Korea Studies in University of Malaya

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Noorsaadah Abdul Rahman
섬네일을 만드는 중 오류 발생: 섬네일 변수가 잘못되었습니다
Name in Latin Alphabet: Noorsaadah Abdul Rahman
Nationality: MALAYSIA
Affiliation: Professor Department of Chemistry University of Malaya

Introduction

The offering of Korean Studies courses at University of Malaya (UM), although commenced later compared to universities in Asia, nonetheless shows encouraging progress in at least three aspects. Firstly, efforts to establish Korean language courses and courses related to Korea have multiplied; secondly, activities of seminars and conferences concerning Korea have expanded and the responses are encouraging; and thirdly, escalation of interest among researchers and students to conduct research on Korea. The rapid growth of bilateral trade between Malaysia and South Korea, as well as the growing of Korean investments in Malaysia, are influencing the demand for people with Korean expertise. Thus, the expansion of Korean studies and Korean language education in University of Malaya is essential in order to fulfill this demand in the current local job market as well as to further strengthening bilateral relations.


Korean language Courses and Courses Related to Korea

In the beginning of the inaugural offerings of Korean Studies courses, most of universities started off with the teaching of Korean language and later expanded into offering multidisciplinary courses on Korea. In this regard, UM is the first university in Malaysia to introduce Korean Studies. It began by offering Korean language course in the mid 1980s. This was followed later by the commencement of social science courses on Korea. Korean Studies Program (KSP), located under the Department of East Asian Studies, whereas courses on Korean history, culture, economic and foreign relations were first introduced in the 1996/1997 academic session.

KSP became one of the three essential components in the aforesaid department, which also offers the China Studies and Japan Studies Programs. The Department of East Asian Studies was established as a result of the restructuring of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The suggestion for its inception came about during a Workshop on Civilizational Dialogues I and II which was organized by UM in 1995 and 1996 respectively.


Structure of the KSP in UM

The KSP is a three and half year undergraduate program. Students are expected to complete a total of 122 credit hours. Students majoring in Korean Studies are required to take 94 credit hours of Korean and East Asian related courses. To complete the rest of the credits, students are require to take compulsory university courses as well as faculty core courses. The Table 1 shows the specific courses and distribution requirements of the Korean Studies Program for the 2015/2016 academic year.

Table 1: Courses Offering for Korean Studies in the Department of East Asian Studies in 2015/2016 Academic Session
Classification Courses Credit Hours
20 credit hours of university core courses

GIG1001 Islam and Asia Civilization (TITAS)

GIG1002 Ethnic Relations

GIG1003 Basic Entrepreneurship Culture

GIG1004 Information Literacy

GIG1005 Social Engagement

GK . . . . . Curriculum

GIX . . . . (Faculty External Elective Courses)

GLT. . . . English Communication I

GLT. . . . English communication II

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

3

3

8 Credits hours of Faculty core courses

AIX1001 Introduction to Social Sciences and Humanities

AIX2001 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Methodology

AIX3001 Ethics and Professionalism

3

3

2

55 Credits hours of Core courses

AIG1007 Introduction to East Asia

AIG1008 Culture and Society of Japan

AIG1009 Culture and Society of China

AIG1010 Culture and Society of Korea

AIG2007 International Relations of East Asia

AIG2009 Political Economy of China

AIG2016 Political Economy of Japan

AIG2022 Political Economy of Korea

AIG3007 Academic Project

AIG3008 Practicum

AIG3009 Research Seminar on East Asia

AIG3010 Economic Development of East Asia

AIG3011 Security Issues in East Asia

AIG3015 Contemporary Politics of China

AIG3028 Korean Organizational Culture

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

8

8

3

3

3

3

3

16 or 24 credits of Korean language courses

AIG1005 Korean Language IA

AIG1006 Korean Language IB

AIG2005 Korean Language IIA

AIG2006 Korean Language IIB

AIG3005 Korean Language IIIA

AIG3006 Korean Language IIIB

4

4

4

4

4

4

6­15 credits of Korean Studies courses AIG2023 Korean Civilization

AIG2024 Korean Economy

AIG2025 Globalization and Popular Culture of Korea

AIG2026 North Korea and South Korea Relations

AIG2027 Modenization Process of Korea

AIG2028 Social Transformation in Korea

AIG3027 Korean Entreprenuer and Corporate Management

AIG3029 Korean Foreign Policy

AIG3030 Korea­ASEAN Relations

AIG3031 Contemporary Politics of South Korea

AIG3032 International Trade of South Korean

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

9 credits of other countries

AIG2008 Territorial Dispute in East Asia AIG3012 United States–East Asia Relations

3

3

regional courses

AIG3013 Political Issues in East Asia After 1900 AIG...

