KF Global e-School 10th Anniversary Symposium celebrates friendship between SMU and Showa Women’s University
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- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2024-11-04
Sookmyung Women’s University and Showa Women’s University co-hosted a celebratory symposiumin Japan commemorating the 10th anniversary of the KF Global e-School program, which aims to promote Korean Studies education at overseas universities. The event took place on Sat, Nov. 2 at Showa Women’s University’s Aurora Hall in Tokyo, with all participating professors from Sookmyung Women’s University in attendance.
Launched in 2011, the KF Global e-School program is a flagship educational initiative of the Korea Foundation (KF), an organization under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). This program bridges domestic and overseas universities, offering Korean studies and Korean language courses through online and offline platforms. Sookmyung Women’s University has collaborated with Showa Women’s University on this program since 2015, marking its 10th anniversary this year.
The symposium was made possible through an official invitation extended by Showa to Sookmyung faculty, recognizing the program’s significance over the past decade. Notable attendees included Showa President Mariko Bando, Vice President Tomoaki Ihara, Dean of International Studies Yumi Kawahata, and 20 other faculty and staff members, including program coordinators Professors Lee Soo and Seo Min-jeong. Director Han Seo-eun of KF Tokyo Office also attended to deliver congratulatory remarks.
Representing Sookmyung were professors who had conducted real-time virtual lectures for Showa students over the past decade, making personal visits to the event. These professors presented on diverse topics, including history (Professor Kang Hye-gyeong), politics (Professor Yoon Gwang-il), economy (Professor Ok Gyeong-yeong), gender studies (Professor Lee Hyeong-jin), and Korean language education (Professor Kim Gyeong-ryeong), and Sookmyung Dean of International Affairs Shin Dong-soon delivered the closing address. Simultaneous Japanese interpretation was provided for the 160 local students attending Korean language special lectures online and in person.
A commemorative photograph was taken featuring President Mariko Bando (eighth from left) and Director Han Seo-eun (sixth from left), alongside other key attendees of the symposium celebrating KF e-School’s 10th anniversary.
Sookmyung and Showa, celebrating their 118th and 105th anniversaries this year, have provided tailored online lectures on Korean history, society, literature, politics, economics, and language to Japanese students through the KF e-School program. This collaboration has significantly increased the number of students enrolling in Korean language and Korean studies courses at Showa and has fostered further academic exchanges, including student exchange programs and dual degree agreements.
An official of Sookmyung stated, “Showa Women’s University is the first institution in the 15-year history of the KF Global e-School program to independently organize a commemorative symposium and invite the entire teaching faculty, highlighting the program’s profound value. This achievement is a remarkable example of meaningful private diplomacy between Korea and Japan through education, paving the way for program expansion and further development.”
