Korean Studies

The tiger is the national symbol of the Republic of Korea because the peninsula's shape is rendered in the image of a lying tiger. Korea is also referred to as an ‘Asian tiger’, which characterizes its economic growth.

 Despite the fact that, in terms of territory, the Republic of Korea is significantly smaller compared to other countries in the Far East, South Korea is a leading economy of the region. The country’s remarkable leap from poverty and devastation to prosperity and economic advancement took 50 years and it was the product of the hard work and perseverance of the Korean people. As a result of this rapid growth, the Republic of Korea has been transformed into a major player on the world stage.

The intensive development and growth of South Korea has a major impact, not only on its political and economic spheres, but also on its educational system and culture. The phenomenon of the ‘Korean Wave’ has affected not only contemporary Korean culture, but has had a global effect. There's hardly anyone who is not familiar with such Korean brands as Samsung, LG, Hyundai or Kia, and almost everyone has tried Korean cuisine and has watched Korean films or TV shows.

The political and economic strategy of the Republic of Korea aimed at expanding external relations requires more specialists in Korean studies from those countries, which are actively developing ties with South Korea. Also, in terms of economic relations, educational and cultural exchange, Russia is a strategic partner of South Korea, and vice versa. Therefore, demand for highly-qualified Russian specialists with in-depth professional knowledge of the region and who are fluent in the Korean language is constantly increasing. There also is a steady demand for experts who are able to analyze the situation on the Korean peninsula and can help to build bilateral and multilateral relations between Russia, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Those student majoring in Korean studies as part of the ‘Economics and Politics in Asia’ programme have a unique opportunity to study the economic and political systems of the countries on the Korean peninsula, their historical and cultural heritage, as well as a chance to be become fluent in Korean. The programme is unique in that its graduates will be capable of exploring the country from the inside by studying at South Korea’s leading university.

All language courses are taught by highly qualified, experienced teachers and native speakers. In particular, a specially developed method for learning Korean allows graduates not only to pass Levels 5 or 6 of Korean language proficiency test (TOPIK), but also cultivate the ability to conduct consecutive and simultaneous interpretation and read specialized literature in Korean.