Korean Studies Korean Studies Working Group
The Korean Studies working group has been complementing the profile of East Asian Studies in Heidelberg since 2011. Through interdisciplinary research, language courses, as well as seminars on Korean politics, society, and history, it offers a wide range of perspectives on a modern, dynamic East Asia.
Development
Korea first became an object of systematic study at Heidelberg University in 2011, when the Korea working group was established. From 2012 onwards, the Korea Foundation has funded a lecturer position for Korean language courses, which are now offered at four progressive levels.
Since 2014, the Chair of State, Economy and Society in present-day China and East Asia has also offered courses on Korea and Japan which are rooted in social science. In addition, renowned visiting professors have offered regular seminars on socio-political and historical topics since 2016, with the help of funding from the Academy of Korean Studies. The establishment of the Centre for Asian and Transcultural Studies (CATS) in 2019 further strengthened research on Korea in Heidelberg, embedding it within an interdisciplinary, transcultural context.
