Our University Hosts Korea-Africa Culture and Arts Forum
- Views 1369
- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2014-06-25
The forum, which was held over 2 days, was attended by embassy personnel of 11 countries (9 French-speaking countries and 2 English-speaking countries) and many opinion leaders of the African culture and arts world, such as Gabon Minister of Culture, the Arts and Civic Education Ida Reteno Assonouet, Director of the National Museum of Mali Samuel Sidibé and Director of the Institute of the National Museums of Congo Joseph Ibongo. Vice-Minister Cho Hyun-jae attended from the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Tourism.
President Sun Hye Hwang said at the opening ceremony, Sookmyung Women's University has conducted active exchange with African countries over the years, including awarding an honorary doctorate degree to President Abdoulaye Wade in 2009, and successfully hosting the Asia-Africa Women's Conference in 2011," and added, "I expect this forum to be a stepping stone that further strengthens cooperation between Korea and Africa in the field of culture and arts."
The forum was held in 3 sessions. The themes of the sessions were the current situation and issues of African culture and arts (session 1), seeking a cultural policy for development and cooperation (session 2), and improved international exchange through culture and arts (session 3), and included presentations followed by a discussion. Participants agreed, "There was no places hosted by the government to discuss African culture and arts until now. This has been a good opportunity."
Meanwhile, the Korean Cultural Institute has continuously been conducting exchange with African countries, including inviting a Senegal ISM University group to visit jointly with the Korea Foundation and executing a Korean cultural experience program. ISM University professors and students who visited on the 20th of last month expressed their great satisfaction with the program prepared by our university, which included making a Korean mast, a talchum mask dance and taekwondo class, and visits to cultural assets and companies, and attended this forum, too.
A Korean Cultural Institute personnel said, "The second Korea-Africa Culture and Arts Forum to be held next year will execute wide civil diplomatic activities of our school, too," and revealed, "We will establish a close cooperative system with the African embassy and furthermore, pursue a joint project the current situation of each country."