The Institute of Humanities Studies at Kyungpook University (the Academy) was established in October 2013 and is comprised of four related institutions: the Research Center of Human Sciences (founded in 1973), the Research Center of Eastern and Western Thought, the Institute of Sino-Korean Interchange, and finally, the Open Humanities Center, which was an annexe of the College of Humanities. The merging of these four organs has a great significance.
Today, more than ever, there is a great need for interdisciplinary research and joint projects. The field of the humanities is no exception to the academic requirements of our epoch. These can be accomplished either through a metamorphosis or a branching out and instilling the essence of humanities into other domains of academia.
In line with such a goal, two academic periodicals, hitherto published separately, were combined together to form the Humanities of the East and West Journal.
On a smaller scale, this periodical means to bring together the domains of language and literature and that of history and philosophy. On a bigger scale, it also means to combine a sense of the Eastern soul with Western skills and methodologies. These also are the aims and objectives set out by the Academy. The studies of humanities will be expanded by combining them with the knowledge of many other related fields. In particular, classical studies, which are the root of the humanities, are given particular attention. A further objective we mean to fulfil is to combine and promote humanity education with modern media. We hope that all these efforts will come to fruition.
After a year of preparation: the Research Center of Human Sciences; the Research Center of Eastern and Western Thought, the Institute of Sino-Korean Interchange, and the Open Humanities Center have strengthened their ties and proceeded with their integration.
In March of this year, the head office of the University took the decision to provide the ‘Open Humanities Project’, run by the Academy, with an annual income of 120 million won for a period of five years. In August, this proposal was approved by the academic board and took effect from October.
In accordance with the objectives set out by Kyungpook National University, the Academy is founded on the production and diffusion of creative knowledge and aims at becoming a world-class research center in the field of the humanities. The Academy endeavours to promote the ‘Open Humanities Project’ in order to preserve the dynamism and efficiency resulting from the merger of the Research Center of Human Sciences, the Research Center of Eastern and Western Thoughts, the Institute of Sino-Korean Interchange, and the Open Humanities Center.
With the financial support of the University Head Office, three researchers in the field of literature, history, and philosophy are employed full-time to carry out the ‘Open Humanities Project’. In addition, they also strive forward with research projects funded by other institutes.