Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) is a private university in Korea, which focuses on foreign languages, global affairs, and international studies. It was established in 1954, and gradually became known as a university specialized in in-depth foreign language learning. The university offers over 45 language programs, such as English, Chinese, Spanish, but also less commonly taught languages in East Asia, like Romanian, Polish, Ukrainian, etc.

    The Romanian language department of the university was established in 1987, being among the first Romanian departments in East Asia. To create experts in the Romanian language, the professors teach courses in language, linguistics, culture, literature, folklore, mythology, etc.

    Cristina Preutu, associate romanian professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, in a October 10 interview discussed her teaching and life journey in Korea. The following are excerpts from the interview. 

  Please introduce yourself. 

     My name is dr. Cristina Preutu and from March 2024 I am associate professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Department of Romanian Studies. I am historian and until I came to HUFS I was associate professor at „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Romania. I obtained my PhD thesis in 2013, with the topic The Communist Propaganda in Romania (1965-1974). Institutional Practices and Communication Techniques, so there my main area of research is the history of communism, mainly focusing on Romanian communism, but I also have research papers about the foreign policy of Romania in XXth century, cultural diplomacy and political communication in the Cold War. 

  What led you to choose Korea as a destination for teaching Romanian? 

     There were several reasons that led to this decision. A few years ago, I started watching Korean historical films, which provoked me not only to want to know more about Korean history, culture and language. So, I started to learn more in this direction. As a professor of the Faculty of History in Iasi, I had the chance in November 2022 to come with an Erasmus scholarship to teach at the Romanian Language Department within HUFS. I was already very curious about the Korean realities, and the existence of young people who make an effort to learn about Romania from miles away, made me even more ambitious to keep in touch with the Department. Then I had the chance to meet in this Department professors very dedicated to their mission to teach about Romania, so our professional connection just flown naturally. Later after that first visit, I received the invitation to teach the language, culture and history of the Romanians within the Department.

     On the other hand, as a historian I was already aware of the history of the Korean peninsula and how history left its mark on the current situation, so I started to do some research in this direction too. Therefore, the opportunity to teach at a prestigious University in Korea, in the Department of the Romanian language, made me happy and I said to myself that it is not an opportunity to miss.

  How is the Korean university system?

     There are some differences compared with European or Romanian system, and I could feel this especially in the part of infrastructure and technical support, but also in the part of student evaluation. Korea is a country where technology has a fast pace of development, and the elements used in the university infrastructure (teaching system, lesson preparation), are really useful, and save a lot of time. The part with which I am still not comfortable yet is the evaluation, because in Romania professor has the right to absolute evaluation, which gives a greater autonomy. But here the grade runs upon a letter-type grade similar to American schools and there are very strict percentages in awarding grades in a class.

  How is the interaction with the Korean students? 

     Korean students study a lot and are very diligent. It's a terrible struggle to get a high grade and you can see how hard they work for each project. They have all kinds of curiosities about Romania and about what they could do in the future and many of them want to come to Romania at least once, as students, to feel and know more about the country that they are learning about. Maybe some of them will have jobs related to the direct relationship between Romania and Korea, so I encourage them to deepen their knowledge at least through a visit to Romania.

    Students are also very active in extracurricular activities, participating in various events that bring them into contact with new ideas and people. Sometimes, I also organize free conversation meetings and we have discussions about daily life in Romania or we practice dialogue in Romanian language. Some of them, already went in Romania for summer schools and they are always happy to speak about their experience and have various other questions. Everyone connects emotionally with Romania very quickly, as happened to me when I came to Korea first time, which means that Romanians and Koreans have many attractive culture elements and a quite similar emotional foundation as society.

  Romanian is not a familiar language in Korea. How do Korean students get into it?

     At HUFS, the offer of foreign languages ​​is very varied, and the Romanian language has been taught since 1987. There have always been students curious to learn the Romanian language, and they already had some previous information about Romania. In recent years, they are even more interested in Eastern Europe and in Romania, in the language, but also in the economic and political dynamics of the area. They know that Romania is developed a lot in recent years and that we are an important country in the Eastern Europe, so, they consider that Romania can offer to them a special learning and life experience.

  How is Romania promoted through the university's Romanian language department? 

    First of all, all the classes are related with Romanian’s language, history and politics. In last years the University adopted also the area studies programs, which means that students do not only focus on language and civilization, but also on other disciplines too. For example, I also teach about the Romania and EU and about Romanian politics and Economics. From all classes, students can learn about Romania's recent developments, in relation to other countries in Eastern Europe.

   Secondly, students regularly have different festivals, competitions and activities to promote the languages ​​and civilizations they are learning about. Most of them are organized in campus, but some of them also gather external audiences. The professors in the department are also involved in most of the activities. For example, in last semester, there was a festival named Cheongwolje (청월제), where students from Romanian department organised games and was a opportunity to meet with students from other departments. In this way, they can tell each other about what they are studying or about their experiences in Romania.

  Which is your favourite spot in Korea and why? 

     In the short time I've had here so far, I've visited several locations in Seoul, but also other cities in Korea. Until now, as a city, I really prefer Busan, a city open to the sea and a holiday atmosphere, a very modern city as infrastructure and activities, but with many historical locations which gathers many tourists. Also, being passionate about film too, I also appreciate the organization of the International Film Festival in Busan, which is becoming more and more popular internationally.

    From Seoul, I really like Deoksugung Palace, built in the Joseon Dynasty. It is not the main palace, but it is a palace located in the center of Seoul, in which there are some western cultural elements, such as the garden and the artesian fountain, and in combination with the Korean cultural elements, it gives me, personally, a feeling of comfort.

  There are any places or food which reminds you of Romania? 

     There are some elements here, in campus, that remind me about Romania every day. The professors and alumni students of the department contributed to the creation of replicas of Constantin Brancusi's works: the Table of Silence and the Column of Infinity. This shows their appreciation for the language and the country they learned about.

     Then, Korea is a country with a lot of forests and a lot of green. There are also many areas set up for walking and exploring, so nature reminds me a lot of our Carpathian area.

    Regarding the food, surprisingly, there are many dishes that are similar to Romanian cuisine, but also many different ones too. Personally I appreciate soups, so beef soup, like galbitang (갈비탕) is quite similar to Romanian beef soup. Also, in Romania we eat a lot of meat, so pork barbecue, such as dwaeji galbi (돼지갈비) or samgyeopsal (삼겹살) are very suitable for my taste.

  Any recommendation for those who wants to pursue a career in Korea? 

     At least for the university career, Korea is a very welcoming and open country. For a European it would be not only a professional experience, but also a life experience, because the different cultural environment can be challenging and fascinating, which enriches you a lot mentally and spiritually.

    Maybe the physical distance between Korea and Europe and the existence of a different culture seems like a first major challenge. But once you get here, you realize that Korea is a welcoming country with foreigners, with elements of Western civilization too, which offers some emotional comfort. Also the lifestyle, the modernity of space and people, combined with traditional cultural elements are an absolute win.