✔ Abstract of Project Results

Abstract of Project Results
Project Name	A Study on the Educational Systems of Macedonia and Korea with the Purpose of Laying the Foundation for Korean Studies in Macedonia: Restoration of Records and Intercultural Communication
Project Director	Prof. Ph. D. Maksim Karanfilovski
The main purpose of the current study is laying the foundation for Korean studies in Macedonia, which is situated in the central part of the Balkan peninsula. In order to set the basis for the official establishment and the consequent development of Korean studies in Macedonia, where Korean studies are still in their initial phase, the research needs to be conducted in the following two directions. The first direction involves restoring the records and improving the image, while the second direction, which is to follow the first, is scientific and policy-oriented research on preparing specialists in the area, organizing educational programs and building the necessary infrastructure. (1) The restoration of the records and the improving of the image constitute the most basic groundwork. ‘Restoration of records’ is a collective term referring to the gathering and systematizing of materials about Korea, promotional information, media articles and documents, which can be found in Macedonia. As the current research is two-directional, respectively, it also involves the processing in the same way of the materials on Macedonia which have been accumulated in Korea. The restoration of the records, existing in both countries, is the foundation for improving the image of each country in its relation to the other one, and ultimately becomes the most significant source of getting to know the other nation, as well as to making oneself known to them. For (2) the preparation of specialists in the area, the organization of educational programs and the building of the necessary infrastructure the materials gathered in the process of the restoration of the records can be used to get to know the other country and through them a method for the most effective way of cultural communication between the two countries can be researched and developed. That pattern for inter-cultural communication can be later applied to programs for Korean language education and Korean studies curriculums. Moreover, it can play the role of a ‘measuring stick’ in assessing the relative importance of certain methods and policies in building the infrastructure for the expansion of the foundations of Korean studies. Based on a general methodology on establishing the foundations of Korean studies, the current research has the ultimate goal of aiding the founding of a major in Korean language (or a Department of Korean language) at the Macedonia university, for the promotion of Korean studies in Macedonia, their consequent development and expansion, and on the grounds of that, the intensifying of the exchange of human and material resources between the two countries. With the participation of two researchers from Korea, and two from Macedonia, the current project includes the organization of one international scientific conference per year. Every year each researcher present and publicize at least one scientific paper and make a monographs on Sbornik and “Korea and Macedonia: intercultural communication and language education” with them. First, we planned to publish the articles in the journals. But, we choose the more effective way to develop the Korean studies in Macedonia. This was the publishing the monographs instead of journals. So, we published 2 monographs during this research. As a cultural event were held Korea cultural week and couple of lectures in Macedonia and Korea. With these academic and cultural activities, in Macedonian university now ‘Korean Language’ posits as the second foreign language (before Korean language was third and optional category). Also many Macedonian students seek to learn Korean and want to know about Korea and hope to go to Korea. It means that the establishment of Korean Language Department is on the way and will be accomplished, thanks to the supports from The Academy of Korean Studies and this project. ✔ Remarkable Achievement of the project * Outstanding Research results: Because of Macedonia’s geopolitical significance, the relations with Korea have been intensifying and the establishment of a foundation for the development of Korean studies is an important element of them. The present study constitutes the first example of cooperation in research of scholars from Macedonia and Korea and it can trigger further interest in the Macedonian academics towards Korea and bring active research in the future. During this project, 12 academic articles are presented and published as a result of the project. Among them, 9 articles are written by research director and co-researchers. 3 articles are prepared by Macedonian outstanding experts on Korean studies. * Promoting Status of Korean Language to 2nd Foreign Language Module: When the current research was initiated in December 2010, Korean studies (the lectures in Korean language) were rated third module(제3외국어) among the foreign languages. As the research was conducted, thanks to the activities and the support of the research team, Korean studies and Korean language’s rating was raised to second foreign module(제2외국어). Accordingly, in the new curriculum the number of classes was increased and in 2012 more students, in comparison with the previous year, studied Korean. * Contribution to the Human Resource Exchange between the two countries: Now, Macedonian and Korean students go to Korea and Macedonia for studying languages and cultures. Two Macedonian students (one per semester) go to Hankuk University of Foreign Studies for studying Korean language and culture. They also participated in the different cultural events and made acquainted with Korean students and culture. Two Korean students go to International Seminar for Macedonian language and culture in Ohrid. The students who have been acquainted with Korean culture(through reading literature, viewing films, listening to music, visiting exhibitions, organized events, meeting with Macedonian artists, poets, writers, professors and others, as well as stays in the country) spread information about it and popularize it in the whole society. This is the way to disseminate truths and knowledge about a culture that is more spontaneous and much for successful than the traditional way through official mass media or through official channels of the diplomatic and other missions to foreign countries. The greater the number of students studying a given language and getting acquainted with the culture of the native speakers of that language, the greater the number of those who fail in love with the culture of that people and the people itself. * Foundation for Establishing Korean Language Department: The foundation of educational and research centre of Korean studies in Macedonia can become the most important bases of Korea to Macedonia or of Macedonia to Korea for the future mutual communication between the two countries. That is why, if the strategy for intercultural communication between Macedonia and Korea, obtained through this research, is used, the effective exchange and the development of the relations between the two countries can be maximized. Thanks to this project, now Macedonian university is on the way to establish “Korean Language Department”. And Macedonian university needs more supports from AKS for accomplishing this progress.