Korean University to drastically shrink Hindi language curriculum almost near to its closure
People question the move which, they claim, could be a conspiracy or prejudice against the Hindi language as well as an attempt to damage ever-growing India-South Korean relations.
SEOUL: Utter resentment prevails among the Indian community as well as Korean students learning Hindi language as the Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS), South Korea contemplates to drastically reduce Hindi language courses almost near to its closure from new academic session starting next year.
Various social media platforms in Korea are abuzz with sharp reactions from the students and teachers community alike that have condemned the university’s decision to downsize Hindi language study in the name of restructuring its undergraduate curriculum by adding Indian studies into it. The hashtags like #SaveBUFSHindi #iccrofficial #indianembassyinkorea #KoreanEmbassyinIndia #KoreanSocietyforIndianStudies are doing rounds all over.
BUFS, where the Hindi language is being taught for 37 years, is one of the two universities in Korea where the Hindi language is offered as a course. Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul is another university where the Hindi language is taught in South Korea.
Reportedly, at BUFS, Hindi is being replaced with the English language on the pretext that the English language is used more widely than Hindi in India.
What is even more shocking is the fact that the BUFS is taking this ridiculous decision despite 84.3 percent of the students voted in favour of continuing Hindi as a course from the next session in a survey conducted by the university recently.
If that was not enough, this is happening in the same year when the Indian Government announced Korea as the second foreign in National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The teaching faculty comprising of professors of Indian and Korean origin of the Indian Language and Culture Studies, Department of Indian Studies, BUFS has urged the university management to revisit its decision.
What is the issue?
Presently about 70% of the subjects in the curriculum of the Department of India are of Hindi language teaching and 30% are related to Indian culture, society, politics, religion, economy, etc. which is a standard ratio for a language major. Students willing to learn the Hindi language from different parts of Korea come to enroll in this university.
“From 2021, the university is going to change the syllabus of this department and in the new syllabus, it has been proposed to reduce the subjects of Hindi language teaching to only 10-15 percent. Instead, English is being included in the curriculum as an Indian language,” stated Son Yeon Woo, Srijan Kumar, and Vijay Kumar Yadav, all Assistant Professors, BUFS in their jointly signed letter written to the Korean authorities.
Related article: Korean Language added as foreign language in National Education Policy 2020; Mandarin dropped
In an earnest appeal made to BUFS Authorities for Restoring Hindi Course, D.A.P. Sharma, the former Hindi Professor, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) said in his social media post, “The India-Korea Cultural Community is aggrieved to know that Hindi Course in the Department of Indian Studies (BUFS) has been planned to reduce almost near to its closure which seems to be biased, motived, and based on considerations other than the academic.”
He is currently Associate Professor of Hindi at Delhi College of Arts & Commerce, University of Delhi, India.
“It would be pertinent to know that under what compelling circumstances the BUFS authorities have arrived at this decision when 84.3% of students of the Department of Indian Studies who participated in the survey are in favor of keeping Hindi courses up to no less than 50% under the new curriculum. Further, BUFS has not divulged what significant objective it is going to achieve out of this decision,” he added.
Many Korean students studying the Hindi language in Korea and India have posted videos in the Hindi language on social media platforms and micro-blogging sites urging the BUFS authorities to revisit their decision and restore the status quo of the Hindi curriculum. Some of them have also turned to the Indian government as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention into the matter.
Indian Embassy keeping a close eye on the development:
The authorities at the Indian Embassy in Seoul are reportedly in constant touch with the BUFS as well as the concerned Indian and Korean community in Korea. The embassy officials have also accessed the newly structured syllabus of the university and have taken up the issue with the university authorities.
“Even though, it is an internal matter of the BUFS which is a private university. But we have shared our concern with the university authorities and apprised them of the possible fallouts of the decision of reducing Hindi language studies. We are also seriously concerned about the matter as it has come up at a time when the Indian government is trying to promote the Korean language in India by including this into the National Education Policy 2020. We hope that the university would be considerate about our concern, and reverse its decision of reduction of Hindi language course in its curriculum,” Dr. Sonu Trivedi, Director of Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre told Asian Community News (ACN) Network from Seoul.
The newly structured proposed BUFS curriculum shows that the subjects on Indian studies such as Indian economics, business management, etc are being introduced in the English language and the number of courses on Hindi languages gets reduced.
The move is in contravention of the efforts of Hakuk University of Foreign Studies that included the Hindi languages in the list of critical foreign languages at its Centre for Foreign Critical Languages.
The university, however, has informed the Indian embassy that it has not taken a final decision on the matter as yet.
At a time when the two countries are trying to understand each other, it is a foolish decision.
On the one hand, it may be the management judgment of the university side due to the effect of the phenomenon that the number of students is decreasing compared to the university quota due to the low birth rate in Korea.
Nevertheless, we must see the future. Solidarity between countries is of paramount importance.
Even though this comes across as a rude act when indo-korean relations are developing, it is true that english is the major language medium used here.Even we Indians, atleast most of us, have never studied any other course in hindi medium apart from learning it as our second or third language.So the university stance is understandable as far as courses in hindi medium are concerned.
Im sorry to say but you need to know about India. If you are 5 years old kid than its fine..if not than you first study about india….more than 40% of Indian population speak Hindi and in north india most of the school’s medium of instruction is Hindi……..right now go and ask to google about it…. good luck ……
57 percent of India’s population speaks Hindi and Hindi is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world. I am not sure whom you referring to as most of us. Will you understand Korean culture by learning about it in English? a simple answer is no. Please understand it is not the language they are teaching, it’s about Indian culture. Meanwhile, the Indian government announced Korean as an official language to be taught in schools this is what India get in return, respect is mutual I promote your culture you promote mine.
Dear Lakshmi according to the 2011 census 44% Indians speak Hindi as their mother tongue and they get education in Hindi medium. Also India’s first official language is Hindi and almost 70% of Indian population can communicate in Hindi. Outside of India it represents India. Not only Korea many other countries also teach Hindi as an Indian language. For a foreigner, to reach out 60~70% of Indian masses Hindi is the most appropriate Indian language compare to other Indian languages.
There is no harm in learning an extra language and that too Hindi as Indo-Korean reactions are improving on daily basis both culturally as well as economically. Although Hindi is not the official language in India but spoken in majority of the country specially Central and North India where Korean companies like Samsung have large presence. So A for native Koreans working without knowing local language is pretty hard and learning Hindi back in India is not an option. So courses like those going in Korean universities should not be terminated at any cost.
I don’t what’s the problem in this, The Indian government is doing this to almost all the regional languages. They even removed the regional languages from ATM, which automatically restricted aged people (mostly farmers) on using it as they don’t know both HINDI AND ENGLISH. If Hindi is the main language for you people, then English is important for them.
Hindi does not represent India. India is a multilingual country. Hindi is the remnant of Muslim rule. There are much older languages in India which represent true Indian civilization.
well said bro, well said
I literally clapped my hands after reading your comment
Our head professor should realize his stupid mistake and take it back. And give us the rights to learn Hindi.