Prof Ravikesh of JNU Receives Prestigious Citation Award from Dy-PM, Minister of Edn, South Korea
NEW DELHI: Prof. Ravikesh, Centre for Korean Studies, School of Language, Literature & Culture Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been awarded the prestigious Citation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister of the Republic of Korea in recognition of his achievement and contribution to the successful execution of research activities and promotion of academic excellence in the field of Korean Studies in India.
Prof. Ravikesh has been one of the pioneers of the Korean language program at JNU. He studied Korean as the first batch when B.A. (Hons.) was introduced for the first time in India at JNU in 1995 which was subsequently elevated to M.A. in 1998.
Apart from vast teaching and research experience (nearly two decades) in the area of the Korean language, literature, and culture experience, he has also been entrusted with many academic and administrative positions. He is currently the Chairperson of Centre for Korean Studies, School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He is also the Chairperson of the “Special Centre for E-Learning” and “Alumni Affairs Office” at JNU. His area of interest and study include Korean language teaching, modern Korean literature, aesthetics, literary translation, and E-Learning.
He has published a number of research papers and books in English and Korean. Some of his selected publications include: “India and Korea: Perspectives on Language, Literature and Culture” (ed.) supported by the Korea Foundation (2008), “A textbook on Korean Culture (Raju in Korea)” (co-authored) published in 2008, “Korea: Ek Parichay (trans. & ed.) supported by The Ministry of Cultural and Tourism, the Republic of Korea in 2013, “Modern Korean Literature for Foreigners” (Korean) (co-authored) in 2014 and “Towards Asian Poetics (Inter-Cultural Space of India, Korea, China and Japan) (co-authored)” in 2016, “Korean Studies in Indian & South Asia” Vol-III in 2016 and “Dimensions of India-Korea Relations” in 2019.
He has undertaken 2 major research project namely AKS Korean Studies Incubation Project titled “Towards an Asian Poetics: A Study in Inter-Cultural Space with Special Reference to the Works of Han Yong-un and Rabindranath Tagore” (2010-2013) and AKS Core University project titled “Emerging Korea and Korean Studies in India and South Asia: Comparative and Inter-disciplinary Approaches” (2016 to present).
This comprehensive five-year project aims to critically examine cultural, social, historical, and literary aspects of Korean society in modern times. This project consists of 6 Core faculty members along with 19 participating members from several different academic departments/schools representing social sciences, humanities, and other disciplines from within India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar.
The project was undertaken to promote awareness and knowledge about Korea amongst those involved in Korean Studies as well as students, instructors, and researchers from other disciplines who may desire to complement courses that already exist thereby making it interdisciplinary. Demand for Korean Studies in India is growing at a phenomenal rate but there is a need for experts as well as nativized material on Korean Studies for generating interest as well as bridging the gap between demand and supply.
Under this inter-disciplinary and inter-cultural project (headed by Prof. Ravikesh), every year 2 international symposiums, 2 Young Scholars’ Seminars are organized since 2016 and the papers have been published in an edited volume (4 volumes per year). Among several other activities, there is a fellowship program for graduate students, a new nativized Korean Studies textbook series (in History, Culture & Literature) along e-content development and other strategic plans which are being implemented for networking and publication. Through such activities, the Centre for Korean Studies at JNU has emerged as the Hub of Korean Studies in India and has been placed as a major Centre of academic excellence in the South Asian region.
Upon receiving the Award, Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, the Vice-Chancellor of JNU congratulated Prof. Ravikesh for his achievements and hoped that the Academic, as well as the cultural relationship between the two countries, will witness new heights and JNU, as a hub of Korean Studies, will further excel in disseminating quality education in the field of Korean Studies in India.
Among many eminent personalities which includes Mr. Kim Kyung Seok, President of K-Speech Association (which organizes well known World K-Speech Contest every year), Seoul, who congratulated Prof. Ravikesh and said “As the relation between India and Korea is attaining new heights on the emerging Socio-Economic and political scenario, the recognition in the form of prestigious Citation Award by the Government of the Republic of Korea to Prof. Ravikesh is a welcome step which is bound to further enhance the greater mutual understanding and open up new avenues of cooperation in future.
