The 2015 AKS Korean Studies Forum, organized by the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS), was held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, from April 1 to 3, 2015. The Ocean University of China (OUC), as the only institution of higher learning with a Core University Program for Korean Studies, together with Australian University of New South Wales (UNSW), as the sole representative of “Laboratory Program for Korean Studies”, attended the Forum and introduced their experience and practices.

AKS, under the administration of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korean, is the authoritative institution in Korean studies. The programs funded by AKS in Korean studies include the Seed Program for Korean Studies, the Core University Program for Korean Studies, and the Laboratory Program for Korean Studies.

At present, 20 institutions of higher learning across the world have the Core University Program for Korean Studies, but only three of them are located in China. They are OUC, Nanjing University, and the Minzu University of China. There are 13 institutions of higher learning with a Laboratory Program for Korean Studies around the world.

The Core University Program for Korean Studies was first established at OUC in 2009, and its first phase was completed in May 2014 with praise-worthy results. In August of the same year, OUC received funding for the second phase of the program and it made fruitful achievements since then. A total of 12 magazine series of Korean studies were published (including Communications of Ocean and Oriental Culture, Separation and Settlement of East Asians In Modern History and The Chinese Elements in Korean Literature).

OUC has held eight international symposiums on Korean studies and signed cooperation agreements with 12 well-known universities and research institutions of Korean studies including Korea University, Sungkyunkwan University, and the University of Auckland. In addition, OUC has also hosted more than 70 lectures on Korean studies given by invited scholars.

Representatives from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), which also receives funding for a Laboratory Program for Korean Studies, were also present at the forum.

Translated by Ellen Guo and Nina Cui
Proofread by Shane Velez and William ZOU