> Bringing “K-culture spirit” into the Korean language to propel “Second Middle East Boom”
> MOU sealed between KSIF and DGR in Sharjah, UAE

From May 23 to 25, the King Sejong Institute Foundation hosted the2023 Middle East and Africa King Sejong Institute Workshop at the House of Wisdom, situated in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

The workshop witnessed the participation of representatives from 20 Sejong Institutes across 17 countries within the Middle East and Africa, along with more than 180 local educators in the Korean language. The central theme, "Forging the Future of the Middle East and Africa through Korean," led to the sharing of successful strategies for disseminating Korean language via KSI, and laid the Foundation for a collaborative approach to Korean language education in these regions.

In the course of this workshop, the Foundation imparted knowledge on the features and applications of the revised edition of Sejong Korean, a core textbook utilized worldwide by KSI, aiming to fast-track its distribution and usage. The book had undergone a complete overhaul in September of the preceding year, a full nine years after its first publication in 2013. The workshop also included a session on Metaverse King Sejong Institute, which has been officially in operation since February this year. This special session introduced a range of novel methods for Korean language instruction, leveraging the latest developments in information and communication technologies.

An educator from KSI Ajman, UAE, who attended the workshop, remarked, “I've always been curious about how to integrate the new educational approach of Metaverse King Sejong Institute into my teaching. The training on its usage was enlightening and has inspired me to design more engaging and effective lessons on the Korean language and culture.”

The workshop also benefitted from the support of Korean corporate entities. A notable Korean company, Jayeonin Inc. (CEO Jinmin Lee), acclaimed for its cosmetics brand ISOI, made contributions for the foundation's events, including this workshop, in a bid to promote the Korean language and culture globally. The cosmetics gifted by the company as mementos were warmly received by the local attendees, whose interest in K-beauty has grown in the wake of the Korean Wave.

A significant milestone achieved during this workshop was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Foundation and the Department of Government Relations in Sharjah. Subsequently, in June, officials from the Department will embark on a visit to Korea to further refine the content for mutual cooperation through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). It is anticipated that this MOU and MOA will lead to the creation of a new Sejong Institute in Sharjah and the propagation of the Korean language and culture in the UAE.

Lee Hai-young, President of KSIF, stated, "This workshop, prepared with secure and informative content for all attendees, aims to bolster the instructional abilities of Korean language educators in the Middle East and Africa and to perpetuate the spread of the Korean language in these regions. The business agreement between the Foundation and the Department of Government Relations in Sharjah will see us pushing for collaboration in various facets of the Korean language and culture between Korea and the UAE. We hope that the local KSI will play a pivotal role in fostering the “Second Middle East boom.”

KSIF President Lee Hai-young inaugurates the 2023 Middle East and Africa King Sejong Institute Workshop with his opening address.

A group photograph featuring President Lee alongside workshop participants, with the House of Wisdom in Sharjah as the backdrop on the inaugural day of the 2023 Middle East and Africa King Sejong Institute Workshop