International Conference on Island Humanities Poster (Photo by Mokpo National University)
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] The Institute of Island and Maritime Culture at Mokpo National University (Director Hong Seok-jun) announced on the 21st that it will hold an international academic conference titled "Islands: Wind of Crisis, Wave of Change" on the 23rd and 24th at the 2nd-floor auditorium of Mokpo Campus (Yonghae-dong), Mokpo National University.
This academic conference centers on the main theme "Islands: Wind of Crisis, Wave of Change," focusing on islands as the primary subject. It will comprehensively analyze the winds that have brought about the crisis of islands and the waves driving their changes, concentrating on the fluctuations and sustainability of island humanities geography within the relationships and domains of islands, seas, marine areas, coasts, and inland regions.
The conference will be divided into four parts. First, in the keynote speeches, Director Hong Seok-jun of the Institute of Island and Maritime Culture at Mokpo National University will present a new direction for island studies under the theme "Islands: Wind of Crisis, Wave of Change," and Professor Emeritus Jeon Gyeong-su of Seoul National University's Department of Anthropology will introduce the concept of "oceopolitics" (marine studies and geopolitics).
The two-day international academic conference will begin with Part 1, "Island in Flux," inviting renowned island researchers from around the world to present and discuss their work.
Part 2 will proceed under the theme "Islands, Waves of Change, and Humanistic Reflection," followed by Part 3, "Crisis and Uncertainty in the Island World," and Part 4, "Changing Sea Routes and Islands on the Border," where distinguished domestic and international researchers will each present and engage in active discussions.
Since September last year, the Institute of Island and Maritime Culture at Mokpo National University has been conducting the Humanities Korea Plus (HK+) project funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea, with the agenda "Island Humanities, Fluctuations and Sustainability of Humanities Geography."
The Institute, which has led island research in Korea, has newly initiated a mid- to long-term study to diagnose the rapid changes of islands and focus on their sustainability.
Key waves of change in islands include changes in island identity due to land-bridge islands, expansion of marine farming, climate change, population decline, disintegration of archipelagos, maritime disputes, and reorganization of marine areas. To explore the resulting fluctuations and sustainability of humanities geography, the first "Island Humanities" academic conference is being held.
Since its establishment in 1983 by researchers who love the archipelago, the Institute of Island and Maritime Culture at Mokpo National University has led research on domestic and international islands and maritime culture, practicing interdisciplinary research across various academic fields.
It publishes the specialized academic journal "島嶼文化" and the international journal "Journal of Marine and Island Cultures," operates the nation's first graduate program in Island and Maritime Culture Studies, and publishes academic series, data series, general reading collections, and a series on island living tools.
The institute hosts various domestic and international academic conferences and conducts social outreach programs such as the "Visiting Island Forum" and the "Mokpo Humanities City Project" to expand the social impact of scholarship.
From 2009, it carried out the Humanities Korea (HK) project funded by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea for ten years, and since 2020, it has been conducting the Humanities Korea Plus (HK+) project for seven years.
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