KF뉴스레터-Korea Institute at Australian National University

Korea Institute at Australian National University

Since 1995, the Australian National University (ANU) has worked diligently to promote the field of Korean Studies in Australia, in close cooperation with the Korea Foundation. From 1995 through 2008, the Foundation has provided financial assistance to ANU for the Employment of Teaching Staff and the establishment of a Korean Studies Professorship. As a result of the success of these collaborative efforts in recent years, we are now in a position to elevate this relationship to a higher level, through the establishment of the ANU Korea Institute, which will serve as a foundation for the long-term development of Korean Studies in Australia.

In particular, Korea-Australia relations have enjoyed steady advancement thanks to an enduring friendship between our two countries and peoples. Since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1961, Korea and Australia have become close allies and fast-growing economic partners, based on our common beliefs in the universal values of democracy, free-market economic principles, and respect for human rights.
Today, as the fourth-largest trading partner of Australia, Korea imports one-third of its mineral resources from Australian suppliers, along with undertaking a variety of cooperative endeavors in the science and technology sectors. Moreover, people-to-people exchanges have increased dramatically, with some 260,000 Korean tourists visiting Australia annually, and about 30,000 Koreans studying there as well. Accordingly, this is all in line with the 21st century’s focus on the Asia-Pacific era, which bodes well for the outlook of the two countries.
In Australia, ANU was the first university to offer Korea-related courses and a Korean language program. Thereafter, Korean Studies at ANU, in response to growing interest from Korean and non-Korean students, expanded the scope of its program from undergraduate to graduate-level courses. Consequently, ANU is home to the largest number of students in Australia majoring in various fields of Korean Studies, who are destined to become valuable resources for the continued expansion of Korea-Australia cooperation.
Against this favorable backdrop, the launch of the ANU Korea Institute, on August 15, 2008, marked a momentous day for Korea and Australia. To commemorate this special occasion, an opening ceremony at the ANU University House attracted some 150 guests, including Yim Sung-joon, President of the Korea Foundation; Ian Chubb, Vice Chancellor and President of Australian National University; Honorable Peter Lowe, Ambassador of the Australian Embassy in Korea; and Kim Woo-sang, Ambassador of the Korean Embassy in Australia. Of particular note, the establishment of this institute included the support of various corporate contributors, such as POSCO, BHP Billiton, and Rio Tinto.
Above all, the operation of the ANU Korea Institute will serve to significantly upgrade Korea-Australia relations in the academic sector, in addition to providing an opportunity to broaden understanding among the Australian people about Korea, which has long been overshadowed by Japan and China in the Asia-Pacific region.

In order to advance Korea’s public diplomacy in Australia, it will also necessary to promote Korean culture, through such efforts as an exhibition of the works of Korean artists, which will be presented by the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney in 2009. This kind of cultural exchange needs to be noticeably stepped up, on the part of both countries.
It is also worthy of note that the incumbent administration of Australia, under Kevin Michael Rudd, has shown a keen interest in actively engaging its neighboring countries in the Asian region. This includes its allocation of budget support to high schools in Australia for the teaching of major Asian languages, including Korean, as a second language. In part, this step by the Australian government reflects the rising status of Korea on the international stage.
As such, the establishment of the ANU Korea Institute will undoubtedly prove to be especially timely and meaningful for further consolidating our bilateral relationship, under which the ANU and Korea Foundation will continue to serve as a bridge to help fully realize the vast potential of Korea-Australia exchange and cooperation.

* Australian National University
The Australian National University is unique among its contemporaries as the only university in Australia to be established by an Act of Federal Parliament, in 1946. It also ranks as one of Australia’s most research-intensive universities, with a high ratio of academic faculty to students. The university campus includes over 200 buildings situated on a site of 145 hectares, adjacent to the Canberra city center.

* ANU Korea Institute
Vision
To establish a premier institute in Australia, comparable to that of leading institutions worldwide, for the study of Korea and its role in regional and global affairs.

Mission
To realize a significantly enhanced capability to promote academic research and intellectual dialogue between Australia and Korea. In its teaching and research, the institute seeks to attain the highest level of academic quality and scholarship. As for its domestic activities, the institute will strive to extend assistance and policy advice to the business community, and to provide relevant information to the general public, including Korean nationals residing Australia, on recent bilateral developments and the strategic advantages of cooperative relations.

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Korea Institute at Australian National University

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Korea Institute at Australian National University

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