[KS] Korean Studies in Oxford

[Ann Choi]

I confirm with comments made by Dr. Wells.  My own position at Rutgers was
initially funded by a KF grant (for the first three years); I am in my
fourth year now, and the University has taken over the responsibility of
promoting my position in the department and in the community here at large.
The "seed" money from the Korean government has been necessary for many
campuses to get positions and programs started, but I don't believe that we
can or should count on the Korean governement to keep the field alive in our
home fronts.
Sincerely,
Ann Y. Choi
Asian Languages and Cultures
Rutgers University
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ken Wells" <kwells at coombs.anu.edu.au>
To: "Korean Studies Discussion List" <Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 10:25 PM
Subject: Re: [KS] Korean Studies in Oxford


> 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
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>