Saturday humanities classes offer insights on various subjects

Nine renowned university professors are holding Saturday lectures on various subjects in the hope of boosting public interest in the humanities, according to program organizers.

The program, “Lectures by Eminent Scholars in the Humanities,” offers free Saturday lectures on a first-come, first-serve basis. It is organized by National Research Foundation of Korea, with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Hanyang University professor emeritus Choi Mun-hyeong kicked off the class last month. Choi gave five lectures on how a nationalistic approach to Korea’s modern history can lead to undesirable consequences, while delving into a number of historical events, such as the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and the death of Empress Myeongseong.

In April, professor Kang Shin-pyo from Inje University will lecture on Korea’s traditional culture and customs, and how they continue to be embedded in contemporary Korean society. Former Yonsei University professor Lee Kang-soo will talk about Taoism and how we can interpret its teachings in the present day in June. Other lecture subjects include Korean art history, science and technology.

Jung Yoen-kyo, who serves as the dean of Humanitas College at Kyung Hee University, and the director of the program, said the purpose of the series is to show the “essence of the humanities” to the public.

“The participating professors have been doing life-time research on their areas of expertise,” he said. “The subjects may not be very easy for many to understand, but the point is to share the scholars’ long-term research achievement with the public.”

The classes take place at the Seoul Museum of History every Saturday at 3 p.m. For more information about the lectures and the full schedule, visit http://hlectures.nrf.re.kr, or call (02) 739-1223.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)