Others countries elective courses

3

3

Three factors contributed in attracting students to the program: firstly, encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment of UM to KSP as an academic discipline; secondly, a well­designed and comprehensive curriculum; and thirdly, financial support and incentives offered by some Korean companies located in Malaysia.

Undergraduate students have the opportunity to understand the historic and cultural dynamism of Korea through courses on Korean politics, history and economics. The purpose of offering interdisciplinary courses on Korea is to produce graduates knowledgeable in both present and past Korean affairs. Given that lately, there has been increase support for the program, it is predicted that in the next few years, the Korean Studies Program will become the most popular program in the department.

Meanwhile, the Department of Asian and European Languages in Faculty of Languages and Linguistics offers Korean language courses as elective. Historically, Korean language courses were first offered in UM in mid 1980s at the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics which specializes in the teaching of world languages. The Korean language course in this department is one of the most popular courses among students. Although many students from various faculties show keen interest to learn Korean language, lack of lecturer and limited places makes it impossible to accommodate all interested candidates. Over the past decade, UM has been recognized as the nation's leading language and area studies center for the interdisciplinary study of Korea. At present, UM is the only higher education institution in Malaysia offers an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree in Korean Studies. As of 2015/2016 academic session, two departments in UM contribute to the development of Korean Studies. They are the Department of East Asian Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Social

Sciences and the Department of Asian and European Languages in the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics. Of the two departments above, Department of East Asian Studies specializes in the teaching of the Korean language as well as offers courses on Korea in addition to awarding Bachelor of East Asian Studies (Korean Studies). While, Department of Asian and European Languages merely focuses on the teaching of Korean Language without awarding degree.
Figure 1: Number of Korean Studies Graduates in Malaysia 1999­2014(Source: Department of East Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UM)


The steady development of the Korean Studies Program as well as the achievement of its students reflects the strength of the program. In year of 1999, three KSP were graduated and in 2000 and 2001, 2 were graduated. While in year 2002, 5, 2003 and 2004, 3. The number of graduated students were increase to 5 in 2006, 9 in 2007 and 10 in 2008. In 2009, 4, 2010, 11, 2011, 6, 2012, 5, 2013, 4 and 2014, 13. Nonetheless these students are active participants in all activities organized by the Department of East Asian Studies. With the continuous support from the Korea Foundation, a relevant curriculum and substantial funding opportunities, the number of majoring students in Korean Studies is expected to increase.



Collaboration and Incentives

Besides the support from the Korea Foundation, the department is fortunate that many Korean companies as well as organizations provide incentive to students who major in KSP. They offer scholarships and sponsor study trip to Korea for the best students. In addition, POSCO TJ Park also offers scholarships to university students who excel academically. Students majoring in the KSP are also entitled to these awards. On July 19, 2007, POSCO TJ Park signed an agreement with the University of Malaya promising to give 25 scholarships annually. Out of the 25, 10 are allocated to the KSP students. Each of the scholarship amounts to US$800 per annum. Table 2 summarizes the financial support to the KSP by Korean companies and organization in 2014.

Table 2: Financial Support by the Korean Companies/Organization, 1996­present
Name of Company/Organization Type of assistance Year /period Remarks
Samsung Company Tuition fee + book allowance for all the Korean studies majoring students (maximum RM40,000 per annum for the program) 1996/present Temporary suspended in 2005 and 2006
Korea Foundation Research grants and fellowship for lecturers and students (2002/present)
POSCO TJ Park USD800 per student July 2007/present 7 scholarships allocated to 7 majoring KSP student every year.
Korean Government Scholarship(NIIED) Full Scholarship for Master/Phd/research program in Korea 2000/present Scholarship allocated KSP to pursue graduate

studies in Korea

Source: Department of East Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UM


University of Malaya has already established MOU’s with Seoul National University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yonsei University, Woosuk University and Sungkyunkwan University. It is anticipated that such exchanges will enhance knowledge and understanding of Korea among students and more significantly, allow students to learn Korean language from native speakers in a better environment. Furthermore such exchange programs allow the exploration of graduate school and career opportunities, and more importantly, enhancing a student’s resume considerably. Table 3 shows MOUs signed by the University of Malaya with three South Korean universities.

