SNU cultivates Asia-Mideast experts

Dept. of Asian Languages & Civilizations opens (ALC) first in Korea

Seoul National University (SNU) will start teaching on Asian and Mideast languages including as well as their civilizations from next year, it was learned Friday (Mar. 2). In connection with this, the SNU has already inaugurated the Department of Asian Languages and Civilization (ALC) which subdivides into four classes of Indian Languages and Civilization; Southeast Asian Languages and Civilization; West Asian Languages and Civilization; Japanese Language and Civilization.

The decision is aimed at cultivating experts on the regions which have been neglected compared to other areas in education and research. According to Prof. Byun Chang-ku, Dean of  the College of Humanities at SNU, the creation of the new department was approved by the SNU Senator in November last year. The faculty will be composed of 12 professors currently teaching at SNU and two other foreign teachers soon to be recruited.

“It has long been pointed out that there is no Middle East expert in our country needed to effectively counter for any contingencies involving Korean people in the region. The Korean abduction incident which took place in 2007 in Afganistan was a case in point,” he said.

The incident was learned to have served as a momentum to consider opening the new department in the national university to teach languages and civilizations of those nations. A total of 20 students are set to be enrolled in the new department.

He added: “Too much emphasis has been put on American and European regions in the regional research and education. The relationalships between Korea and the neglected regions have gotton important lately and we have no other choice but to start systematic education on those countries.”

As to the Japanese education at SNU which has long been delayed just because Tokyo University, the representative University in Japan, does not have a course teaching Korean, Byun said the decision was made out of our necessity with no regard to Japanese move. However, Tokyo University was learned to have had a course teaching Korean at the graduate school.

Choi Sun-hwa sun@theasian.asia