Ewha series targets expatriate women

Ewha Womans University has long stood at the forefront of women’s education in Korea.
Ewha was the first institution to offer classes beyond the high school level to women. The school has produced many graduates who have gone on to become leaders in a variety of fields, and the university was an early proponent of providing women’s studies as an academic pursuit.
Ewha’s Asian Center for Women’s Studies has offered lectures on topics related to women in Korea since the fall of 1996. The series is aimed at foreign expatriates living in Korea. Twice each year, for six-weeks, a series of discussions is held, with attendees participating.
Starting April 25, lecturers from Ewha, Yonsei University and Kyunghee University will be giving talks on subjects relating to the theme “Korean Women’s Bodies and Cultural Attitudes.”
The series this spring will focus on changes in Korean society, culture and history from the perspective of Korean women.
The five lectures and a a final discussion session vary in their subject material, ranging from women’s health issues to the women’s movement in Korea.
Kim Na-yeon, a researcher with the Asian Center for Women’s Studies says, “The series focuses on the general life of women in Korean society.”
She adds, “We want to introduce to foreign expat women the life and times of Korean women.”
The Asian Center for Women’s Studies was established eight years ago to promote “a more egalitarian lifestyle for women in Asia on the basis of active participation and solidarity.”
Activities at the center include research, workshops and conferences on women’s studies, and the publication of various periodicals such as the Asian Journal of Women’s Studies.
The spring series runs until May 30, and the lectures are held each Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Asia Womens’ Studies Center’s conference room. The center is just down the hill from Ewha’s main library.
All the lectures will be in English and registration is limited. The fee for the entire series is 120,000 won ($100), but some individual tickets are available.

by Choi Jie-ho

For more information, call 02-3277-3613. Or visit http:ews.ewha.ac.kr