At the 9th "Korea and Korean Studies from an Asian Perspective" conference held in Hanoi on November 25th and 26th, 2008, Professor Mai Ngoc Chu, Head of the Department of Oriental Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, presented a paper on the current state of Korean studies training and research in Vietnam. The author shared many insightful observations and proposed specific solutions to develop and improve the quality of Korean studies training in Vietnam to meet the practical needs of society. A reporter from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities website interviewed Professor Mai Ngoc Chu about this issue.
- Professor Mai Ngoc Chu, discussing the achievements and prospects of Korean studies in Asia is one of the important topics at this conference. Based on the discussions among the delegates in this subcommittee, what are your general observations on this issue?But
Professor Dr. Mai Ngoc ChuIn recent years, the Korean Wave has influenced many countries in Asia, not only Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, but also Australia. Even more developed countries like Japan, for example, have been affected to some extent. Similarly, China has been strongly influenced by the Korean Wave, as evidenced by the large number of Chinese students studying in Korea. This is one of the reasons why Korean Studies is being promoted so strongly. Korea is currently one of the Four Asian Tigers, with a rapidly growing economy that has influenced many other countries, especially less developed ones. The economic development of Korea has also led to the development of Korean Studies. For example, in Vietnam today, the presence of many Korean companies and businesses has boosted the demand for Korean Studies training. Therefore, it can be seen that in recent years, South Korea has affirmed its position in Asia, expanding diplomatic and economic relations with many countries. This is an important condition for promoting the development of Korean studies in the Asian region. Compared to about 10-15 years ago, the current pace of development of Korean studies in Asia is very strong. For example, in Vietnam, in 1993 there was only one institution for training and research in Korean studies, but now there are 10 training institutions and 3 research centers. Similarly, in China, there are 100 research institutes on Korea, and in 10 years there have been 6,000 research papers on Korea. Korean studies in Asia are developing rapidly and are on an upward trajectory. However, this also raises many issues that need consideration. For example, currently, almost all countries prioritize teaching the Korean language. As for Korean Studies, if understood in its true sense, it hasn't been as successful as expected. This conference is valuable because it looks back at the development of Korean Studies in order to make more appropriate adjustments for the future.
- At the seminar, the South Korean ambassador to Vietnam stated that Korean studies are currently experiencing strong growth in Vietnam and that Korean studies training institutions in Vietnam will expand further in the future. Professor, what evidence supports this assertion?[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2008/12/03/img_7346.jpg" border="0" alt="Prof. Dr. Mai Ngoc Chu (2nd from left) at the Conference" title="Prof. Dr. Mai Ngoc Chu (2nd from left) at the Conference" width="300" height="201" align="right" ] -
Professor Dr. Mai Ngoc ChuThis is absolutely correct. In my opinion, there are several reasons to support this: Firstly, all Korean educational institutions in Vietnam are aware that Korean Studies is a field that needs investment for development. I believe this is very important because correct awareness leads to correct action. Secondly, the demand for training in this field is growing. Currently, there are thousands of Korean businesses operating in Vietnam that need employees who know Korean and Korean Studies. Good graduates will attract more applicants, and high applicants will lead to higher admission standards, allowing for the selection of more talented students. This creates favorable conditions for development in both scale and quality of training. Thirdly, the Korean side is very interested in developing this field of study globally. Especially in Vietnam, the Korean Embassy, since the time of Ambassador Paik Nak Whan, has had close ties with educational institutions, particularly with the Faculty of Oriental Studies. Currently, Mr. Paik Nak Whan has become a visiting lecturer at our department. The National Institute for Korean Studies, the KOICA Foundation, and the Korea Foundation all have collaborative activities and support for the development of this field of study. Compared to other fields, scholarships for Korean Studies students are among the most numerous in the department. We have dozens of students currently pursuing Master's degrees in Korea. Every year, faculty members fluent in English also receive scholarships to conduct research in Korea. Fourthly, information on Korean Studies from Vietnam to the region, at least in Asia, is increasingly developing. Previously, we only knew about Korean Studies research in Vietnam, but recently the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities have joined the Southeast Asian Korean Studies Association. Today, we have access to much more information on Korean Studies in Southeast Asia, Asia, and the world.
Currently, Vietnam has 10 universities offering Korean language and Korean studies programs, but in reality, the current training still focuses heavily on Korean language, and most graduates work as interpreters and translators at Korean companies and organizations in Vietnam. What are your thoughts on this, Professor?But
Professor Dr. Mai Ngoc ChuThis situation is true, not only in Vietnam but also in other countries. Up to 90% of those trained in Korean language and Korean studies end up working for Korean companies. Therefore, students working as interpreters and translators is a real societal need that we must meet. Even if we try to focus on in-depth training in Korean studies, only about 10% of graduates will pursue research. We must train what society needs, not what we have. But that doesn't mean we should only train the language; language training is mainly handled by foreign language universities, but we must have a goal beyond that – I mean postgraduate training.
- Another reality is that many graduates majoring in Korean Studies have to study additional minors and require retraining to meet employer demands. What are the reasons for this, Professor?But
Professor Dr. Mai Ngoc ChuThis is absolutely true. Why? Because our training institutions focusing solely on language training is insufficient. Students working for Korean companies and organizations in various fields such as marketing, office administration, and corporate culture need to possess a wealth of knowledge beyond Korean. To fill these gaps, employers must implement training programs for their employees. I know many multinational Korean companies have their own universities. After recruiting people who know Korean, they send them back to Korea for training, enabling them to work at their branches in various countries. They treat foreign employees equally with domestic employees and offer excellent benefits to ensure long-term commitment and dedication to the company. However, this reality necessitates changes in our training programs. To ensure our training products meet the requirements of employers, we must include essential subjects in the curriculum such as corporate culture, management, and marketing. Of course, these can be elective courses. In short, the point here is that there must be collaboration between the two parties: the employer and the training institution. We cannot completely train according to their standards, but we also cannot stand alone and assume that training is solely the responsibility of the recruiting company.
- In his presentation, the professor noted that current Korean studies training in Vietnam does not fully meet societal needs. So, what are the main difficulties?But
Professor Dr. Mai Ngoc ChuThe first major difficulty is the shortage of human resources, meaning the teaching staff and researchers in Korean studies. It can be said that we haven't adequately prepared the research and teaching staff in Korean studies to keep pace with the rapid development of this field. The human resource limitations here are both in quantity and quality. For example, we want to offer courses on Korean businesses, but we don't have the experts. Currently, all Korean studies training institutions in Vietnam rely on human resource support from Korea, specifically volunteer teachers from the Korea Foundation (KOICA). Furthermore, we lack a large number of Korean studies teachers with high academic qualifications compared to other traditional fields. The second major difficulty is the extremely poor infrastructure. For example, many Korean companies and organizations are willing to donate machinery and equipment, but we lack the facilities to receive them. That's quite ironic! [img class="caption" src="images/stories/2008/10/12/img_0116.jpg" border="0" alt="Comprehensive Korean Language Textbook - one of the products of the cooperation between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Korea International Education Foundation" title="Comprehensive Korean Language Textbook - one of the products of the cooperation between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Korea International Education Foundation" width="240" height="138" align="right" ] Thirdly, not every training institution or leader is aware that this field of study must develop in accordance with its requirements. This depends on the vision of the leader. Previously, there were views that this was not a fundamental field of study, for example... Fourthly, there is currently a great lack of materials and textbooks on Korean Studies, especially in-depth materials. Most students studying Korean Studies in Vietnam are primarily using textbooks written in English. This is a disadvantage because students have to learn Korean through another foreign language. Furthermore, the training objectives of different educational institutions vary, so using a single textbook across all institutions is unscientific. Although the number and variety of materials on Korean Studies in Vietnamese have increased compared to the past, most of their content is general knowledge. Researchers studying Korean Studies are seeking more in-depth research materials.