Table 3: MOUs with Universities in South Korea
Name of Institutions Benefits Remarks
Yonsei University Tuition fee waived for exchange students No student applied at the moment due to the insufficiency of financial support
Woosuk University Tuition fee waived + free meal and accommodation Return airfare and living allowance supported by local Korean company.
Sungkyunkwan University Tuition fee waived + free accommodation MOU signed in 2007
Hallim University Tuition fee waived MOU signed in 2008 May
Sogang University Tuition fee waived MOU signed in 2008 May

Challenges and Problems

Besides substantial incentives from Korean companies, the Korean Embassy and Korea Foundation both play major roles in facilitating the development of Korean Studies in Malaysia. From the beginning, Korea Foundation continues to contribute KSP books and coordinates the annual visiting professorship scheme. The visiting professorship scheme refers to a program whereby KSP invites experts on Korean Studies to serve as visiting professors for a certain e period.

Funding is provided by the Korea Foundation. This scheme is designed to expose local students in obtaining direct knowledge from Korean professors. Between the 1996/1997 and 2007/2008 academic sessions, five visiting professors have been sponsored by the Korean Research Foundation and Korean Foundation. The professors include Dr. Kim Seung Jin from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (1997­2002), Dr. Kim Byung Siok from Kyonggi University (1998­2000), Dr. Yi Il­Cheong (2003­2004), Dr. Cho Chul Ho (2004­2007), and Dr. Park Chang Kyoo (June 2007­2015). Within the context of enhancing the KSP, the role and contribution of the Korea Foundation, Embassy of Korea and Korean companies in Malaysia have been invaluable and crucial in the development and sustainability of the program.

Table 4 shows number of visiting professors attached at the KSP at the Department of East Asian Studies from 1997­present.

Table 4: Visiting Professors from Korea Funded by the Korea Foundation, 1997­present
Name Duration Remarks
Kim Seung Jin

June 1997-­September 1997

June 1998­-September 1998

Dec. 6, 1999-­Feb. 29, 2000

Dec. 1, 2000-­Feb. 28, 2001

June 4, 2001-­Oct 28, 2001

May 27, 2002­-Oct. 28, 2002

From Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

Kim Byung Sok

Feb. 1998­-Feb. 1999

June 2000­-Sept. 2000

From Kyonggi University

Yi Il Cheong

May, 19, 2003-­May 18, 2004

-

Cho Chul Ho June 15, 2004-­June 17, 2007 Korea University
Park Chang Kyoo June 25, 2007-­2015 Korea University

Source: Department of East Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UM

One major problem encountered by the Department of East Asian Studies is the insufficient number of lecturers involved in the KSP. Up till now, there are only two permanent lecturers in the KSP and this shortage is temporary overcome through the services of visiting professors from Korea.


Conclusion

Although Korean language courses have been offered in Malaysia since mid 1980s, serious development of Korean Studies only began in the 1990s when the KSP was developed in 1996/97 academic session. Besides consolidating the teaching of Korean language courses, more attention has been given on research and teaching of various aspects on Korea like history, economics, management, trade, international relations, and culture.

However, there are three main challenges in promoting and ensuring a more speedy development. Firstly, the dedication and commitment among university administration in encouraging Korean Studies is still at a minimum level. For instance, UM is the only public university that has a viable KSP. In contrast, other universities only offer Korean language courses and sometimes include a small number of cultural components. One of the main problems overcome if the university administration encourages, initiates, and provides chances for younger lecturers to focus on different fields of specialization pertaining to Korea.

Secondly, the number of Korean Studies experts at every public university, research and publishing, and acknowledgment of the importance of Korean Studies Program among the academic community is still low. The lack of well­qualified and prominent Korean Studies scholars who can provide academic leadership to guide younger lecturers is lacking compared to other ASEAN universities like Vietnam. If there are more scholars who are able to lead, efforts towards developing Korean Studies can be more successful as well as ignite interest in further research and publications. As such, a Chair of Korean Studies should be formed as soon as possible.

Thirdly, lack of research materials has curtailed new explorations in the field of contemporary Korean Studies research. Research sources such as book collections, journals, newspapers, government reports and others have to be given more attention so that the quality of research can be improved and maintained. If these three problems are overcome, then the advancement of Korean Studies in Malaysia will be rapid as the foundation already exists for the improvement and betterment of Korean Studies in Malaysia.

Already, UM is the only elite Malaysian academic institution to have developed a comprehensive KSP. Therefore in the eyes of the Malaysian public, the KSP is regarded as the nation's premier Korean Studies Program. At the moment, UM is only able to offer students a broad general education. In the near future, we would like to develop the KSP as a program that offers comprehensive expertise in specific areas of Korean related issues and development. To be relevant in our part of the world, the ultimate aim is to have our students exposed to the study of Korea in the context of Southeast Asian civilization and the modern world economy, not simply as a single country isolated from its neighbors. As such the Department of East Asian Studies has plans gradually to increase the teaching capacity through high­level research training. Last but not least, in order to promote Korean studies locally, we will actively seek collaborations with leading research institutes and universities worldwide.

