메인메뉴 바로가기본문으로 바로가기
네이버 공유 카카오 공유 트위터 공유 페이스북 공유

My First Step; 20 Years Ago

My initial introduction to Korea came in a fashion all too similar to the experiences of many Americans of a certain generation: I was sent there, knowing little if anything about what to expect. I soon discovered a land of remarkable beauty, a hospitable and proud people, and a nation with a long and fascinating history. The memories were many and vivid: the bright orange of persimmons against a blue October sky, the calm of a remote Buddhist monastery, the satisfying spiciness of a bowl of sundubu jjigae on a cold winter's day, the hustle and bustle of mammoth shipbuilding plants along rocky coasts - these and many more memories combined to indelible image of Korea as a place worth exploring further.

The Korea Foundation has played an indispensable role in facilitating my exploration. Korea Foundation Fellowships and research grants aided my graduate work in the history and culture of Korea (and East Asia more generally). Equally important, Korea Foundation support for fellow graduate students at Harvard helped a vibrant community of students and scholars devoted to understanding the myriad aspects of Korea. The Korea Foundation's commitment to expanding the size and scope of Korean Studies in the United States directly intersected with my post-graduate career. Both of my full-time teaching positions - as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Texas, Austin, and as an Assistant and then Associate Professor of History and International Affairs at The George Washington University - existed due to significant financial support from the Korea Foundation.

As a teacher, I have attempted to impart my knowledge of the history and culture of Korea as well as my abiding interest in and appreciation of Korea to my students. Their interest in Korea has been constant and abiding. That there are now courses offered that meet that growing interest is thanks to the Korea Foundation. As a scholar, I have explored two main subjects: the impact of the changing relations between the Qing Empire (1644-1912) and Joseon Korea (1392-1910) on both Korea and China; and, the foreign policies and international relations of contemporary Korea. As an advocate of Korean Studies and as an administrator (most recently as director of the Sigur Center for Asian Studies) I have sought to continue my university’s commitment to the study of Korea. All along the way, the Korea Foundation has been a source of support and encouragement. My students now seek Korea Foundation assistance for their own study and research. My colleagues do the same for significant Korea-related conferences and major research projects. And, as was the case in my graduate studies, Korea Foundation support for scholars and students across the country and across the world has played a vital role in the creation of a vibrant and growing community of those interested in the study of Korea.

A constant thread that has run through my career as a student and scholar has been the desire to learn more about the fascinating land to which I was sent more than 20 years ago. Thanks to the Korea Foundation, I have been able to take the first steps to fulfilling this desire.


SEARCH

통합검색

통합검색버튼
통합검색닫기

전체메뉴

전체메뉴 닫기