■ East European and Balkan Institute Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project Agency holds an international conference jointly with the Asian Association of Central & Eastern European Studies

HUFS East European and Balkan Institute (Director Kim Jung-Hwan) held an online academic conference jointly with the Asian Association of Central & Eastern European Studies. The conference was held online on December 17, 2021 (Friday).

This conference is the third international conference organized by the Institute’s Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project Agency. It was joined by renowned scholars from six countries, the U.S., Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Poland, and Hungary. It also drew professors, researchers, and students of the HUFS College of Central and East European Studies, offering a meaningful forum of communication.

During the conference, HUFS Professors Kim Sang-Heon, Kim Jeong-Hwan, and Roxana Cătălina Anghelescu and HUFS associate researcher Lee Sang-Dong made presentations. Esteemed professors from outside the nation also shared their insight with the presenters. They include Professor Irina Genova of New Bulgarian University in Bulgaria; Professor Žolt Lazar of University of Novi Sad in Serbia; Professor Emma Pedestru of Babes-Bolyai University in Romania; Professor Julia Sowińska-Heim of the University of Lodz in Poland; and Professor Balázs Varga of Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary.

With the growing interest in pop culture around the world, the theme of the conference, “Research on East European Pop Culture after the Political Transformation”, was interesting and timely to reflect the trends of the East European world. Under the communist ideology, each nation in the region had distinctive cultural identity, especially in popular culture. This cultural disparity has impacted greatly each nation’s development path after the transformation. In that context, the conference offered an invaluable opportunity to examine each nation’s cultural characteristics and the overall direction in the development of East European pop culture before and after the transformation.

■ Institute of EU Studies and JMCE jointly host the 2021 Korean Society of Contemporary European Studies’ Annual Conference

HUFS Institute of EU Studies (Director Kim Bong-Chul) and HUFS Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence (JMCE, Director Kim Si-Hong) hosted a joint conference at the Fila Acushnet Hall of HUFS Smart Library on December 17, 2021 (Friday). The conference was held under the theme of “Changes in the External Political, Economic, and Geopolitical Environment and Europe’s Challenges and Tasks”. The joint conference was organized by the Korean Society of Contemporary European Studies and joined related research agencies. They include the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission, the Korean Society of Italian Studies, the Overseas Joint Research Project Agency (Korea University-Johns Hopkins University-Universität Duisburg-Essen) of the National Research Foundation of Korea, Keimyung University Research and Business Development Foundation, Korea University Nordic-Benelux Center, Seoul National University Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, and Yonsei University Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence.

Kicking off with the opening remarks by President Lee Moo-Sung of the Korean Society of Contemporary European Studies, the conference also featured congratulatory remarks by First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-Geon and HUFS President Kim In-Chul. Each session had presentations on European security, politics, social issues, and culture, followed by rounds of panel discussion on various topics, such as European languages, Europe, Eurasia, and analysis on market entry into the EU markets.

This conference was meaningful in that the undergraduate and graduate student researchers of the HUFS Institute of EU Studies joined as a panelist, sharing their fresh views on the future and prospects of the EU.

■ Institute of Russian Studies holds a seminar entitled “Present and Future of the Eurasia Region and South Korea’s New Northern Policy”

HUFS Institute of Russian Studies (Director Pyo Sang-Yong) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy have been working on two industrial cooperation projects. One of them is the New Northern Policy Forum. HUFS Institute of Russian Studies takes care of this forum, offering a channel of constant communication, identifying demands for cooperation with the New Northern economies, and developing high-priority tasks. All these activities aim to contribute to making sustainable and visual accomplishments in the nation’s New Northern Policy.

In this vein, HUFS Institute of Russian Studies held a seminar where Central Asia and Russia experts gather to discuss changes and current issues in cooperation with major Northern economies in the fields of economy, trade, industries, and energy. At the seminar, the participants had in-depth discussion on how Eurasian countries respond to the Carbon Zero era ushered in by the Paris Climate Accords, how South Korea cooperates with them, and What the present and future of the New Northern Policy are like.

The seminar was held at the International Conference Hall of the Minerva Complex on December 17, 2021 (Friday). It was the fifth forum held under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. The theme of the event was “The Present and Future of the Eurasia Region and South Korea’s New Northern Policy.” It consisted of three sessions, and each session featured roundtable discussion under the title of “Russia’s New and Renewable Energy Policy and Its Cooperation with South Korea”, “Central Asia and Korea and Their Sphere of Cooperation”, and “The Present and Future of the New Northern Policy”, respectively.

