| Katarzyna Suchańska |
On 8 October, the opening ceremony of the King Sejong Institute in Katowice took place at spinPLACE – Centre for Creativity and Coworking of the University of Silesia. The King Sejong Institute is a foundation established by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and has institutes in 88 countries worldwide. The aim of the King Sejong Institute in Katowice, which will be run by the University of Silesia and Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul, is to promote the Korean language, familiarise Poles with the specificity of Korean culture, and build Polish-Korean relations. It will also serve as a base for strengthening cultural and socio-economic relations between the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Korea.
During the inaugural event we were joined by: Lim Hoon-min – the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Poland, authorities of Katowice and the Silesian Voivodeship, as well as rectors of the Sungshin Women’s University and the University of Silesia. The Institute’s supervisor is Paweł Zakrajewski, PhD from the Institute of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, University of Silesia, who welcomed the gathered guests.
“It is a great day for the University of Silesia”, began Paweł Zakrajewski, PhD. “We are witnessing the building of a new, lasting bridge connecting the Republic of Korea and Poland. This bridge is of immense importance as it will bring together two countries with rich cultures and histories and it will support the consolidation of our relations and common interests. The opening of the King Sejong Institute is another element of the landscape of Katowice—European City of Science 2024—and highlights the dynamic development of the cooperation platform for citizen science”.
The new initiative was also praised by Prof. Ryszard Koziołek, Rector of the University of Silesia, who shared that he is convinced that his university is the best place to establish the Institute:
“It brings me great joy that within the walls of our university there will be a place that will consolidate the values of Korean culture, civilization and economy”.
“For a university to develop, it must meet expectations head on. Currently, internationalisation is one of the fundamental elements of every university’s strategy”, said Paweł Zakrajewski, PhD. “The King Sejong Institute was established thanks to international cooperation with Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul”.
“I am very pleased with your passion for Korean culture and science. Congratulations on the opening of the King Sejong Institute at the University of Silesia. This is a great honour for me. This year is special for us as it marks 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Poland. It seems to me that over time, the need to teach the Korean language and disseminate knowledge about the culture of our country continues to grow. I am glad that we are able to establish cooperation with as prominent of a university as the University of Silesia”, said Seong Keun Yi, Rector of Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul.
Lim Hoon-min, South Korea’s ambassador to Poland, noted that he has been serving in this position for three years and has been striving to ensure positive results in Polish-Korean relations throughout this time.
“Meetings on energy infrastructure defence began in 2022, and this led to intensive cooperation we see today”, he said. “Currently, we are actively cooperating in almost all areas related to culture. However, we cannot forget about the passion of the young generation for Korean culture. I believe that the University of Silesia in Katowice will function as the main hub for promoting Korean culture in southern Poland. It is worth emphasising that not only the King Sejong Institute was opened here, but also the Centre for Korean Language and Culture was established at the Institute of Linguistics of the University of Silesia. I hope that over time we will see more and more such initiatives established here, which will lead to the launch of a Korean studies degree programme at the University of Silesia”.
As part of the cooperation, on 1 October 2024, the University of Silesia launched an Applied Linguistics degree programme, as well as Korean language courses—both initiatives enjoying substantial popularity. The courses are offered both to those who plan to begin their adventure with the Korean language and to those who would like to continue learning the language at higher levels.
Article ‘Opening of the King Sejong Institute in Katowice’ was published in the University of Silesia Magazine No. 2/2024.
Photo by Tomek Grząślewicz