KSIF signs a business agreement with the Asian Studies Department at Vanderbilt University in the USA

- First business agreement on the implementation of the Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA) with an overseas university
- To be used to measure comprehensive Korean language skills of students majoring in Korean (language) studies in the Asian Studies Department

On September 20, KSIF signed a written business agreement with the Asian Studies Department (Department Chairperson: Gerald Figal) at Vanderbilt University, a prestigious university in the United States, to conduct the Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA).

Main contents of the agreement include discovery and support of cooperation projects for the dissemination of Korean language and culture such as: ▲ Support for utilization and implementation of the Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA); ▲ Joint establishment of human and material network between the two institutions and vitalization of exchanges; ▲ and mid- to long-term operation of overseas KSI locations.

Vanderbilt University is a private university located in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, which has maintained its reputation among the top universities in the states. Through this agreement with KSIF, Vanderbilt University will implement the Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA) targeting Asian Studies students in April 2024.

The Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA) is a Korean proficiency assessment of KSIF. Persons who are learning Korean language as a second or a foreign language will be tested for their Korean communication skills across four domains: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

KSIF will provide support in all aspects regarding the test — such as providing evaluation questions, grading, issuing results, etc. — for it to be conducted at Vanderbilt University. The results will be used for future research to improve the Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA) system in the future.

Lee Hai-young, President of KSIF, explains, “Through this business agreement, students of the Asian Studies Department at Vanderbilt University in the USA will be able to measure their Korean skills through the Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA). KSIF will continue striving to further disseminate Korean language and culture in the United States through various collaboration projects with Vanderbilt University.”

Gerald Figal, Chair of Asian Studies at Vanderbilt University, commented, “I am very happy that Vanderbilt University will be able to raise the quality of Korean language education to the next level through cooperation with KSIF. Through this agreement, we will be able to develop our mission to equip learners with the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to understand Korean heritage and actively participate in the dynamic modern society of Korea.”