The Area of East Asian Studies at the University of Málaga was awarded one of the two international research projects granted by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea, through the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS), under the Advanced Seed Track category. The project focused on studying equality and inclusion processes in the country. The other selected institution was the University of Copenhagen.

The AKS granted these prestigious awards to innovative research projects in Korean Studies. The project awarded to the Area of East Asian Studies – Korean Studies Program at UMA, titled Advanced Seed Track “Path to Equality: Korean Studies Network on Inclusiveness” (KEI-Network, AKS-2021-INC-225002), carried out a detailed five-year investigation into Korea’s equality and inclusion processes and the progressive integration of women into the public sphere.

The project was led by Professor Antonio J. Doménech, director of the Korea Bridge Office at the University of Málaga, and had a total budget of €325,000, with €65,000 allocated annually. Aurelia Martín Casares, Kang Eun Kyung, Luis A. Botella, Eo Da Eun, and Patricia Chica were the other faculty members who formed part of the research team.

The training of new researchers capable of developing Korean Studies in Spain and the Spanish-speaking world, as well as their integration into a multidisciplinary network focused on advancing the study of inclusion and equality, were among the main goals pursued through this project.

“We aimed to train the next generation of Korean Studies scholars,” explained Doménech, who highlighted the leading role of the University of Málaga in this regard. The Degree in East Asian Studies, currently taught at the Faculty of Social Studies and Labour, was established in 2012.

The consolidation of undergraduate and postgraduate Korean Studies programs at UMA was also one of the objectives advanced through this research project.