Lecture by Sam Richards, Korean Culture Research Authority, Concludes Successfully at Sungkyun Institute of Humanities and Oriental Studies

- Penn State Professor Sam Richards, ‘Opening New Horizons for K-Culture’

On June 25th (Tuesday), the Sungkyun Institute of Humanities and Oriental Studies (S-AHA) hosted a special lecture by Sam Richards, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, in the Cho Byung-Doo International Hall of the 600th Anniversary Building on the Humanities and Social Sciences Campus. The lecture was titled "Asking the Way in Korean Studies in an Era of Great Transition."

Professor Sam Richards is a sociologist and a world-renowned authority on race and cultural studies. His famous YouTube lecture series, "SOC 119," is a popular course with over 800 students each semester and has received the highest honor in the educational and school program category of the Emmy Awards in the United States. He is particularly well-known as an authority on Korean cultural studies, and in 2018, he made headlines by predicting the global popularity of BTS.

Before the lecture, President Ji-Beom Yoo welcomed the 500 attendees, saying, "This special lecture by the Institute of Humanities and Oriental Studies is a meaningful event that looks at Korean studies from a humanities perspective and establishes K-content as a global standard." Kim Tae-Hwan, the head of the Sungkyun Institute of Humanities and Oriental Studies, also delivered a congratulatory address.

In his lecture titled "Korea’s Characteristics and Values," Professor Richards emphasized the importance of understanding other cultures, stating, "Korea is a culture with a community-centered mindset, where the role of the community is more important than the individual in solving problems." He also noted that "Korea has rapidly grown over the past 30 years through the development of technology and communication, and Korean culture's unique charm and values are being spread worldwide through K-pop and K-dramas."

Following Professor Richards' lecture, an expert panel discussion was held under the theme "K-DNA, Making the Global Heart Beat." In this discussion, △ Bum-Jun Koo, CEO of SEBSI, remarked, "When we tell the most Korean stories with unique narratives, we can expect K-content to spread worldwide." △ Kim Young-Sang, President of The Korea Herald, stated, "The success of K-pop has increased global interest in Hangeul, and we will strive to promote our Hangeul worldwide." △ Jae-Seok Ko, a senior professor at the Sungkyun Institute of Humanities and Oriental Studies, emphasized, "It is new wisdom and a solution for preparing for Korea's future to identify the characteristics of K-spirit that underlie K-culture and connect it as a value of global universality."

Meanwhile, the Sungkyun Institute of Humanities and Oriental Studies is an innovative educational program at 

Sungkyunkwan University that attempts to fuse the rich tradition of the humanities with cutting-edge science and technology. It offers a variety of educational content aligned with the three educational values of Eastern spiritual culture: "Wisdom (智), Benevolence (仁), and Courage (勇)."