Research on Korea

These days, research on Korea is continually undertaken by local researchers and Korean Studies experts who are interested in studying Korea. However efforts should be taken to encourage research on Korea and research exchange between Malaysia and Korea with the sole purpose of improving Korea and Malaysia ties. The table below shows some research on Korean Studies done in Malaysia that were presented and/or published between 2005-­2014(selected). Numbers of researches are divided into Korean Studies Development in Malaysia, Korean Foreign Relations, Korean Language, Korean Culture, Korean Economy and others issues related with Korea.

Research on Korea in Malaysia

Research Field: Korean Studies Development in Malaysia

  • Rou Seung Yoan & Kim Keum Hyun, “Korean Language and Korean Studies Programs in Malaysia,” 10th International Conference on Bilingualism: The Korean Language Education in Southeast Asia, University of Malaya
  • Choi Kim Yok and Kim Keum Hyun, “Korean Studies: The Malaysian Perspective,” 1st KAREC Symposium on Korean Studies, Sydney
  • Rou Seung Yoan & Kim Keum Hyun, “Korean Language Education in Malaysia, Cooperation and Development in Research and Education,” 1st Korean Studies Workshop in Southeast Asia, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya
  • Md. Nasrudin Md. Akhir (2005) “The Korean Studies Program at the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Malaya,” Korean Studies in Southeast Asia and Oceania: Strategic Cooperation and Development in Research and Education, Proceeding of the 3rd USSH­KAREC International Symposium, 26­28 September 2005, Ho chi minh City, pp. 45­52
  • Rou Seung Yoan & Kim Keum Hyun(2007) “Research on Korean Studies and Korea in Malaysia,” in Choi Kim Yok(ed) Korean Studies in Southeast Asia: Strategic Cooperation and Development in Research and Education, Proceeding of the 2nd International Conference of the Korean Studies Association of Southeast Asia, 29 January­ 1 February 2007; University of Malaya, Malaysia. pp. 21­29.
  • International Conference of the Korean Studies in East Asia, 8 February­9 February 2007; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. pp.110­121.

Research Field: Korean Foreign Relations

  • Geetha Govindasamy, “Hyundai Asan Corporation and the Mount Kumgangsan Tour: Facilitating Inter­Korean Relations through Economic Interactions,” Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA) 26­29 June 2006, University of Wollongong, Australia.
  • Geetha Govindasamy, “Transformation North Korea: South Korea’s Attempts of Engaging Pyongyang,” Asia­European Perspective Association (AEPA), 2 June 2006, Seoul, South Korea.
  • Cho Chul Ho, “Korean Wave in Malaysia and Changes of the Korea­Malaysia Relations,” International Malaysia­Korea Seminar on Broadcasting, Petaling Jaya; Malaysia 2006.
  • Negotiating Peace: European Union^s North Korea Policy, International Journal of Arts and Sciences (IJAS) conference for academic disciplines, 03 Dec 2013 to 06 Dec 2013, International Journal of Arts and Sciences.
  • Govindasamy, Geetha 2009. Revisiting Japan­United States Security Relations in the 21st Century in Md Nasrudin Md Akhir and Rohayati Paidi (eds) Japan and the Asia Pacific, Department of East Asian Studies, University Malaya.
  • Geetha Govindasamy, Malaysia­Korea: 50 year Relationship in Geetha Govindasamy, Park Chang Kyoo dan Tan Soo Kee, Korean Affairs: A Contemporary View, Department of East Asian Studies, University of Malaya, 2010.
  • Geetha Govindasamy (2011) India, China and the Korean Peninsula: Contemporary Policies and Relations in Sudhir Singh (ed) China­India Relationship; Challenges for 21st Century, Pentagon Press, New Delhi
  • Public Diplomacy of Malaysia: Implications for Korea, ODA, Public Diplomacy and Korea's national Strategies for the 21st Century, 30 Sep 2010 to 30 Sep 2010, The Korean association of Area Studies.
  • The Formulation of South Korean Security Policies Towards North Korea between 1998 and

2008, International Convention of Asian Scholars 6, 06 Aug 2009 to 09 Aug 2009, ICAS,

  • Korean Association of Political Science and Communication, Chung Nam National University.
  • South Korea's India Policy in the Era of East Asian Regionalism, International Seminar on India and East Asia: Prospects of Cooperation and Problems of Integration, 07 Oct 2009 to 09 Oct 2009, Sri venketeswara University.
  • Geetha Govindasamy, 2015.India's Drifting North Korea Policy: An Overview and the Road

Ahead. In Sudhir Singh (ed), India in Emerging Asia,pp 99­110,Pentagon Press.

