[KS] Korean Studies in Oxford

[Ken Wells]

There might be some inconsistency in applying it at times, but it was 
my understanding that the KF did indeed work on the principle that any 
large-scale funding of Korean programs and especially of academic 
positions in universities abroad must be met by these universities with 
matching funds or a commitment to take on financial responsibility for 
the program/position within an agreed number of years.  Obviously I 
have no idea what conditions have been attached in all cases, but in 
those with which I have some familiarity I'm aware that this principle 
has been quite explicit .

Ken Wells
Australian National University

On Wednesday, April 13, 2005, at 12:06  AM, Youngsook Pak wrote:

> In almost every university in Great Britain, Korean Studies is treated 
> in
> this manner. It takes years to build up a programme which can draw a
> considerable number of students, especially high-fee paying overseas
> students, but British universities generally take the view that Korean
> Studies is not viable unless the Korean government provides funding
> continuously. Why does the Korean government not think in the first 
> place
> to make a detailed plan and ensure mutual agreement that after a 
> certain
> period of funding the said university has the obligation to take over 
> and
> fund the programme? This would be much better than endlessly pouring 
> money
> to an institution which can simply call an end to the programme at any
> time. Oxford has received KF funding for a considerable number of 
> years.
> Another example is that of the V & A, where a Korean Gallery was
> established in the early 1990s, but in the meantime the post of Korean
> curator has been eliminated, so now there is no curator to ensure that 
> the
> display is kept up to date and attractive to visitors.
>
> Youngsook Pak
> School of Oriental and African Studies
> University of London
>
>> The Korea Times editorial on April 8 about Korean Studies Overseas
>> included the sentence: "Last month,
>> Oxford University announced that it decided to close its Korean 
>> studies
>> program from June 2007 due to a
>> lack of funding." The editorial goes on to deplore this and question 
>> how
>> the Korean government could allow
>> such a thing to happen. This was the first I had heard of this 
>> decision,
>> but it seems to me that we should
>> share that sense of outrage if indeed it is the case that a refusal 
>> from
>> the Korean side to continue to
>> provide funding is to blame. Are there other programs which might 
>> equally
>> be subject to similar cutbacks? I
>> think that this List might have some opinions about this. The 
>> editorial
>> seemed to suggest that there might
>> still be hope of saving the program if funding were found . . .? But 
>> it
>> would be good to know what the
>> Korean government thinks it is doing to support Korean studies when 
>> this
>> kind of thing happens.
>>
>> (Professor) An Sonjae (Brother Anthony)
>> Sogang University, Seoul, Korea
>
>
>
>