Background

The event is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Korea. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic made us change our perspective on the way we conduct our day-to-day communications and on the way we align our priorities and cooperation with our like-minded partners.

For the past 30 years, Bulgaria and Korea have developed a valuable future-oriented partnership and established an excellent political dialogue based on shared values and mutual trust. The active political contacts and reciprocated desire to increase trade and economic relations as well as the cooperation in other spheres such as people-to-people contacts in education and science, culture, youth and sports, have only been enhanced in recent years. A number of high-level visits were realized both ways, the last one by the Bulgarian Prime Minister to Seoul in September 2019. Hopefully soon we can in turn welcome to Sofia President Moon Jae-In and have the next meeting between the two Foreign Ministers take place at a mutually convenient time.

For fifteen years the Bulgarian Studies major at the Department of Greek and Bulgarian Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies has educated specialists in the area of Bulgarian studies striving to implement the most recent achievements in language and regional studies education. In 2019, the Center for Bulgarian Studies, HUFS was established with the purpose of conducting research in the area of Bulgarian studies, organizing events and providing courses on Bulgarian language and society to the general public in Korea. Both the Bulgarian Studies major and the Center for Bulgarian Studies have benefited greatly from the cooperation with institutions in Bulgaria and the EU in improving the curriculum and providing opportunities for student exchange and professional realization for graduates.

Objective

Through the event and building upon continued beneficial collaboration in fields of mutual interest, representatives from Bulgaria and Korea are invited to share best practices and explore new ways of furthering their cooperation with a specific focus on areas such as public diplomacy in times of the pandemic, economic recovery, partnerships for empowering young people from both countries through more exchange in the education and people-to-people contacts.

Participants

Representatives from the respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Education and Science, Diplomatic Institutes and Academies, other experts from relevant fields.

Conference details

Panel 1: 19 January 10:00 – 11:30 Sofia time /17:00 – 18:30 Seoul time

Panel 2: 19 January 11:30 – 13:00 Sofia time /18:30 – 20:00 Seoul time

Opening remarks

Tanya Mihaylova, Director of the Diplomatic Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria

Georg Georgiev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria

Kim Joon Hyung, Chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea

Petko Draganov, Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Korea 

Jeong Jin-kyu, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Bulgaria

Panel 1 Cooperation for overcoming the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

Session 1  - Public diplomacy in times of a pandemic

Speakers:

Christo Polendakov, Director General of the Bilateral Relations General Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria

Lee Geun, President of the Korea Foundation

Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, Director of the State Institute for Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria

Moderator: Tanya Mihailova, Director of the Diplomatic Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria

Q&A discussion

Discussion points:

- How did the pandemic change the public diplomacy objectives?

- What were/are the challenges in conducting foreign policy initiatives and public diplomacy in times of a pandemic?

- Lessons learned and best practices.

Session 2 - Partners for a post-pandemic economic recovery

Speakers:

Stamen Yanev, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Bulgaria

Cho Hong Sik, Ambassador for Environment, with the Government of the Republic of Korea

Mariana Trifonova, Program Director & Senior Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute (Bulgaria)

Moderator: Mariana Trifonova, Program Director & Senior Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute (Bulgaria)

Q&A discussion

Discussion points:

- European Green Deal and Bulgaria’s objectives?

- Korean Green New Deal and Korea’s objectives?

- Possible projects, fields of cooperation for overcoming the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Panel 2 Cooperation in the field of education: Korean and Bulgarian studies

Speakers:

Angel Apostolov, International Cooperation Directorate, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria

Lee, Jong Jik, Educational Supervisor, Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea

Anisava Miltenova, Ph.D., Prof., Council for Bulgarian Studies Abroad, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; “Bulgarian Studies in the 21st Century”

Markus Wien, Ph.D., Prof., President of the Bulgarian Studies Association, American University in Bulgaria

Lee, Hayann, Ph.D., Researcher, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; “History of the Bulgarian Studies at HUFS in a Nutshell”

Spas Rangelov, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof., Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; “Bulgarian Studies at HUFS: Syllabus and Curriculum”

Lyudmila Atanasova, Assist. Prof., Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; “Bulgarian Studies at HUFS: International Cooperation”

Chae, Yoo Jung, Ph.D., Assist. Prof., Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; “Bulgarian Studies 2.0 in Korea: The New Stage for Future Dynamic Developments”

Mira Markova, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof., Faculty of History, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski“

Irina Sotirova, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof., Department of Korean Studies, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski“; “Образование и кариерно развитие – корейският език като основен или помощен инструмент в професионалния път”

Makoto Kimura, Ph.D., Prof., Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Nedelina Georgieva, Prof., Hebei Foreign Studies University

Ivo Vladimirov, Prof., Kobe City University of Foreign Studies

Moderator: Lyudmila Atanasova

Q&A discussion

Discussion points:

- Bulgarian Studies in Korea: current situation and perspectives for future development; curriculum, career opportunities for Bulgarian Studies graduates.

- Further opportunities for cooperation between the Bulgarian Studies major, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”: student exchange, double degree programmes, establishing permanent channels of communication for students from both universities, academic exchange, joint research projects, etc.

- Cooperation opportunities among Bulgarian Studies departments around the world: sharing best practices in making Bulgarian Studies attractive to young people, curriculum design, professional realization, academic exchange, joint research projects, student exchange, etc.