KF뉴스레터-‘ Development of Korean Studies Depends on Incessant Efforts’

‘ Development of Korean Studies Depends on Incessant Efforts’

The 7th Korea Foundation Forum (August 14) featured Professor Robert Buswell, President of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), as the guest speaker, who made a presentation on “Korean Studies in the United States: The Challenges Ahead.”

Professor Buswell attained a notable milestone by becoming the first Korean Studies scholar to be elected president of the AAS, in the 67 years since its establishment in 1941. His selection reflects a due recognition of Professor Buswell’s academic achievements as well as the upgraded status of Korean Studies within the field of Asian Studies in North America.

Status of Korean Studies in the U.S.
AAS President Buswell, a professor of Korean Buddhism at UCLA, learned about the principles of Zen when, at the age of 21 in 1974, he spent five years at Songgwangsa Temple, Jeollanam-do. As a monk, he practiced Zen under Priest Gusan, the then abbot of Songgwangsa Temple, and received a dharma name: Hyemyeong. Based on these experiences, he published “The Zen Monastic Experience: Buddhist Practice in Contemporary Korea,” in 1992.
In his presentation at the KF Forum, Professor Buswell noted: “Korean Studies has achieved remarkable development in the United States over the past two decades. Such development is exemplified by the election of a Korean Studies scholar as the AAS president. And the Korea Foundation has made great contributions to this development. However, there are only about 400 scholars who specialize in Korean Studies, out of the 6,700 AAS member scholars. This is just about six percent of the entire membership.” As for the direction of Korean Studies in the U.S., Professor Buswell noted the importance of efforts to attract graduate students of Asian Studies to Korean Studies fields, conduct research on pre-modern Korean Studies, and strengthen support for such research.

Development of Korean Studies
Professor Buswell pointed out that the urgent issues of Korean Studies centered on efforts to attract new graduate students, at the master’s and doctoral level, to Korean Studies fields, and to expand support to Korean Studies students.
Those majoring in Korean Studies until just a few years ago were mostly those who switched their major from Chinese or Japanese Studies to Korean Studies, or individuals who had been dispatched to Korea as Peace Corps members, or for military duty or missionary work. Recently, human resources majoring in Korean Studies are mostly those of Asian origin, such as Korean immigrants, and 1.5- and second-generation Korean-Americans. Professor Buswell emphasized the importance of creating circumstances that enable students from various backgrounds to pursue Korean Studies. In order to better establish Korean Studies within the U.S. academic sector, Professor Buswell called for measures to encourage East Asian Studies scholars to break away from narrow country-centered research and to adopt a broadened regional approach, in order to reveal the important influences of Korea in ancient history. This will consequently bring light to the central role of Korea in East Asia, as compared to an existing focus on China- and Japan-centered perspectives.
In addition, it is necessary to enable Asian specialists, once they are receptive to broadened research of pre-modern China and Japan, to deepen their research on pre-modern Korea, which will contribute to a better understanding of the integral role that Korea played in the history of premodern China and Japan.
To conclude, Professor Buswell emphasized that the development of Korean Studies in the U.S. will depend on the incessant efforts and determination of the current generation of Korean Studies scholars. He also called for undertaking and publishing more innovative Korea-related research results and continuously striving to educate nextgeneration scholars. He stressed that cooperation with the Korea Foundation, along with the diligent efforts of individual scholars, will be essential for the further development of Korean Studies.
The Korean Studies sector abroad has enjoyed remarkable growth, in terms of the establishment of regular Korean Studies faculty positions and the availability of Korean Studies courses at leading universities worldwide, which has resulted from the dedication of Korean Studies scholars and steady support from the Korea Foundation. Nevertheless, as noted by Professor Buswell, the challenges that lie ahead will be even more daunting than our previous efforts.
Professor Buswell vividly recalled his experiences of yongmaengjeongjin (vigorous advancement), while sitting in meditation along with his colleague monks, without sleeping for a week, prior to the Buddha’s birthday. At this critical juncture for the continued development of Korean Studies in the U.S. academic sector, it is more important than ever for all concerned parties to join the efforts of individuals, such as Professor Robert Buswell, in order to assure the “vigorous advancement” of Korean Studies.
The 7th KF Forum, held at the Plaza Hotel, included the attendance of Korea Foundation Executive Vice President Kim Sungyup and some 100 distinguished guests from the academic, political, and media sectors, such as Jo Yun-seon, National Assembly member (Grand National Party); Lee Sang-woo, President, Hallym Institute of Advanced International Studies; Park Keun, President , Korea-U.S.
Friendship Association; and Oh Man-suk, Vice President, Academy of Korean Studies.

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‘ Development of Korean Studies Depends on Incessant Efforts’

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‘ Development of Korean Studies Depends on Incessant Efforts’

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