Dong-A University Selected for Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute Support Project

Institute for Historical Humanities Image Studies and Institute for Humanities Studies

Dong-A University (President Lee Haewoo) announced on the 4th that the ‘Institute for Historical Humanities and Image Studies’ and the ‘Seokdang Academy Institute of Humanities’ have been selected for the ‘2024 Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute Support Project’ by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

The Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute Support Project aims to establish research hubs by specializing and differentiating research institutes in the humanities and social sciences, strengthen academic research capabilities, promote balanced academic development, create a healthy academic ecosystem, and lead changes in future society.

The Dong-A University Institute for Historical Humanities and Image Studies (Principal Investigator: Professor Shin Dongkyu, Department of Japanese Studies) and the Seokdang Academy Institute of Humanities (Principal Investigator: Professor Jung Kyusik, Department of Korean Language and Literature) were selected in the category of pure academic research and will each receive 1.7 billion KRW in funding over the next six years to carry out their projects.

From the left, Professor Donggyu Shin and Professor Kyusik Jung.

The Institute for Historical Humanities and Image Studies will embark on ‘Analysis, Translation, Annotation, and Image DB Construction of Pamphlets Related to Korea during the Japanese Colonial Period.’ Based on image materials, the institute aims to create a new humanities environment and pioneer a new field called ‘Humanities Image Studies.’

The Dong-A University Institute for Historical Humanities and Image Studies has accumulated research achievements by being selected for the National Research Foundation of Korea’s general joint research in 2016 and the Academy of Korean Studies’ foundation research project in 2017. In 2020, the institute also received the Minister of Education Award for the aforementioned DB construction project.

With this selection, the institute has achieved the highest number of DB construction research projects among humanities research institutions in the Busan region, with a cumulative project order amount reaching 2.6 billion KRW including indirect costs.

Professor Shin said, “This is a result of our accumulated research achievements being recognized, and more than anything, I am proud and delighted that we can increase the national and social contributions of academic research together with fellow researchers. The rare materials I have collected for over 30 years now have the opportunity to be used for establishing correct history, which gives me even more courage and passion. Beyond building a flawless DB, all participating researchers are renewing our commitment to ensure that historical materials in the form of pamphlets can be objectified as intangible historical facts.”

The Seokdang Academy Institute of Humanities will conduct a study on ‘The History and Ecological Cultural Change Patterns of Inter-species Communities.’ The goal of this project is to examine the ‘history’ of inter-species communities formed by humans and animals, and from a humanities perspective, to propose the ‘future’ of such communities where various life forms can coexist, in response to the global crisis of frequent climate disasters and outbreaks of various viruses.

This research is expected to provide clues to solving various problems arising from human-animal relationships, such as infectious diseases, conflicts caused by companion animals, culling and burial of livestock, and issues of wildlife restoration and extinction. It is also expected to foster experts related to human-animal relationships and create jobs in relevant fields.

Professor Jung said, “It is a mistake to understand history as belonging only to humans. Our history has grown together with beings other than humans, especially ‘animals.’ We live in the so-called ‘inter-species community’ history and continue to have various relationships with them. I will strive to ensure that the Dong-A University Seokdang Academy Institute of Humanities grows into a research hub representing the region and nation in the field of ‘human-animal’ relations.”

Previously, in 2019, the ‘Law Research Institute’ (Director: Professor Kim Yongui, School of Law) and the ‘Gender and Affect Research Institute’ (Director: Professor Kwon Myunga, Department of Korean Language and Literature) at Dong-A University were also selected for the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute Support Project and will carry out their projects until 2025.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.