Southampton PhD student visits Korea
Daniel O’Brien, who has just passed his PhD viva, reports on his recent trip to Seoul as part of Film’s on-going collaboration with Dongguk University:
“In late June, 2012, I travelled to South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea) to teach for two weeks at the International Summer School held at Dongguk University, in the capital city of Seoul. My participation was part of an ongoing process of building links between Southampton and Dongguk, with a view to long-term collaboration and exchange. The course was entitled Comparative Studies on World Cinema and I taught the sections on European film to a class of Korean and Chinese students. I aimed to provide an introduction to key aspects of European cinema history, culture and theory, accompanied by screenings of representative films.
The experience proved highly enjoyable and presented me with the challenge of teaching a class with English as a second language, which entailed making my lectures as clear and unambiguous as possible, without assuming familiarity with European culture. The trip also gave me the opportunity to work alongside fellow Southampton Film PhD student Aramchan Lee, who lives near Seoul and teaches at Dongguk. The staff at Dongguk’s International Relations office, led by Deputy Director Mr. Sang Yoo Kim, were unfailingly courteous and helpful, and I had the chance to experience the wider Korean culture and hospitality, not to mention the exceptional cuisine.”
Daniel O’Brien