More than 300 people attended a commemorative ceremony hosted by the University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS)f of Vietnam National University (VNU), Hanoi, on November 19. Among notable participants were ULIS Rector Nguyen Hoa; VNU Hanoi Vice President Pham Van Ngoc; Phan Thi Thu Hien, dean of the Department of Korean Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, Ho Chi Minh; Oh Nak-young, Korean minister to Vietnam; and Park Nark-jong, director of the Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam; as well as Korean language professors and students from the Hanoi area.

Following a celebratory performance, a letter of approval was presented to certify the establishment of the Faculty of Korean Language and Culture, and the launch of a separate Department of Korean Language and Literature, as various guests offered congratulatory remarks. A seminar followed, where participants engaged in lively debate on the central theme of "education and research of Korean language and studies in Vietnam." On the second day, a quiz contest and a Korean cultural performance were held under the auspices of the student council of the Faculty of Korean Language and Culture.

First Faculty of Korean Language and Culture

During his opening address, President Ngyuen Hoa officially proclaimed the inauguration of the Faculty of Korean Language and Culture, along with calling for concerted efforts to upgrade the faculty's research capacity over the intermediate to long term, along with establishing a masters degree program within five years, and a doctoral course within 10 years. Then, Korean minister to Vietnam Oh Nak-young stated in his congratulatory message that the inauguration of Vietnam's first faculty of Korean language studies, on the 20th anniversary of Korea-Vietnam diplomatic relations, reflected an impressive advance in bilateral relations and urged the university to play an active role as a leading Korean language educational institution for the continued development of Korea-Vietnam cooperation.

Today, Vietnam operates two national universities: VNU in Ho Chi Minh and VNU in Hanoi. And since these universities are granted a special status as ministerial-level institutions under the direct oversight of the prime minister, they are of a higher standing than general universities in terms of institutional structure and public perception. Under the prime minister in charge of home administration, they are exempt from the regular management and administration of the Ministry of Education and Training.

Background of Korea-related Faculty

In 1992, when Korea and Vietnam established diplomatic relations, Korean language courses were offered at Vietnam's national universities in an effort to foster Korean language speakers and Korea-related specialists. As part of these efforts, the ULIS-VNU also opened a course for Korean language as a second foreign language in 1994, which became a regular undergraduate course in 1997. As of 2012, the Department of Korean Language and Literature has developed into a major course program with about 300 students.

As part of its Oriental Studies program, a Faculty of Korean Studies, under the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, is also maintained at VNU Hanoi. Korean language and studies departments have since been established at 13 universities in Vietnam, but the ULIS-VNU is the only national university in Vietnam with an independent Faculty of Korean language studies. Previously, a faculty-level department of Korean Studies with about 400 students was maintained at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Ho Chi Minh. As such, expectations are high that these two faculties will form two main pillars that support the development of Korean Studies in Vietnam, but there is still much room for improvement in terms of academic quality overall.

Outlook for Korean Studies in Vietnam

The establishment of the Faculty of Korean Language and Culture indicates the importance of Korean language education in Vietnam as well as at VNU, and is also a notable advancement of the cooperative relationship between Korea and Vietnam, who are observing the 20th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2012.
Due to its administrative separation from the Faculty of Oriental Languages and Cultures, the new faculty has been granted independence for its recruitment of students and the opening of new courses and departments, in accordance with its own development plans.

Together with the establishment of this faculty and opening of the Department of Korean Language and Literature, these developments are expected to steadily expand study of the Korean language and literature. Moreover, with the ground being laid for the establishment of additional Korea-related departments at the faculty, it will be easier to open new courses in line with the advancement of Korea-Vietnam relations and the particular demands for Korean Studies courses and research.

The Faculty of Korean Language and Culture is also playing a leading role in outreach activities by offering Korean language education to another 500 students each year, other than those majoring in Korean language, through the broadcast of an educational program, 'Xin Chao! Hankuko,' in conjunction with VTV2. Related projects include the publication of a Korean guidebook, IT and Kimchi, in Vietnamese, and the operation of a King Sejong Institute in connection with the EPS Program and Korean language programs at an affiliated foreign language high school.

In this way, there has been a remarkable increase in the quantity of Korean language education, but it is also urgent to assure the quality of these endeavors. Among the 18-member faculty, only one is a doctoral degree holder, while seven others are in the process of completing their doctoral course work. However, since VNU Hanoi is pursuing a development plan for its Korean Studies program that calls for the establishment of a master's degree program within five years and a doctoral course within 10 years, efforts are required to assure a diversification of Korean Studies courses, in part through the KF Global e-School program, and to provide manpower and research support for the Faculty's stable and effective growth.

Jee Chang-sun, Director
Korea Foundation Hanoi Office