By Kevin Kester & Loughlin Sweeney
Korean International Studies colleges have taken off in the past decade. There are at present more than a dozen programs nationwide offering social sciences degrees in a variety of disciplines, most notably international relations and international business programs, taught in English.
The International Studies colleges host a diverse mix of international and Korean faculty and students. They contribute substantially to the internationalization of higher education in Korea making the country more attractive to international students who wish to study a university degree in English in East Asia. The International Studies colleges also contribute to the global research capacities of the host institutions by promoting international collaborative research with scholars and universities outside Korea.
The trend toward these International Studies colleges began in 2001 with the establishment of the Division of International Studies (DIS) at Ewha Womans University, and then in 2002 with the creation of the DIS at Korea University. This then followed quickly with English-based International Studies programs created at Hanyang University (2004), Hannam University (2005), Yonsei University (2006), and the Solbridge International School of Business (2007).
The newest of these programs, established on March 2 of this year with the vision to build upon the successes of the earlier schools and to offer new perspectives on international affairs, is the Endicott College of International Studies at Woosong University in Daejeon. The college offers three majors: Technology, Management, and International Studies, with a fourth option for students to create an Interdisciplinary Studies degree by combining courses from each of the three major subjects.
The utility of International Studies is clear enough: it provides students with a valuable global perspective, a more methodical way of approaching problems and thinking critically, and provides a basis for wide employability, from global business to politics to academia. But establishing, teaching, and learning the field of International Studies also provokes big questions about the contemporary world, and the future of Korea.
There are three broad challenges that International Studies in Korea must address if it is to succeed in its mission of increasing global interconnectedness. First, we must address the assumption of rationalism in learning: this is the idea that there is only one ‘right’ way to learn.
Second, we must overcome the assumption of rationalism in teaching: that there is only one ‘right’ way to teach. In a complex globalized world, this approach is overly narrow. We must accept that there are no absolute answers to complex questions of development and peace-building, and put aside the illusion that ”correct” modes of development mirror Westernized ways of doing things. The shortcomings of this viewpoint are becoming increasingly apparent in today’s world. Therefore, we propose multiple ways of learning that engage various faculties, feelings, and intuitions, examines them systematically, and appreciates complexity.
Third, International Studies should become truly transferable. Our aim is to ‘zoom out’ from a narrow, academic focus and marry theory to practice and local vision with global agendas. International Studies can and should become an area of expertise that people in all walks of life find useful and relevant to their lived experiences.
To overcome these challenges, at Endicott we engage with new International Studies in a three-pronged approach. We call these methods trans-rationality, embodied practices, and reflexivity, though, simply stated, the aim is to transcend International Studies’ focus on Western ideas and its emphasis on individualism, and to embrace Korean knowledge and experience in a world that increasingly needs global, de-centered insights.
Looking forward, Endicott College’s Department of International Studies differs from other international colleges in Korea by asking the big questions about modernity, globalization, and international peace-building, and expanding the field beyond its Western core. Such questions generate critical dialogue and debate on enhancing 21st century international cooperation possibilities, especially in East Asia with Korea as a leader.
Kevin Kester is research assistant professor of International and Area Studies, and chair of the Department of International Studies, at Endicott College of International Studies, Woosong University.
Loughlin Sweeney is research assistant professor of History and International Studies at Endicott College of International Studies, Woosong University. He holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge.