Korea University: The Future of Korean Studies in the Age of Great Transformation Is Discussed in Metaverse

From January 24 to 27, 2002, the First Annual Korean Studies Festival was held under the theme of “The Future of Korean Studies in the Age of Great Transformation.”



Approximately 80 domestic and foreign researchers participated in the festival, hosted by Korea University’s Research Institute of Korean Studies (RIKS), which boasts a long history and tradition as Korea’s leading research institute for Korean studies, and sponsored by the Pony Chung Foundation. The festival was held both in-person in the Centennial Memorial Samsung Hall and the RIKS building and virtually in the metaverse. The virtual sessions were particularly well-received by a diverse audience, demonstrating the potential of virtual academic exchanges befitting the New Normal.



Korean studies have long tended to focus on Korean literature, history, and philosophy. In the face of turmoil and upheaval due to the COVID-19 pandemic, RIKS aimed to create a forum for discussion of Korean studies from the perspectives of a variety of other disciplines, through active interactions with experts in various fields, including climate, the environment, and medicine. RIKS also offered a workshop program for novice researchers, whereby experts from various fields discussed the direction of Korean studies and researchers mapped out the future of Korean studies.