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May 3, 2004

Korean Studies at Stanford boosted by $2 million gift from Korea's Pantech Group

By Lisa Trei

The Korean Studies Program at the Stanford Institute for International Studies (SIIS) has received a $2 million gift from two leading Korean cell phone manufacturers to expand research and teaching opportunities on campus.

Funding from the Pantech Group, which includes Pantech Co. Ltd. and Curitel Communications Inc., will establish the Stanford Korea Forum at the Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), a group that focuses on the study of contemporary Asia.

Under the leadership of sociology Associate Professor Gi-Wook Shin, a senior fellow at SIIS, the forum will convene an annual conference focusing on U.S.-Korean relations. Three fellowships also will be established: one for mid-career professionals in public service, journalism or business who will spend three to nine months at Stanford as Pantech Fellows; a second for Korean scholars invited to visit campus during the summer; and a third fellowship for Stanford graduate students interested in pursuing Korean studies. Furthermore, the gift will help sustain critical activities of the Korean Studies Program, such as public lectures and research.

During the last three years, Korean studies at Stanford has greatly expanded under Shin's leadership. The gift will "elevate Stanford's Korean Studies Program to the next level of excellence," Shin said, at a time when "the United States is entering a new era in its relations with both North and South Korea."

Byeong Yeop Park, founder and chairman of the Pantech Group, said he is pleased to support Stanford's commitment to Korean studies. "I recognize Stanford's contribution to promoting mutual understanding between Korea and the U.S. by bringing together prominent scholars, policymakers and business leaders of both countries," he said. "I'm so proud that the Pantech Group will be contributing to developing the next generation of leaders. I hope that our pledge will help attract to Stanford some of the brightest young minds of our two countries."

In 2003, the Pantech Group had total gross revenue of U.S. $1.7 billion, placing it in the top three mobile cell phone manufacturers in South Korea and the eighth largest in the global market.

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Contact

Victoria Tomkinson, Stanford Institute for International Studies: (650) 723-7453, vtomkinson@stanford.edu

Comment

Professor Gi-Wook Shin, Stanford Institute for International Studies: (650) 724-6402, gwshin@stanford.edu

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