The event began with the opening remarks by Director Pyo, followed by the first session’s discussion on Russia’s new and renewable energy strategies and its hydro economy in the net zero era. During the discussion, the participants discussed how South Korea can participate in the Russian hydro economy. The second-session presentation dealt with the theme of Central Asian Countries’ energy policies and strategies in the net zero era and South Korea’s countermeasures and challenges. More specifically, the presenter shared what investment opportunities South Korean companies have as these countries are privatizing their public service providers. The final session feature a roundtable discussion on the successes and failures of the New Northern Policy, suggesting the desirable future direction in that policy and challenges ahead.

■ Polar Research Center hosts a joint seminar in celebration of the Arctic Partnership Week 2021

HUFS Polar Research Center (Director Choi Woo-Ik) held a seminar jointly with the Korea-Siberia Center of Pai Chai University and the Korean Society of Arctic Society at BEXCO, Busan, on December 7, 2021 (Tuesday). The theme of the seminar was the “Current Status and Prospects of Arctic Humanities, Social, and Economic Policies.”

It was held in celebration of the Arctic Partnership Week 2021, which was held from December 6 to 10, 2021 (Monday to Friday). South Korea has held this weekly commemoration event since 2016 and is the first non-Arctic nation to do so. Organized by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the seminar drew arctic experts at home and abroad to share views on a range of Arctic issues from policies to science, industries, and culture.

The firs session largely involved young researchers, featuring presentations by graduate students of HUFS Department of Russian and CIS Studies. More specifically, they include student Gang Ha-Ram’s presentation on the “Current Status of Food Logistics in the Russian and Arctic region and Proposals to Address Logistic Deficiencies”; student Kim Hye-Young’s presentation on the “Assessment of the Potentials of Major Ports along the Northeast Passage by 2035 in Response to the Russian Arctic Strategy”; student Doh Min-Ji’s presentation “Changes in the Lifestyles of Ethnic Minorities in the Russian Arctic: a Case of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region.” After the presentations, the first session moved to in-depth discussion moderated by Director Kim Bong-Chul of HUFS Institute of EU Studies and joined by Director Kim Jung-Hoon of the Korea-Siberia Center of Pai Chai University.

The second session began with the opening remarks by Director Kim of the Korea-Siberia Center and the congratulatory remarks by Assistant Director Shin Hyung-Chul of Korea Polar Research Institute. Moderated by Director Choi of HUFS Polar Research Center, the second session mainly featured three presentations by seasoned experts. They include: Ph.D. Lee Ju-Yeon of Anyang University (“Russia’s Perception of the Arctic and Its Policy Directions”) and discussion with HUFS Professor Kim Seon-Rae; Lecturer Park Sung-Hyun of Gyeongsang National University (“Arctic Marine Hunters from Documentary Film Ocean Book”) and discussion with Professor Gu Ji-Hoon of Changwon National University; and HUFS Professor Jung Hyuk (“Directions and Prospects of the EU’s Methane Emissions Reduction in the Arctic”) and discussion with Ph.D. Han Seung-Woo of the Korea Polar Research Institute.

At the closing ceremony, Director Choi of HUFS Polar Research Institute who hosted the event, revealed, “It is pleasing that young and seasoned Arctic experts gathered here today to share views on Arctic issues. I expect that this combined effort for the vast arctic will continue and even be expanded in the future.”

■ HUFS Emerging Region Research Project Agency and Center for Critical Foreign Language Education host the 2021 Expert Lecture successfully

HUFS Emerging Region Research Project Agency (Head Oh Chong-Jin) held the 2021 Expert Lecture jointly with HUFS Center for Critical Foreign Language Education (Director Lee Eun-Gu) at the BRICs Hall on December 7, 2021 (Monday).

Cho Dong-Woo, former Director of the Korean Culture Center in Ankara, Turkey, for 11 years and Director of Gunsan Free Trade Zone Office under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, was invited to deliver a lecture on the theme of “Economic Relations Between South Korea-Turkey: Centered on the Turkish Economy and Industries. ” He delivered a two-hour lecture with much enthusiasm for HUFS students studying and interested in Turkey, the future generation of Turkey experts.

The lecture gave the participating students an overview of the Turkish economy, the nation’s economic history and problems, Turkish industries, and their innate uncertainties. In addition, they were briefed on recent Turkish economic issues and challenges through the reports of South Korean and Turkish media outlets. Mr. Cho stressed the importance of local linguistic skills to the students, demonstrating that how big information gap exists between Korean news reports and Turkish news reports. Enthusiasm continued throughout the lecture, as the students asked in-depth questions about the organizational culture in Turkey, the currency problems, and the Turkish economic cooperation structure.