The UAB inaugurates the King Sejong Institute committed to the language and culture of Korea

27/02/2019

Vice Rector for International Relations Màrius Martínez, Dean of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting Albert Branchadell, an Ambassador in Spain for South Korea Hong-jo Chun were in charge of inaugurating on 27 February the Barcelona headquarters of the King Sejong Institute, located in the MRA building of the UAB Research Park. 

Ambassador Hong-jo Chun first visited the UAB Rectorat building, where he was received by Rector Margarita Arboix and Vice Rector Màrius Martínez. In the meeting, Rector Arboix pointed out that “the UAB is an academic and research university, with great efforts invested in everything related to Asian languages and cultures, an area in which it is a leading institution”. She also highlighted the importance of welcoming the ambassador to the UAB: “I hope we can reach agreements with South Korea because I think it would be of benefit to both parts, while also being a challenge”. 

Ambassador Hong-jo Chun affirmed that “the UAB has a long history of teaching about Korea and this has become more evident with the inauguration of this new King Sejong Institute headquarters”. Hong-jo Chun ended his intervention expressing interest for more exchanges between the UAB and Korea and described his will to “bring more Korean students to the UAB”. 

Vice Rector for International Relations Màrius Martínez explained that “in the past three years, more than 300 students have traveled to Korea and have come tot he UAB” through different exchange programmes. In addition, he highlighted the agreements existing with 17 Korean institutions, demonstrating that the university “has focused on the region of East Asia”. In reference to the inauguration of the institute located on the UAB campus, Vice Rector Màrius Martínez said that “it is more than probably that the King Sejong Institute will include a satellite office in the city of Barcelona with the aim of teaching and promoting Korea's language and culture”. 

The inauguration of the King Sejong Institute took place at the MRA building of the UAB Research Park, which the ambassador visited accompanied by the Dean of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting Albert Branchadell, his team and a group of student delegates. After uncovering the plaque, Ambassador Hong-jo Chun explained that the institute bore the name of the 15th century King of Korea, Sejong the Great, who invented the Korea alphabet and made clear his interest for this centre to “strengthen the relationship between Spain and South Korea, the UAB and the Korean people”. Vice Rector Màrius Martínez emphasised the "interest the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting has had to teach the language and culture of Korea”, while the objective was also to make “the institute another tool with which to strengthen the knowledge of the language and culture of Korea in our country”.

The event ended with a conference on sports as a means to peace, entitled “El deporte para la paz”, by Ambassador Hong-jo Chun, which focuses on the situation of the two Koreas explained through sports.  

Collaborations with the King Sejong Institute
 

The King Sejong Institute Foundation and the UAB signed an agreement in 2017 jointly to foster, promote and disseminate the language and culture of Korea through the organisation of diverse academic activities, courses and conferences, all aimed at the general public. Thanks to this joint collaboration, the UAB expands its academic ties with the region of East Asia, in which the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting is a leading centre: the UAB is also associated with the Barcelona Confucius Institute, committed to providing Chinese language and cultural teaching resources and services worldwide.

More information: King Sejong Institute