Expert Consultation Seminar on the First Draft of the Framework for the Korean Studies Program

On the afternoon of December 30th, the Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy (FIPAD) held a seminar to gather expert opinions on the first draft of the curriculum framework for Korean Studies. The seminar aimed to gather feedback and contributions to develop a curriculum for Korean Studies as an independent major at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.

The seminar was chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Anh Tuan - Acting Dean of the Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy, and Ambassador, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Vu Tung - Former Vietnamese Ambassador to Korea, former Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. In addition, the seminar was attended by lecturers from the Korean Studies major, Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy, experts in the field of training, representatives of employers, and students currently studying at the Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy.

From the experts and scientists outside the Academy, there were: Mr. Tran Ngoc Long, Deputy Director of the Northeast Asia Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi; Dr. Nguyen Thi Tham, Director of the Center for Korean-North Korean Studies, Institute of Northeast Asian Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; and Ms. Vu Thi Phuong Mai, Human Resources Manager at Wooribank.

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Anh Tuan expressed his pleasure at the participation and contributions of lecturers and experts to the draft framework of the Korean Studies program. Dr. Ha Anh Tuan emphasized the importance of the seminar, which will help the Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy move towards building Korean Studies into an independent, high-quality major at the Diplomatic Academy in the future.

Contributing to the draft framework for the Korean Studies program, Ambassador, Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Tung highly appreciated the draft, noting that it basically ensures the output standards of a major, including foreign language knowledge, political and social knowledge related to Korea, as well as scientific research skills. Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Tung particularly stressed the requirement for the "identity of the Diplomatic Academy" in the teaching program, reflected in the foreign language courses oriented towards politics and diplomacy and specialized subjects in the field of international relations.

Dr. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Deputy Head of the Department of Oriental Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, expressed her admiration for the regional orientation reflected in the draft curriculum framework, which is characteristic of teaching at the Diplomatic Academy. In addition, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong also offered suggestions on strengthening the teaching of some advanced skills modules, requiring the application of theoretical knowledge in analyzing and comparing practical situations.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Tham, Director of the Center for Korean Studies, Institute of Northeast Asian Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, highly appreciated the balance between the amount of foreign language knowledge and the amount of specialized knowledge. Dr. Nguyen Thi Tham also proposed streamlining some cultural modules and adding some modules related to people-to-people diplomacy and Korean non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.

Contributing opinions from the perspective of an employer, Ms. Mr. Tran Ngoc Long, Deputy Director of the Northeast Asia Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highly appreciated the opening of the Korean Studies program, noting its suitability to current human resource requirements, given the context of the deepening and strong development of Vietnam-Korea relations in many aspects. Mr. Tran Ngoc Long also suggested adding some specific subjects related to the Korean political system, Korean foreign policy, and Vietnam-Korea relations to the curriculum framework. Ms. Vu Thi Phuong Mai, Head of Human Resources at Wooribank, suggested that the program should focus on improving Korean translation and interpretation skills, and assess Korean language proficiency based on the standards of international certifications.

Representing the students of the Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy, Tran Khanh Linh, a K49 student majoring in Asia-Pacific Studies, stated that the curriculum is well-structured and scientific, with in-depth knowledge modules combined with supplementary modules, skills modules, foreign language modules, etc. Tran Khanh Linh also suggested that the Academy should have more scholarship and student exchange programs for Korean Studies.

After more than two hours of discussion and contributions, the delegates attending the seminar provided objective assessments and valuable suggestions to supplement the draft curriculum for Korean Studies. Concluding the seminar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Anh Tuan sincerely thanked the experts for their participation and contributions, affirming that the Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy will continue to hold discussions and gather further opinions and contributions to further improve the Korean Studies curriculum in the future.

Some photos at the event: