Finding Joint Possibilities in Korean Collaboration
Following several fruitful visits to Seoul, the University of Copenhagen is currently exploring possibilities for an institutional partnership with Yonsei University. The aim is to strengthen the ties between the two institutions by expanding existing collaboration, identifying new areas of common interest, and engaging in joint research and teaching activities.
Identifying research areas of common interest
As a first step the University of Copenhagen hosted a joint workshop in April 2016. Based on recommendations from the delegations to Korea and discussions with the various academic environments in both universities, three themes were selected. Plant Science – an area where fruitful collaboration is already established, as well as Social Welfare and The Arctic – two themes of mutual interest and of high importance to both South Korea and Denmark.
Vibrant discussions, scholarly exchange, and ideas for future endeavours
A delegation of 15 scholars from Yonsei University and 35 scholars from the University of Copenhagen – from Social Sciences, Humanities, Law, Science and Health – attended the workshop. The three-day workshop consisted of both plenary sessions with speeches by leadership representatives and keynote speakers from both universities as well as parallel workshop sessions on the three themes with research presentations, papers and discussions about future collaboration. Discussions were lively and ideas many: PhD exchange, faculty exchange, summer schools, workshops, joint applications, projects and publications.
Summer programmes
Joint summer schools at BA, MA, PhD level were among the more concrete suggestions that came out of workshop. The plant science group envisions extending two well-established summer schools for PhD students at the University of Copenhagen to include lecturers and students from Yonsei University. The Arctic group discussed an Arctic research and outreach initiative including annual international interdisciplinary summer schools.
The next steps
During the coming year the research groups will work towards developing and implementing ideas that arose from the workshop in Copenhagen. Contact persons from Yonsei and Copenhagen for each research theme have been appointed, and plans for mutual visits and applications for network funding are in the making.
For further information about the Yonsei-Copenhagen collaboration, please contact Coordinator Marie Yoshida, Asian Dynamics Initiative at marie.yoshida@nias.ku.dk
Marie Yoshida
Marie is Coordinator at Asian Dynamics Initiative.
Danish-Korean relations
The University leadership in Copenhagen has identified South Korea as a strategic area of importance to the University of Copenhagen. UCPH has institutional links with:
- Yonsei University
- Seoul National University
- Korea University
- Sungkyunkwan University
- EWHA Womens University.
Denmark and South Korea have just entered a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate more exchanges between Denmark and South Korea. The two countries also agreed to open the Global Korea Scholarship Program (GKS) for Danish applicants and Denmark is opening the Danish Government Scholarships under the Cultural agreement between Denmark and South Korea for Korean applicants.