CEU Pursues Diversity, International Standards

Central European University was founded in Budapest in 1991 for the explicit purpose of supporting the process of transition from socialist to democratic governance in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It was thus dedicated to bringing together students from the 30 regional countries, and from the West, in an effort to nurture respect for diverse cultures and viewpoints, human rights, constitutional government, and the rule of law. In its initial years, CEU sought to promote innovative academic research, progressive higher education, and the development of a dynamic, sustainable open society in the former “socialist” countries. Today, its outlook has become truly global, with special attention paid to emerging democracies throughout the world, and to the challenges of realizing an open society.

Located in one of Europe’s most elegant capital cities, with accreditation in both the United States and Europe, CEU offers a uniquely international atmosphere that serves to reinforce its academic excellence, critical reflection, and social engagement. CEU students come from over 100 countries of the world’s five continents; its faculty members are from 30 countries. There is no predominant nationality on the campus. Lectures are delivered entirely in English. CEU graduates acquire an international network of personal and professional contacts to enhance their personal lives and careers. The CEU education is globally recognized and highly valued for opening unique career prospects for its graduates throughout the world. At CEU every student is important. We provide an exceptional student-faculty ratio of 7:1. We are committed to a student-centered, in-depth learning experience that emphasizes personal growth and intellectual development. Students are encouraged to be creative and independent thinkers, lifetime learners, and active citizens.

Upgrading Korean Studies throughout Eurasia

The KF Global e-School program in Eurasia seeks to promote excellence in the teaching of Korean Studies subjects, and thereby support the development of a world-class, innovative curriculum, with a particular focus on the social sciences. As for the disciplines of Korean Studies, considerable attention has been paid over the past decades to the development of the humanities field (especially linguistics, history, and literature ― more generally, culture). In recent years, a smaller but growing community of scholars has emerged in the social sciences field in Europe.

The launch of e-School courses s important synergy gains between the partner universities:
• For the students, the e-School addresses the fundamental challenge of a Korean Studies program: creating and sustaining a critical mass of students, often scattered in small numbers across several universities in Europe and Asia.
• For the faculty, the e-School enhances collaboration and co-instruction, and enables those departments, with an insufficient faculty on campus to offer an in-depth Korean Studies curriculum thanks to the availability of online and offline lectures. And it serves to boost networking opportunities within the consortium.

The program builds on the existing resources and networks of consortium members:
• The e-School bolsters the operation of existing Korean Studies programs at ELTE, Paris Diderot, the University of Vienna, the University of La Rochelle, the University of Sheffield, the University of Leeds, the Tajik State University of Commerce, Sofia University, and the Middle East Technical University.
• The program enhances the operation of the collaborative interdisciplinary network related to Korean politics (EUKOPAC) between the following institutions: Central European University, the University of Vienna, Paris Diderot, the University of La Rochelle, the University of Bologna, and the University of Sussex. The University of Sheffield and the University of Leeds are also connected via the Korea Hub.

Virtual Environment for Quality Education

The e-School program makes innovative and interrelated contributions to the field of Korean Studies in two vital respects. Firstly, it promotes excellence in teaching in the social sciences, thereby complementing existing strengths in the humanities and linguistics. The match between Korean Studies and social sciences is a new trend, especially in Europe, the Middle East, and the post-Soviet realm.

Secondly, the e-School program establishes an online platform between the consortium partners to develop a first-class virtual learning environment. It brings together institutions where there is strong demand for Korea-related programs with partners who possess first-class faculty with expertise on Korea, thereby connecting faculty and students and the efforts to realize excellence and innovation. This is especially useful as it expands the availability of Korea-related courses to a wider range of institutions, enabling students to benefit from broader course offerings and Koreanists to reach far larger audiences.

Pilot Lecture Courses

In 2012, two e-School lecture courses are being offered. A pilot course titled “Introduction to Korean Politics and Policy” was launched in April. This course familiarizes students with the key issues of contemporary Korean politics within an inter-disciplinary framework. This joint-instruction course brings together faculty from comparative politics, international political economy, sociology, history, and geography. The course aims to shed light on the processes of state-building, economic development, and especially the democratization of South Korea. The course is convened by Prof. Youngmi Kim at CEU and co-taught by Prof. Marie-Orange Rive-Lasan (Paris-VII), Prof. Kevin Gray (Sussex University), Prof. Antonio Fiori (University of Bologna), Prof. Hyung-A Kim (Australian National University), Prof. Matteo Fumagalli (CEU), and Prof. Rainer Dormels (University of Vienna).

This course combines real-time online lecture sessions and offline seminars. By successfully completing the course, students will acquire a robust understanding of the processes of state-building on the Korean Peninsula; the process of democratization in South Korea and the dynamics and challenges of democratic consolidation; the roles of elite and non-elite actors in democratic politics, and the emergence of post-authoritarian South Korea in an international context.

The pilot course is offered at 10 universities in nine countries, with a total of 76 students registered for credit. The six partner universities offering the course for credit this year include Central European University and ELTE in Hungary, the University of Turku in Finland, the University of Vienna in Austria, the American University of Central Asia in in Kyrgyzstan, and the Tajik State University of Commerce in Tajikistan. In addition, the course is offered as a seminar at four other universities, including Paris Diderot, La Rochelle, Bologna, and Sofia University. In the Fall Semester of 2012, a second course titled “Korea’s International Relations” will be launched; it will be taught by CEU Professor Youngmi Kim.

Project Co-Directors
Matteo Fumagalli, Professor, Central European University, Hungary
Youngmi Kim, Professor, Central European University, Hungary