George Mason University Korea announced on the 23rd that it has opened a "Center for Korean Culture and Society" to establish a world-class K-culture and content research hub centered on Incheon.
The center will be run independently by George Mason University Korea and plans to carry out domestic and international academic conferences and research projects in the media content industry as well as K-pop, gaming, sports, and tourism. It also plans to develop research and educational activities such as supporting the training of cultural industry experts, promoting academia-industry cooperation with domestic and international cultural industries, and operating Korean-language and Korean culture training programs for overseas students.
In particular, it will work to cultivate professionals and create jobs in connection with Incheon City's policy to promote the K-content industry. The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority is pursuing the K-Con LAND project based on the international airport and advanced urban infrastructure.
At the center's opening ceremony held at Incheon Global Campus on Oct. 22, Yoo Jeong-bok, the Incheon mayor, delivered a congratulatory video message, and Yun Won-seok, the head of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, sent a congratulatory remarks. Attendees included Ji Yong-taek, chairperson of the Saeul Foundation of Culture, Lee Gi-nam, chairperson of the Hunminjeongeum Globalization Foundation, Park Byeong-geun, CEO of the Incheon Global Campus, Kang Go-eun, president of the American-Korean Business Friendship Forum (AKBFF), Park Chang-sik, president of the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), Moon Dae-sung, chairperson of the World Olympics Taekwondo Federation, Han Sang-jeong, head of the University of Incheon K-culture Center and dean of the Lifelong Education Institute, and Kim Jun-beom, EBS Director General, among many heads of culture and education-related institutions. The city of Incheon and the Incheon Damoa Lifelong Education Network sponsored the opening ceremony.
Lee Gyu-tag, a professor of international studies at George Mason University Korea and a K-pop and popular music expert, was appointed the first center director. "The 'Center for Korean Culture and Society' will be a place not only for the creation and spread of K-content, but also for people of various nationalities, races, and cultural backgrounds visiting the Korea campus from Korea and the United States to interact and learn from one another," Lee said. "We will expand undergraduate research participation and train practice-oriented talent in content planning, media operations, and cultural industry management to meet industry demand, while contributing to public diplomacy and strengthening the industrial competitiveness of the Incheon region."
Joshua K. Park, the Campus Dean George Mason University Korea, emphasized, "George Mason University will leverage its locational advantage as the optimal place for K-culture education and specialized research for foreigners, its global network, and the excellent infrastructure of its Korea and U.S. campuses to build a K-culture platform that can communicate and cooperate with the world, and to fulfill its role as a trusted global education bridgehead."
George Mason University Korea is an extension campus of George Mason University, the largest public research university in Virginia. The U.S. campus is located in a key area of the East Coast near Washington, D.C., with active connections to the White House, government agencies, global conglomerates, and leading tech firms.
In this year's Wall Street Journal college rankings, it ranked 30th among U.S. public universities and 76th overall. The Korea campus offers the same curriculum and degrees as the U.S. campus, and students can study for one year at the U.S. campus to gain global experience.