Supported by the KDI School and the Institute of Unification Education, and in cooperation with History D - Asia Peace and History Institute, this academic program includes field trips. The primary objective of the Summer School is to offer students expert-lead, on-sited training in Korean politics, history, and culture. Participants will have an excellent opportunity to broaden their understanding across various domains within Korean Studies.

The main theme of the 2025 program is Rural Revitalization in Contemporary South Korea. Many foundational sociologists, including Weber, Simmel, Tönnies, Robert Park, and Louis Wirth, have conducted studies on the city. They closely linked urbanism and urbanization to modernity and modernization. From medieval cities emerged the Stadtbürgertum; which evolved into the bourgeois class; and it ultimately led to the rise of the capitalist modern world. As a result, the city became synonymous with the rational and refined lifestyles of modernity, seen in opposition to the premodern traditions of rural villages.

 

Today, major cities in South Korea and other developed countries face challenges such as inequality, population shifts, suburbanization, and urban decline. In response, urban regeneration has become a central priority for many city governments. At the same time, there is a growing effort to rediscover the value of the 'rural' and 'traditional,' which have been marginalized in the breakneck urbanization process. Many rural cities are working to ‘reinvent’ their local characteristics and traditions to revitalize regional culture and economies. New perspectives on the relationship between urban and rural, modern and traditional, are emerging.

 

Key learning objectives:

1. Analyzing the discourse on the "rural crisis" in both contemporary Europe and South Korea, examining relevant concepts and cases. 

2. Exploring how local cities in Korea are reinventing traditions to revitalize their cultural, economic, and environmental landscapes. 

3. Moving beyond the modern-traditional dichotomy by critically examining how tradition has been continuously reconstructed in response to various needs throughout the modernization process. 

 

 

The field trip consists of four parts:

1. August 18 – 20: The Institute of Unification Education
   * Lectures on Korea's division provided by the Institute of Unification Education
   * Visit to the North-South border (Paju or Yeoncheon)
   * Visit to urban regeneration-related sites and organizations in Seoul
2. August 21 – 23: Field trip in Youngwol (Gangwon Province)
   * Temple Stay
   * Places related to rural revitalization projects in Youngwol
   * Including UNESCO heritage sites (Jangneung royal tomb)
3. August 24 – 25: Field trip in Andong (North Gyeongsang Province)
   * Places related to rural revitalization projects in Andong
   * Including UNESCO heritage sites (Seowon, or Neo-Confucian academies)
4. August 26: Academic exchange with KDI School in Sejong City
   * Group presentations by participants

Programs are subject to change due to operational requirements.

Each participant receives:

-          Subsidy for flight ticket: € 500

-          Accommodation and meals free for the whole duration of the summer school

-          Travel expenses and entrance fees (museum etc.) during the field trip in Korea
(participants can be asked to pay fees for some cultural experiences: appr. € 30 in total)

Qualifications for complete participation:

1. If you are a BA or MA student from Freie Universität Berlin, the Institute grants 10 Credit Points (Korean Studies, Vertiefungsmodul) for participation in Summer School activities, contingent upon full engagement in all listed activities:

 

(1)   Summer School preparatory course in SS2025 (April 17 - July 17, every Thursday 2-4 pm)
* The course Includes a series of online special lectures (details TBA)
* Participants are required to read the recommended materials and submit a response
   paper before each lecture

(2) Group presentation at the end of the field trip

      * Power-point slide or video presentation (appr. 30 min for each group)

(3) Final Paper

      * Academic paper on a theme from the Summer School (5.000 words, APA Style)

 

PhD students are exempted from compulsory course attendance and final paper.

 

2. If you are an external student, your participation in the following activities is required to receive subsidy:

 

(1)   Online special lectures in SS2025 (April 24 - July 10, every Thursday 2-4 pm)
* External participants should attend online (Webex) special lectures every Thursday
   except German public holidays

(2) Group presentation at the end of the field trip

      * Power-point slide or video presentation (appr. 30 min for each group)

(3) Final Paper

      * Report on the summer school activities (3 pages)
      * Credit may be granted upon submission of an academic paper (5.000 words, APA Style)
         and with approval from your university

 

Number of Participants

The total number of students will be limited to a maximum of 15 (10 students from FUB, 5 students from other European universities). FU Berlin students who opt out of the student exchange program (Auslandsjahr) are especially encouraged to apply, as this program provides a direct avenue to immerse themselves in experiences in South Korea.

Note on Video Recording 
Field trips during Summer School will be recorded on video, and these recordings will be uploaded to the Institute's YouTube Channel. You can view videos from previous years (https://www.youtube.com/@instituteofkoreanstudiesat2300). By participating, you consent to being included in the recording. Please take this into account when applying. Thank you for your understanding.

Eligibility
Korean studies majors at FU Berlin, as well as from other German and European universities, can apply. Students from FU Berlin should either have a TOPIK certificate or have completed the "Aufbaumodul" and passed the language course "Koreanisch I". Similar criteria apply to external students.

Application
Applicants are asked to submit the following documents (in a single file) to Mr. Suhon Lee (s.lee2@fu-berlin.de) no later than March 31, 2025. Please use the following subject line: Application for Korean Studies Summer School 2025. (Application language: English)

• Certificate of Enrollment for the Summer 2025 Semester
• CV
• Motivation letter (one page) in English outlining the reasons for interest in attending the Summer School
• The latest transcript of records (Campus Office)
• Grade of Korean language course or TOPIK Certificate (or an equivalent)

For further details or inquiry, please contact Mr. Suhon Lee (s.lee2@fu-berlin.de).