Department of Korean Language and Literature
The Department of Korean Language and Literature was founded in 1992 when China and South Korea established diplomatic relations. Through about 20 years’ growth and construction, the Department has undergone substantial development. In 2004, it was entitled to initiate an MA degree program with three research orientations, namely, Korean language, Korean literature, and Korean culture. In 2008, the Department was approved asState-level Unit for Building Feature Program and obtained one more opportunity for leapfrog development.
Ever since its establishment, the Department has been sticking to the guiding principles of attaching equal importance to teaching and research and has made remarkable achievements in program construction, talent cultivation, academic exchanges, etc. Its strength is demonstrated in the following aspects:
1. Competent faculty members. The department has now 8 full-time faculty members, including 2 professors, 3 associate professors, 3 lecturers. Among these teachers, 4 are MA supervisors, and 6 have got Ph.D. degrees. All having overseas study and working experiences, 6 of the teachersobtained their MA or Ph.D. degrees in South Korea. With abundant knowledge, great familiarity to the latest research trends in Korean studies and close contact with the South Korean academic circles, the faculty members have unparalleled advantages in Korean teaching and research.
2. Outstanding achievements in teaching and research. In the past few years, the faculty of the Department has published 6 monographs, 11 translated books, 8 series (25 books in total) of textbooks on Korean language, and 50-odd academic papers. They are also presiding over or participating in 11 ministerial or provincial research projects. All these have won the Department the national and international reputations in Korean studies.
3. Diversified research areas. The faculty of the Department haveconductedin-depth studies in the areas of Korean linguistics, South Korean literature, South Korean culture, South Korean education, South Korean politics, and South Korean society. These achievements, combined with the rich practical experiences of the faculty in interpreting and translating, can satisfy the students’ demands for studies in these fields.
4. Mature exchange programs. Shandong University has exchange programs and cooperation with a number of South Korean universities such as Korea University, Yonsei University, Sungkyunkwan University, Kyung Hee University, Chung Ang University, Changwon University, Yeungnam University, and Pusan National University. Every year the department dispatches students of one class/grade to study in these universities, which aims to improve the students’ language proficiency and offer them personal experience of South Korean society and culture.
5. Novel and all-round courses. In addition to courses for Korean basics, the department offers undergraduate courses of South Korean Literature, South Korean Society and Culture, Appreciation of South Korean Literature, Korean-Chinese Advanced Translating, Advanced Interpreting, Trade and Sci-tech Korean. These coursesenable students to skillfully master Korean listening, speaking, reading, writing, translating, and expand their horizon of Korean linguistics, literature, history, society, culture, politics, and economy. At postgraduate level, the MA program has three research orientations: South Korean Linguistics, South Korean Literature, and South Korean Culture. With all these comprehensive and specialized courses offered, students are endowed with solid specialty knowledge and the ability to conduct independent scientific studies.
6. Geographical advantage. The geographical closeness of Shandong Province to South Korea as well as the close cooperation and frequent exchanges of human and material resources between the two sides have given the Department peerless advantage in providing opportunities for students’ practica, internship and employment.
Due to the above advantages, graduates from the Korean Department are well received on job market for their high proficiency level, great familiarity to Korean society and culture, and outstanding adaptability to new surroundings. Every year, the demand for graduates from the Department exceeds the supply, leading to100% employment rate. Up to now, there have been over 200 graduates from the Department who are now working on positions in diplomacy, government offices, research institutions, schools and universities, and enterprises. They are making their contributions to our country’s construction and the friendly relations between China and South Korea.
Contact information：
Department of Korean Language and Literature
School of Foreign Languages and Literature
Shandong University
Address: No.5 Hongjialou, Jinan, Shandong, P. R. China
Postcode: 250100
Tel: +86(531)88375816
