to say tarnished??) is the
> current perception of DJ in Korea, even among many of his supporters?
> However, perhaps a more important question would be why such a centre
> should be established at Cambridge when London, Oxford, Sheffield, might
> seem to have a stronger prior claim. The full story can be read at
> http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/news/2000/03/__02/20000317_0202.htm
> Bewildered in Seoul,
> Br Anthony
> Sogang University
>
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