Korea Institute

The ANU Korea Institute was established on August 15, 2008. It was the result of a joint effort by The Australian National University and South Korean steel company POSCO, which, together with Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, Australia, provided a Korea Institute Endowment Fund (KIEF). The primary purpose of the Korea Institute was to foster a closer relationship between Australia and Korea through education, research and dialogue, especially by focusing on political, economic and security studies on Korea, while also promoting Korea’s engagement with the Asia-Pacific region. Since it was established, the Institute has bolstered existing strengths in the humanities, enhanced research in the social sciences, and promoted a more active engagement in public affairs. Its establishment was the culmination of a wide range of core activities in Korean studies undertaken at the ANU since 1994, when the ANU Centre for Korean Studies was established. Today, the Institute builds upon the important foundation the Centre laid. It does not belong to any particular school, but is affiliated with the College of Asia and Pacific Studies (CAP).

The Korea Institute seeks to support ANU projects that extend and enhance the teaching of Korean language and a wide range of Korea-related subjects * to strengthen the ties between Korea and Australia, and further the field of Korean Studies globally. It aims to foster scholarship of the highest quality across the humanities and social sciences, and values diversity and inclusion, as well as open and fair debate.

*as per the KI’s official Statement of Intent, signed by Professor James Fox on 20 May 2009 and ratified by former CAP Dean, Professor Michael Wesley on 27 March 2018.