So, to overcome these difficulties, Professor, what solutions do we need?But
Professor Dr. Mai Ngoc ChuFirstly, recognizing that Korean Studies is a field requiring significant advancements, we must rapidly increase the number of lecturers and researchers at training institutions. Korean Studies cannot be viewed as a department on par with other departments within a single faculty. It is an independent field; five staff members are insufficient, requiring 10 to 15. Secondly, we must strive to improve the quality of our staff, increasing the number of those with academic titles and degrees. Our experience shows that research in a particular field should ideally see staff trained in that country. We need to invest long-term in young, capable, and dedicated staff in Korean Studies. Regarding infrastructure, this is challenging as it depends on the National University. For the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, I hope to relocate to Hoa Lac as soon as possible. I still support this project. I see that many large universities around the world aren't necessarily located in the city center; some are fifty or sixty kilometers away. Another lesson from our Department of Oriental Studies is the need for close ties with South Korea. Our lesson is that to obtain basic textbooks, we had to contact and rely on South Korean universities. Clearly, in Vietnam, where the number of people working on Korean studies isn't yet sufficient, we have to rely on South Korea. This cooperation is crucial, and the Department of Oriental Studies has done very well recently. Once we had the textbooks, we sent them to all Korean studies training institutions in Vietnam so they could be used effectively. In my opinion, we need to strengthen such collaborative projects to address the textbook issue.
- Known as one of the earliest and most prestigious institutions for Korean studies in the country, what are the upcoming plans of the Faculty of Oriental Studies to further expand its scale and influence and improve the quality of student training to adapt to practical requirements, Professor?[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2008/12/03/pv-gs-maingocchu.jpg" border="0" alt="“We want to create a separate training code so that Korean Studies becomes an independent field of study”" title="“We want to create a separate training code so that Korean Studies becomes an independent field of study”" width="280" height="188" align="right" ] -
Professor Dr. Mai Ngoc ChuWe have several plans. First, we want to establish a separate training program code so that Korean Studies becomes an independent field of study. Why? Because with a separate program code, the training curriculum can be adjusted to be more specialized. Having a separate program code will allow us to recruit more staff. Not to mention, the facilities will be expanded. At the 9th Korean Studies Conference, I made a proposal that received much support: we should have different orientations for Korean Studies training at each educational level. Bachelor's degree programs should primarily focus on serving the professional needs of society. The training program must adapt to the specific knowledge and skills society needs to perform its jobs. We will still retain subjects in history, economics, and culture, but we must add other subjects according to societal needs. But training researchers in Korean studies requires higher levels of education, such as master's and doctoral degrees, as bachelor's degrees are insufficient for research. There should be an independent program in Korean studies from the undergraduate to doctoral levels. This would both meet societal needs and provide specialized research opportunities in Korean studies for those who require it. Frankly, our country is small and poor, and focusing solely on training researchers isn't sustainable. We shouldn't set overly ambitious goals for training researchers at the undergraduate level. We can't train researchers on a mass scale, and I consider undergraduates to be mass-scale. Postgraduate studies should be the training ground for researchers.
- For young people who are still hesitant about choosing Korean Studies as their future career, what advice would you give, Professor?But
Professor Dr. Mai Ngoc ChuI admire those who, after thoroughly researching a field, are determined to pursue it to the end, regardless of whether it's Korean Studies. If you're considering Korean Studies, I think you should, as it has a bright future. This is especially true for those born in rural areas who don't have as many choices as those in cities; employment after graduation is crucial. Graduates with a degree in Korean Studies are guaranteed jobs, even with high salaries compared to the average income of a civil servant today. The concept of permanent employment is no longer as important as it used to be. Many young people reject permanent positions due to low income and choose a more independent path to fulfill their potential. The possibility of being recruited by a company and sent for training abroad is also an attractive option to consider. If you don't want to work for a Korean company but want to delve deeper into Korean Studies, you can pursue higher education. I must also share some more good news: currently, all master's students in the Department of Oriental Studies, whether trained domestically or abroad, are receiving scholarships from South Korea. Clearly, the future of this field of study is very bright.
Thank you, Professor, for this conversation.
•Thanh Ha(perform)
