The School of Arts and Sciences will match the Korea Foundation’s $2.5 million grant to support the program.
In a historic agreement yesterday, University President Judith Rodin and Korea Foundation President Joungwon Kim signed a five-year agreement under which the School of Arts and Sciences will match the Foundation’s $2.5 million dollar contribution to promote Korean Studies at Penn.
The donation will finance endowed chairs, visiting professors, graduate fellowships, academic research conferences, seminars and the expansion of the Korean collection in Van Pelt Library. An endowed chair will be established in both the humanities and the social sciences. A third chair is possible, but has yet to be determined.
Kim said yesterday’s ceremony marked the beginning of a new chapter in Korean Studies at the University. The University initiated its first Korean Studies course in 1963 and has offered Korean language courses since 1984. “This is a new milestone — just as our nations are strong allies and friends, so are our institutions,” said Rodin. Kim added that the foundation is “pleased that [it is] able to offer the grant to strengthen the program and signal our contribution to its success.”
But similar grants at other universities have spurred some criticism in the past. The Korea Foundation maintains strong ties to the South Korean government. A few scholars contend that the Foundation’s contributions come with strings attached that may bias an institution’s instruction, according to articles in The Chronicle of Higher Education and The New York Times. Or the Foundation may only provide money to programs whose academic output doesn’t criticize Korean policies.
But Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations Virginia Clark refuted these points, explaining that the University would not accept a gift if “strings were attached.” “We feel that in our conversations they have been very philanthropic,” she said.
Rodin also stressed the generosity of the foundation, which initially offered a $1 million donation, but increased the endowment to $2.5 million as a result of mutual enthusiasm between the University and the foundation. The School of Arts and Sciences has already raised a significant portion of the match and will rely strongly on major donors interested in Korean initiatives for the remaining funds, according to SAS Associate Dean Eugene Narmour.
Students reacted enthusiastically to the news of the gift. “To know that all these people are working together is inspirational,” said Engineering sophomore Kahn Jekarl, whose father contributed a portion of the endowment. And fifth-year doctoral student Jae-Jung Suh, who received a fellowship for Korean Studies administered by the Korea Foundation, said he was excited about the impact the donation could have on the University. “This country and Korea will benefit if more funding occurs,” he said.
Although Mayor Ed Rendell was unable to attend yesterday’s signing, his wife, Barbara Rendell, spoke on his behalf, declaring February 5 Joungwon Kim Day in honor of the Foundation’s generosity.
