Diana Peca, the Romanian-Korean Studies Center: “I think that any close encounter with another culture is opening new doors and perspectives”

Whether you’re captivated by the allure of Korean enterprises or have a penchant for K-POP music, the Romanian-Korean Studies Center (CSRK), nestled within the Romanian-American University, offers an ideal platform. Delve into the intricacies of Korean language through onsite and online courses led by a dedicated team of professors, where you can expand horizons through study trips to Korea and immersive summer schools.

Business Review had the privilege of interviewing Diana Peca, the coordinator of the Romanian-Korean Studies Center, in order to gain valuable insights into the educational programs and prospects available for Asian language enthusiasts.

Can you provide an overview of the Center for Romanian-Korean Studies and its mission in promoting bilateral relations between Romania and Korea?

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The Romanian-Korean Studies Center (CSRK) was established in December 2011 at the Romanian-American University (RAU), being part of Department of Asian Studies. The Center’s main objective is to promote the study of Korean language, culture and business environment to those interested, both students of the Romanian-American University, but also to anyone passionate about Korea (students from other universities, high school students, from Bucharest and Romania in general).

Therefore, CSRK is constantly organizing Korean language courses coordinated by a team of two professors, one Korean and one Romanian, in both onsite and online format. Our Center is constantly looking to expand and develop the partnerships with South Korean universities, with research institutes or with representatives of the business environment.

For our students, an important benefit is the participation in study trips to Korea, but also to summer schools organized annually, which have the role of making known the culture and history of both countries. Moreover, the Center managed to create a tradition by providing a clear picture of the elements of traditional Korean culture such as: Samulnori (traditional Korean drums), and Buchaechum (traditional fan dance).

What motivated the establishment of the Center for Romanian-Korean Studies, and how does it contribute to fostering cultural, economic, and educational ties between the two countries?

At the end of 2011 when we took into consideration the establishment of the Romanian-Korean Studies Center, our University was already fostering another similar successful Center, the Romanian-Japanese Studies Center (established in 2005). At that moment, the K-pop groups were on the rise in terms of international success, but in Romania the phenomenon was still in its early stages. Even if it was impossible not to foresee its future success, what we have also considered at that time was the upward trend of the economy of South Korea from the last few decades.

Read also: Serban Georgescu, the Romanian-American University: The most important thing is that many of our former students choose to remain close to us even after they finish the studies

In what ways does the Center facilitate academic and cultural exchange between Romania and Korea, and what are some notable collaborations or partnerships it has established with Korean institutions?

In order to facilitate the academic and cultural exchange between Romania and Korea, the Romanian – American University, through CSRK, developed close and fruitful cooperation with important universities from South Korea (e.g. Hanyang University, Konkuk University, Chonnam National University etc.). We are constantly conducting student and staff bilateral exchanges with our partner universities, offering scholarships with the support of the Erasmus+ funding. Therefore, by being a student at the Romanian-American University you have the chance to study for one semester abroad at one of our partner universities from South Korea.

Also, our students have the opportunity to attend each semester online courses thought by Korean professors from Hanyang University on very different and interesting topics (from Korean language to Korean business environment or K-entertainment) under the umbrella of the e-School Global program – project possible due to Korea Foundation and Hanyang University.

The summer school programs are also very important in promoting the bilateral cultural exchanges, and in the past years the RAU students attended summer programs organized by Seoul National University of Science and Technology or Hanyang University.

When it comes to cultural events, our Center is working closely with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Romania and along the years we had the opportunity to organize or cooperate for many wonderful events dedicated to Korean culture (traditional dance, traditional drums, Korean cooking show, book launches, Quiz on Korea, traditional costumes etc.).

How does the Center support research on Romania-Korea relations and contribute to the broader field of Korean studies in Romania?

Our Center is also focused on research when it comes to Romania-Korea relations, we are constantly organizing or hosting conferences, symposiums that cover topics of interest. To give an example, the Romanian-American University and our Korean Center are currently working together with Korea University (South Korea) and John Hopkins University (USA) and the Korean Embassy in Bucharest to host a conference that will focus on the changing geopolitics and geoeconomics in the Eurasia continent in the context of the Ukrainian war. The conference is set to take place in the first part of July.

