Prof. advocates aid for Korean studies abroad
Published: 17 Oct. 2009, 01:23
James Grayson, emeritus professor of East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield, England. Grayson worked as a professor of religious studies and as a Methodist missionary in Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. By Bae No-pil
“This year, the number of applicants for Korean studies has increased to four times more than usual. That’s ironic, considering the Korean studies major is in danger of disappearing,” said James Grayson, 65, emeritus professor of East Asian Studies at Sheffield University in England. Grayson was in Seoul for a forum about the current state of Korean studies abroad and its outlook for the future, hosted by the Academy of Korean Studies from Oct. 5 to 7.
Grayson retired from his position on Sept. 30. While his retirement should have been a time of honor for him, he instead found himself facing a difficult moment. No one has yet been selected to succeed him, and the University of Sheffield claims they are not planning to recruit anyone at the moment.
“This is due to the British government’s education policies,” Grayson explained. “In the mid 1990s, the government enabled universities to be self-reliant, with each department having control over its own budget.” That resulted in more funding for popular majors, but put less popular majors at risk of extinction, he said.
The University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies and the University of Sheffield’s School of East Asian Studies were the two universities in Britain with Korean studies programs. Soon, however, there will just be one.
Grayson laments that “it’s a shame to abolish the major at a time like this, when the number of applicants has increased from 10 applicants each year to 40.”
“Improved awareness about Korea worldwide may have increased the number of Korean studies applicants, but the program is still behind Japanese or Chinese studies programs in absolute figures,” Grayson continued.
The school’s Korean studies program could shrink if funds continue to be allocated according to enrollment.
The University of Sheffield’s school of Asian Studies has a total of 26 professors excluding those in language departments. There are 12 professors in the Chinese studies department, 12 in Japanese studies and two in Korean studies. When Grayson retired, the number of Korean studies professors shrank to one, and it will not be possible for the department to continue if a replacement is not found.
Grayson became interested in Korea when he came to Changwon, South Gyeongsang, in 1965 as a student. “I did volunteer work in both Japan and South Korea during the mid 1960s when Japan was busy building the shinkansen [its high-speed railroad] and Korea still had steam locomotives. The gap between the two countries was huge,” Grayson recalls.
But these days, he says the British media uses expressions like the “two technologically advanced countries Korea and Japan,” which provides evidence of Korea’s elevated status. He says this situation is “very ironic,” given the difficulties his Korean studies department has had.
To resolve the problem, Grayson says that the first priority would be for Britain to re-evaluate the value of Korean studies programs, but that support from the Korean government or large enterprises is also crucial.
He expressed his concern that “if there is no change in the current situation, Korean studies could become a minor part of the Japanese studies department.”
By Bae No-pil [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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