The 8th Central Asia Korean Studies Conference was held online on 12 December
The conference is hosted by the Association of Korean Studies Professors in Central Asia and co-organized by the Korean Studies Center at Nazarbayev University, the Center for Korean Studies at Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages in Almaty, and the Center for Korean Studies at Korean Institute of Central Asia in Bishkek with support from the Korea Foundation. The main theme of the conference was “Prospects for the Development of Korean Studies in Central Asia after Covid-19.” The conference aims to enhance the network of Korea studies centers at universities in Central Asia in preparation for the increasing importance of remote learning and online lectures in university education. In total, three paper presentations and eleven panel presentations are delivered by scholars at universities in the region.
As the host of the conference, Professors Hoyoun Koh (the Chair of the Koran Studies Center, Department of Political Science and International Relations), Younju Cho (Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature), and Chunho Park (Department of Political Science and International Relations) participated in the conference from Nazarbayev University. Professor Cho presented her research on designing online courses on Korean language. Professor Koh also shared the current state of remote teaching and learning at Nazarbayev University via his panel presentation. Although this was the first time that the conference was held online, more than 70 participants attended the conference, including more than 30 participants as a group from Korean Institute of Central Asia, and they actively addressed questions and shared their experiences in online teaching.
The Korean Studies Center at Nazarbayev University, the hosting organization of the conference, is housed in the School of Sciences and Humanities. The Center aims to promote Korean Studies in Kazakhstan and to contribute to a broader scholarship of Korean Studies in the Central Asian region. It was established through the seed program for Korean Studies, sponsored by the Academy of Korean Studies. It provides up-to-date information and knowledge of Korean affairs across multiple disciplines, including politics, economics, sociology, and cultural and linguistic studies.
