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| Paris Diderot University, also known as Paris 7, will launch a regular class on Korea's 1910-45 independence movement against Japanese colonization starting from the fall semester. / Screencaptured from the Internet |
By Hong Dam-young
A renowned French university will launch a regular class on Korea's 1910-45 independence movement against Japanese colonization, the Independence Hall of Korea (IHK) said Thursday.
The course will be introduced from the fall semester and be open to master's degree candidates majoring in Korean studies at Paris Diderot University, also known as Paris 7.
IHK representatives recently met Marie-Orange Rive-Lasan, a professor in the university's oriental literature department, during which the two sides agreed to include the class ― "History of Korean Independence Movement" ― in the university's regular curriculum. The class also will be open to members of the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), a research and higher-education institution in France.
"Paris 7 has expressed great interest in the Korean independence movement that shares ideologies and spirit with the French Revolution," Kim Do-hyung, a senior researcher at the IHK, told The Korea Times. "We decided to open the course after many French students also showed a deep interest in the exhibitions about the topic from the international symposium held in France last year to commemorate 130 years of Korean-French ties."
Since its launch in 1987, the IHK has promoted how Korea's independence movement against Japanese colonization contributed to world peace.
The course is a landmark achievement for the IHK, which wanted to launch the class at the prestigious French university to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year.
The IHK is working with the university on collecting and translating historical records necessary for the course. Early next month, the two will discuss exchanging signed agreements to open the course. Lecturers will be sent from Korea, according to Kim.
"There are more than 700 students taking Korean studies in France," Kim said. "And we intend to promote the course at other European colleges as well."