Research field: Korean Language

  • Rou Seung Yoan & Kim Keum Hyun, Korean Language for Malaysians, Bangi: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, (Textbook written in Malay and Korean) 2003.
  • Choi Kim Yok, “A Korean­Malay Learners’ Dictionary for Malaysia,” Workshop for Korean Language Education and Research in Southeast Asia, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya, (Conference paper) 2004.

Research Field : Korean Culture

  • Tan Soo Kee, “Popularity of South Korea,” Utusan Malaysia, July 4, 2006
  • Tan Soo Kee, “Characteristics of Korean Corporate Culture,” Research Grant Sponsored by the University of Malaya, 2007­2008.
  • Tan Soo Kee, “Influence of Confucianism on Korean Corporate Culture”, Asian Profile, Vol.36, No.1 (Feb issue of 2008), pp.9­20.
  • Foreign Workers 'Policies and Issues in South Korea: Focus on the workers from the South East Asian Region, Global Korea: Old and New, The Sixth Biennial Conference Korean Studies Association of Australia, 08 Jul 2009 to 10 Jul 2009.
  • Key drivers of Korea's FDI in South East Asia., 6th Kosasa Biennial International Conference, 23 Sep 2014 to 25 Sep 2014, KoSASA( Korean Studies Association of South East Asia).
  • Perbandingan Dasar Buruh Asing dan Isu­isu Buruh Indonesia di Jepun dan Korea, Seminar International: Indonesia­Malaysia Update 2008, 27 May 2008 to 29 May 2008, Universitas Gadjah Mada.
  • Tan Soo Kee.2012.Foreign worker's policies and issues in South Korea. in Asian Migration Policy: South, Southeast and East Asia, Md.Mizanur Rahman and AKM Ahsan Ullah eds.New York: Nova Science. pp. 41­56
  • Tan,Soo Kee.2010.Collectivism and Korean Youth Drinking Pattern.In Geetha Govindasamy, Park Chang Kyoo and Tan Soo Kee eds. Korean Affairs: Contemporary View. Kuala Lumpur: University of Malaya.pp.147­162.
  • Kim Keum Hyun. 2014. Konflik Silang­Budaya Antara Pekerja Melayu dan Pekerja Korea Dari Segi Pengelakan Ketidakpatian dan Orientasi Masa, Jurnal Akademi Pengajian Melayu.
  • Rou Seung Yoan & Kim Keum Hyun. 2014. A Comparative Study on Idioms of the Human Body Parts in Korean and Malay Languages. International Review of Korean Studies (IROKS), Australia.
  • Kim Keum Hyun, Cultural Divergence between Korean and Malay Industrial Workers as Reflected in their 'Definition of the Situation dalam Korea Journal Vol.52. No. 2, Summer 2012.

Research Field: Korean Economy

  • Mukerjee, Dilip, “Lessons From Korea’s Industrial Experience,” Kuala Lumpur: ISIS Malaysia, 1986.
  • Lim Pay Loo, Changes in Korean Economic Policy and Effects on Post Secondary Education Policy in the Early 1970s with a Focus on Seoul National University, MA Thesis, Seoul National University, 2006.
  • Tan Soo Kee. 2011.Policy responces to the Asian Currency Crisis: The case of Malaysia and South Korea. International Journal of East Asian Studies vol.1,no.1 .pp.97­114.
  • Tan Soo Kee, Influence of Confucianism on Korean Corporate Culture , Asian Profile, Vol.36, No.1 (Feb issue of 2008), pp.9­20.

Research field: Others issues related with Korea

  • “Techno­economic Studies on the Utilization of Malaysian Palm Oil in Korean Food System,” Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Bandar Baru Bangi, PORIM, 1982.
  • Emillia Zainon and Tan Siew Eng, “Japan and Korea: A Preliminary Checklist of Materials in the East Asian Collection,” Kuala Lumpur: University of Malaya Library, 1983.
  • Hasmah Zainuddin, New Media Policy: A Comparative Perspective on Malaysia­Korea,” International Malaysia­Korea Seminar on Broadcasting, Petaling Jaya; Malaysia 2006.

references(Korea Studies in University of Malaya)

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