Supporting Global Korean Studies
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Global Korean Studies
With the support of the Pony Chung Foundation, RIKS launched a scholarship and exchange program in 2016, which aimed at advancing Korean Studies across the globe. In 2021, a new agreement with the foundation allowed for the expansion of these programs, building on their previous achievements. The Global Korean Studies initiative pursues the following goals:
1. To provide a foundation in Korea for overseas Korean Studies scholars to expand their research.
2. To foster close academic networks between Korean Studies researchers at home and abroad. While the primary beneficiaries are emerging scholars, the program has been expanding to support interaction and exchanges between different academic generations.
Scholarships
Pony Chung Fellowship
| Objectives | A one-year residency program for emerging researchers abroad. Using RIKS’s research system and networks, the program aims to provide a research base for young scholars who hold a Ph.D. in Korean Studies from universities abroad to help them further their research in Korea. This initiative encourages emerging scholars overseas to collaborate with domestic researchers, thereby contributing to the development and globalization of Korean Studies. |
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| Application period |
Posted annually at the end of April on RIKS website |
| Eligibility | Non-Korean emerging scholars with a Ph.D. in Korean Studies from a non-Korean university or institution |
| Requirements |
1. Applicants must have obtained a Ph.D. degree no longer than five years prior to the beginning of the program. 2. Korean Studies field may include humanities, social sciences, or international comparative studies with a focus on Korea. 3. Priority given to applicants with concrete plans to publish their research with a foreign university press within three years of completing the program. 4. Applicants with more than one year of post-Ph.D. experience will be appointed by the President of Korea University as research professors. Applicants without such experience will serve as postdoctoral researchers. |
| Positions Available |
2 per year |
| Research Fund |
Pony Chung Fellowship fund: up to KRW 50,000,000 and research space (including coverage costs for four major insurance policies and severance payment)
Publication Subsidy: KRW 10,000,000 (additional funding provided for research published within three years) |
Pony Chung Fellow Workshop
| Objectives |
To facilitate network-building by allowing fellowship recipients to engage in workshops with Korean Studies scholars at home and abroad. |
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| Application Period | Year-round |
| Eligibility and Requirements | Fellows previously admitted to the Pony Chung Fellowship Program |
| Research Fund |
Workshop funding of up to KRW 30,000,000 (KRW 15,000,000 per team) and administrative support. |
Exchange Programs
RIKS Academy
| Objectives |
To promote intensive research, mutual exchange, and networking among young Korean studies scholars from Korea and abroad. The program aims to broaden perspectives, enhance expertise, and build close academic networks for emerging scholars. |
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| Application Period |
Every August (announcements to be posted every May on RIKS website) |
| Eligibility and Requirements |
Graduate students majoring in Korean Studies who can participate in courses and discussions conducted in Korean. |
| Positions Available |
20 (10 Korean and 10 Foreign Graduate Students) |
| Financial Support |
Program includes: expert-led focus lectures, fieldtrips, and seminars airfare support (up to KRW 1,000,000 for participants from U.S./Europe and KRW 500,000 for Asian countries) scholarship of KRW 1,000,000 per participant |
RIKS Workshop
| Objectives |
Linked to the RIKS Academy, this workshop provides and encourages academic networking, diverse research, and in-depth insight into research topics for former RIKS Academy participants. |
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| Application Period |
Every December (announcements to be posted every June on RIKS website) |
| Eligibility | Korean Studies research teams led by emerging scholars that participated in RIKS Academy |
| Requirements |
1. Each team must include at least one former RIKS Academy participant 2. Each team must include senior researchers from domestic or international academic institutions to serve as the team's mentors |
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Positions Available
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5 teams (each team must consist of at least six emerging scholars and two senior scholars) |
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Financial Support |
Funding of KRW 9,000,000 per team for focus seminars and presentations according to specialty |
Pony Chung Fellow Hosting Program
| Objectives | This program sponsors former Pony Chung fellows in organizing academic events at their home institutions abroad by providing financial support for those hosting Korean scholars. This initiative fosters ongoing networks and provides Korean researchers opportunities for international academic exchange. |
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| Application Period | Year-round |
| Eligibility and Requirements | Former recipients of the Pony Chung Fellowship |
| Financial Support |
KRW 10,000,000 to host Korean researchers and conduct local events at home institution. |
Dissemination Programs
RIKS Distinguished Overseas Scholar Lectures
| Objectives | Hosts distinguished Korean Studies scholars from abroad to engage with Korean researchers through lectures, workshops, and seminars. |
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Pony Chung Korean Studies Lecture Series
| Objectives |
Produces video recordings and archives lectures from RIKS Academy and Distinguished Overseas Scholar Lectures on the RIKS YouTube channel, to support multidimensional academic exchange. This program aims to make the progress of Global Korean Studies more accessible to both researchers and the public. (https://www.youtube.com/@ku_riks) |
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