2024 Academic Exchange Support Program for North Korean and Unification Studies

- MOU-IFES North Korean Studies Fellowship -

I. Overview

-> Background and Overview

Managed by the Institute for Far Eastern Studies of Kyungnam University (IFES) with the sponsorship of Minister of Unification (MOU), the “Academic Exchange Support Program for North Korean and Unification Studies” is designed to expand the pool of experts on peace and unification studies on the Korean Peninsula as well as North Korean studies in the international community. 

As part of this academic exchange program, we are calling for “MOU-IFES North Korean Studies Fellowship” applications from young scholars whose research interests include studies on North Korea and Korean unification.

Ⅱ.Fellowship Program 

-> MOU-IFES North Korean Studies Fellowship 

The MOU-IFES North Korean Studies Fellowship is designed to provide fellowship support for 6 months to applicants who are interested in Korean Peninsula issues in general, North Korea and unification, in particular.

This fellowship provides numerous programs for scholars including opportunities to work with renowned experts on North Korean issues, attend special lectures by current and former government ministers and policymakers, and participate in academic exchanges, expert workshops, and field trips, among other activities and events.

1) Program Outline 

○ Individual Research Project 

○ Cooperative Project with researchers/teams at IFES 

○ Participation in Academic Programs addressing North Korea and Korean unification issues 

○ Opportunity to attend/participate in program-related weekly seminars, field workshops, project presentations, and academic forums, among other events

2) Research Period: 6 months 

○ Research period; 6 months (January 2024 start)

3) Applicant Eligibility 

○ Foreign nationals mainly working outside the Republic of Korea: 

      1. PhD Graduate or Candidate in the field of North Korean studies and /or peace and Korean Unification studies 

          Person with over 5 years relevant work experience including journalists, government officials, international development experts, etc. and research agenda relevant to the promotion of peace              on the Korean Peninsula will also be considered.

      2. The following qualifications will be given favorable considerations: 

               · Korean/English language proficiency

               · Previous contributions to academic journals and media

               · Previous presentations at academic conferences and seminars

               · Public sector work experience relevant to North Korean and Korean unification issues

4) Grant Amount 

○ Living expenses 

               · PhD Candidate or Person with over 5 years of equivalent field work experience:             KRW 2,300,000/month 

               · PhD Graduate or Person with over 10 years of equivalent field work experience:             KRW 3,000,000/month 

○ Round-trip flight ticket (expense reimbursement)

○ Medical insurance coverage

○ Settling-in allowance (KRW 1,000,000)

○ Lab in IFES

○ Library use 

Ⅲ. Application 

1) Research Topics 

North Korea, Inter-Korean Relations, Peace and Unification of the Korean Peninsula and related topics

2) Number of Recipients 

TBD

3) Fellowship Period

6 months 

4) Restrictions

Those who have received grant with the same research topic in the past and those who are currently receiving other types of grant from other institutions of the Republic of Korea are ineligible for this program.

5) Reminders 

○ The beneficiary of this program should stay in the Republic of Korea during the fellowship period. 

○ Beneficiaries who wish to terminate their participation in the program earlier than scheduled without legitimate reasons will be required to return the grant received.

○ All personal information provided by applicants will only be used for this program. All applicants should consent to the collection and use of his/her personal information submitted in the              application to commence the process.

○ Documents submitted will not be returned.

※ The program will proceed after the final selection is made and once the contract is signed. 

6) Required Documents: 

7) Application Period

October 10, 2023 to December 26, 2023 17:00 (Korean Standard Time GMT+9)

※ Applications submitted after the deadline will be discarded.

8) Application Procedures

Submit required documents via email to ifes_apply@kyungnam.ac.kr

※ Website: https://ifes.kyungnam.ac.kr/ifeseng/7791/subview.do

9) Notification of Selected Beneficiaries 

January 2024 (Date of notification may change without notice)

Acceptance/Rejection notices will be announced via email.

10) Contact 

The Institute for Far Eastern Studies of Kyungnam University: ifes_apply@kyungnam.ac.kr / 82-3700-0708, 0828