Another important research program we have recently been involved into refers to the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK). Since 2016, we are the organizers of this international exam in Bucharest and in the past year we have worked together with a Korean company involved in researching new ways of improving the efficiency of the TOPIK exam.  Probably we will be able to see the results of this project very soon in Romania too.

Are there any specific areas of focus or research projects that the Center is currently engaged in regarding Romanian-Korean relations?

Currently we are focusing on the relation between South Korea and its neighbouring countries, but also its relationship with European Union and Romania in particular, in today’s increasingly volatile and complex international context.

What sparked your interest in Korean language and culture?

I have always considered South Korea impressive because of its great economic development, despite its limited natural resources. Also I have always appreciated its education system and the great importance and constant efforts made towards this area.

How has your understanding and perspective of Korean culture evolved throughout your academic and professional journey?

Working closely with Korean companies and institutions, but also being involved in helping Romanians and Koreans to communicate more efficiently together when doing business, I managed to gain a lot of practical experience. This practical experience proved to be very useful when working in the academic field as well.

In your opinion, what are the most valuable skills or qualities that individuals should develop if they want to succeed in the field of Korean studies?

Probably one of the most important quality a person should have when beginning to study an Asian language is “commitment”. For us, Romanians, it is much easier to learn many of the European languages for example, maybe some of them can be mastered in less than a year, but this is not the case when it comes to Korean language. We are always telling this to our students, they must be prepared since the beginning, it is a good thing to keep their enthusiasm, but they also have to understand that they need to invest time in studying the language, at least a few years. They need to practice daily and to be patient even if they might encounter small setbacks along the way.

How has your involvement in Korean studies influenced your perspective on global affairs and intercultural understanding?

I think that any close encounter with another culture is opening new doors and perspectives, therefore working so close with Korean language, culture and partners, helped me to develop at a personal and professional level. It gave me the chance to observe certain situations from different standpoints and I am now having the ability to adapt easier to different contexts.

What advice would you give to students who are considering a career or academic path in Korean studies based on your own experiences and insights?

We are preparing students that are usually focused on diplomacy, business or technical sciences (computer science), this is why my advice goes to them. They must be consistent, they must have courage to pursue their dream, to gain practical experience and even if they might sometimes make mistakes, it is better to try and fail, than to never try at all (especially when it comes to practicing the Korean language).

How does the Center engage with the Korean community in Romania and promote Korean culture and language within the local community?

One of the best examples I can offer is one of the most recent events that took place between 22 – 26 May, at the Romanian-American University – K-Lovers Festival. The festival was organized by the Romanian-Korean Studies Center together with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Romania and was at its 8^th edition. The festival included a series of events, from lectures, to workshops, to Korea Corner Gala – the central event of the festival.

The series of events brought together internationally recognized Korean artists (Mr. Park Myunghyun, samulnori artist and professor, and Ms. Seo Minseong, buchaechum artist and professor), Romanian artists, passionate of Korean arts (Pureun Narae – the only Romanian samulnori group, KROWN – the only Romanian buchaechum dance group, and Syzygy – our Department’s K-pop dance group). The series of events brought together a few hundreds of people interested in Korean culture, but also important members of the Korean and Romanian business community from Bucharest that joined the festival also as partners and sponsors of our activities.

Can you share any success stories or notable achievements of the Center in fostering closer ties between Romania and Korea?

Along the years we have had many important moments that marked our activity, but probably some of the most important are related to the opportunities offered to our students. For example, we were the first Romanian university able to offer Erasmus+ scholarships in South Korea to students that were not majoring in foreign languages. Also, another big achievement is the Global e-School program implemented from 2018 with the support of Hanyang University and Korea Foundation where our students are able to study with professors from Hanyang University each semester.

Another important milestone in our activity was the visit of the Romanian-American University delegation conducted by Mr. Rector, Ph.D. Habil. Prof. Costel Negricea to Seoul. The delegation had a very intensive schedule, visiting some of our most important partner universities, visits that contributed to better development of our bilateral cooperation.

Last, but not least, in May 2021 we were able to open the first Korea Corner in Romania, center of educational and cultural cooperation between the Romanian and Korea. The project was possible with the support of the Korea Foundation and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Romania.

Information about attending Korean classes is available here, while Japanese language & culture courses are available here.