Title 2022 Textbook Seminar for Educators of Ukraine
Date 2022-11-22 Views 1652
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The Division of Understanding Korea Project of the Center for International Affairs at the Academy of Korean Studies held “I Textbook Seminar for Educators of Ukraine” for seven days from November 6 to 12, 2022. In spite of the difficult situation in Ukraine, a total of four people, including two senior research fellows from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, an author of Ukrainian geography textbooks, and a professor of history participated in the training designed to bolster cooperation between the two countries on education and textbooks.

 

Through textbook seminars, they and Korean presenters, including researchers from the Division of Understanding Korea, examined the two countries’ educational systems, textbook policies, trends in descriptions of the two countries in their respective social studies textbooks. On top of information sharing on education and textbooks of the two countries, the seminar participants discussed specific ways of bolstering cooperation in education and academic studies between the two countries. Through the Ukrainian presentation at the seminar, Korea-related content was expanded or added to the 9th and 10th grade geography textbooks. Also, it was confirmed that the legal basis for an independent description of Korea was laid in Ukraine for geography and history textbooks for 10th and 11th graders.

 

Most notably, Ukrainian participants showed keen interest in the lectures on Korea's history and economy. Sympathizing with the cultural commonality of the two countries, they suggested various ways to maintain and expand cooperative relations between the two countries. From a different perspective on the Korean economy, they demonstrated great interest in strengthening economic exchanges between Korea and Ukraine. In addition, in a lecture on the Korean War, the Ukrainian participants sympathized deeply with Koreans’ memories of the Korean War, mentioning the current situation of their country and the horrors and cruelty of war in general.

 

Through a visit to a high school in Bundang and the Department of Ukrainian Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies – the only university department of Ukrainian studies in Korea, the Ukrainian participants had the first-hand experience of the Korean school education. They also visited the DMZ in Paju to feel the ongoing pain and traces of the Korean War. Through their visit to Seoul, Suwon, and Incheon, they witnessed Korea's cultural excellence, long history and precious cultural heritage along with Korea's natural beauty while tracking historical exchanges between Ukraine and Korea. They also visited the Incheon Free Economic Zone, which built Songdo - a smart, futuristic city - and confirmed the excellence of Korea's IT that enabled the creation of the city.

 

Lastly, through their visit to Seoul Museum of History, Gwanghwamun, royal palaces, Jogyesa Temple, the National Folk Museum of Korea, Insa-dong, and Myeongdong in central Seoul, they saw that the international city keeps a balance between traditions and modernity – the source of the city’s outstanding dynamism.

 

All the Ukrainian educators participated in each of the schedules; highly praised Korean culture, art, economy, and society; discussed with their Korean counterparts specific measures to develop broader relationship between Korea and Ukraine, including textbooks; and promised to strive to improve or expand Korea-related content in Ukrainian textbooks in the future despite the country's current difficulties.

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