The Korean Women's Institute (KWI) was founded on March 1, 1977 under the auspices of Ewha Womans University, as a professional research institute on women's issues, dealing with a future society increasingly oriented to gender-equality.
When Women's Studies was unknown in Korea in the 1970s, it sought to implement research and programs from a new feminist (women-centered) perspective and has also contributed to the improvement of women's status through research and educational programs.
In particular, KWI was instrumental in creating the first undergraduate Women's Studies course in September 1977, as well as, the first master's degree program in Women's Studies in March 1982, both at Ewha. Since then, KWI has played a leading role in academic exchanges among women's research institutes in Korea, including initiating the organization of Korean Association of Women's Studies (KAWS) in 1984, the first nation-wide academic society in Women's Studies.
As of December 1994, KWI adopted globalization and internationalizaton of Women's Studies as major goals in order to develop further into a world-class institute of the 21st century; to become a major contributor to the improvement of the status of women; and for promoting peace for humankind. Asian Center for Women's Studies (ACWS) was established in May 1995 under the umbrella of KWI to focus on Women's Studies in the Asian region.
In recent years, KWI has been conducting projects such as the establishment of DB for history of Korean women based on Primary Sources on Korean women (from ancient times to modern period) compiled by KWI since 1977; the publication of periodical, Yosung'hak-Non'jib (Women's Studies Review) ; the administration of Ewha Women's Studies web-site as well as various research projects on women's issues.
The major objectives of Korean Women's Institute are:
- Conducting research on Korean women
- Establishing infrastructure for implementing education and projects in Women's Studies
- Conducting various academic events such as special lecture, workshop, panel discussion including national and international conference so as to raise gender-sensitivity and to share and exchange knowledge and information
- Implementing scholar exchange programs with foreign women's institutions
- Administrating "Ewha Women's Studies" internet homepage in order to materialize the informationalization of knowledges in Women's Studies
- Publishing journal and monographs and books in Women's Studies to actualize the professionalization of publication in Womens Studies
- Globalizing (Internationalizing) Women's Studies and ultimately networking and extending women's intellectual community worldwide
As of 2008, Director of Korean Women's Institute is Prof. Jae Kyung
Lee(Women's Studies) and former Directors are Prof. KIM Yung-Chung
(History, 1977-83), Prof. CHUNG Sei-Wha (Eduction, 1983-89), Prof.
CHO Hyoung (Sociology, 1989-92), Prof. CHANG Pilwha (Women's Studies,
1992-93), Prof. LEE Bae-Yong (History, 1993-97), Prof. LEE Sang-Hwa
(Philosophy, 1997-99), Prof. CHANG Pilwha (Women's Studies, 1999-2001),
Prof. KIM Sun-Uk (Law, 2001-03), Prof. CHO Soon-Kyung (Women's Studies
2003-04), and Prof. OH Jung-Hwa (English Language & Literature 2005-2008).
Copyright(c)2006 All rights Reserved by Korean Women's Institute. webmaster : kwiewha@ewhawoman.or.kr
Daehyun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-750, Korea, Tel: 82-2-3277-3211, Fax: 82-2-312-3611
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