Promoting Korean Studies at the 9th KoSASA Scientific Conference

Mr. Park Noh Wan - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Vietnam

The workshop provided an opportunity for researchers to exchange views on the latest findings and trends in Korean studies. The presentations focused on important and pressing issues concerning the current Korean economy, society, and culture, emphasizing key areas such as: discussing opportunities to elevate Korean studies to an international level while still paying attention to local characteristics; clarifying the contributions of Korean studies in strengthening relations between Korea and ASEAN countries, as well as contributing to the development of a Korean-ASEAN community of researchers and scholars; and expanding and enhancing shared academic and social values ​​between Korea and ASEAN countries.

Professor Hoang Anh Tuan – Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, delivered the opening remarks at the conference.

Speaking at the opening session of the conference, Professor Hoang Anh Tuan (Vice Rector in charge of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) emphasized that Korean studies has been receiving strong attention. Alongside the development of bilateral relations between Vietnam and Korea, the field of Korean studies in Vietnam has achieved many remarkable accomplishments. Besides the initially purely training and research institutions, many units, including those belonging to foreign language universities, are now expanding into research and training in Korean studies.

As one of the pioneering and leading educational institutions in Korean Studies research in Vietnam, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, is honored to be one of nine member universities from Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, of KoSASA. This is the second time the University has organized a KoSASA conference. The University hopes that the conference will contribute to further expanding cooperation through sharing and exploring diverse and deeper approaches for the development of Korean Studies in Southeast Asia in the next phase.

Professor Pham Quang Minh – President of the Association for Korean Studies in Southeast Asia

On behalf of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam, Ambassador Park Noh Wan noted that the seminar was taking place in the context of the two countries celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2022. Over the past 30 years, economic relations between the two countries have developed very well. Currently, there are over 9,000 Korean businesses operating in Vietnam, contributing to Vietnam's socio-economic development. He expressed his hope that Vietnam-Korea relations will continue to develop in the political, social, and especially educational fields. To achieve this, he emphasized the role of Korean lecturers, scholars, and students in promoting educational cooperation and exchange between the two countries.

Mr. Park Noh Wan also shared an initiative that the Korean Embassy will coordinate with the Vietnamese government to promote Korean studies in Vietnam, such as: efforts to make Korean an officially taught foreign language in schools, establishing a mechanism for certifying Korean language teaching for Korean studies students, continuing to develop online education systems between the two countries, and opening a branch of the Korean Language and Culture Institute in Vietnam. In addition, he hopes that a group of experts in Korean studies will be established to discuss in-depth directions for the development of this field in Vietnam.

Following this, the workshop heard the keynote report "The Covid-19 Pandemic and the Future of Korean Studies" by Professor Pham Quang Minh (Chairman of KoSASA), assessing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global education landscape as well as on Vietnam-Korea educational cooperation and Korean studies in particular. According to the report, despite being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, educational cooperation between the two countries and the teaching and learning of Korean studies in Vietnam have not been hampered thanks to the application of technology and the innovation of teaching methods to online formats. The report suggests that Korean studies will be an inevitable trend in the future in Vietnam; on the other hand, the report points out the need to promote Vietnamese studies in Korea.

Following the opening session, the conference continued with three sessions: Korean Studies Training in Vietnam Today, Korean Studies Research in Vietnam; and Discussion on the Future of Korean Studies in Vietnam. Some notable presentations included: Korean Studies Training to Support Korean Business Investment Activities in Vietnam: The Case of Thai Nguyen Province; Public Diplomacy: Korean Experience and Lessons for Vietnam – A Case Study of the Korea Foundation; Teaching and Learning Korean During the Covid-19 Period: A Case Study of the Korean Studies Department, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities…

KoSASA is an academic organization/forum established in 2004 at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with the University of New South Wales, Australia, and the Korea Foundation. KoSASA's mission is to support and promote research and teaching of Korean studies and the application of Korean studies knowledge in Southeast Asian countries. KoSASA holds a conference every two years to summarize and evaluate the activities of its partner universities over the past two years, and to implement or propose new collaborative projects. In Vietnam, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Hanoi, are two active partners of KoSASA, having hosted the founding conference in 2005 in Ho Chi Minh City and the regular conference in 2012 in Hanoi.