The 6th Kim Okgill Memorial Lecture, "New Paradigm in Globalization: Hybridity and Consilience" was held on May 10 in the Kim Young-yi Recital Hall.
The keynote speech entitled "Global Education for a New Century: The Ties that Bind" was given by Ruth J. Simmons, the president of Brown University. Her speech centered on the importance of global learning with depth and the need to promote such learning in schools at every level in order to prepare our leaders to be understanding of difference. She said, "Accelerating the inclusion of globalism among our educational values and perspectives is one of the most promising paths to future peace, security, and prosperity for the world."
The first lecture entitled, "The Origin and Future of 'Hallyu" (Korean Wave): Korean Culture in the World" was given by You Hong-june, Administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration. You pointed out that Koreans simultaneously have a "highly advanced" pride and an "unnecessary" inferiority complex towards Korean culture, and that this obstructs a correct understanding of Hallyu. You also emphasized that since Hallyu is not something we planned intentionally, but is rather a spontaneous phenomena caused by foreign interests in us, it is necessary to analyze what they find interesting about our culture and be ready for our roles as the exporters of culture.
The second lecture entitled, "Consilience: The 'Globalization' of Science and Humanities" was given by Ewha's Distinguished Professor, Choe Jae-chun (Life Sciences). Choe's lecture focused on the trans-disciplinary approach in studies. "The society demands individuals who are capable of crossing the borders of other majors with ease," said Choe. He said that there should be a 'Globalization' of Science and Humanities. He also emphasized that the 21st century is the age of women.
Paying tribute to the memory of Dr. Kim Ok-gill, a pioneer in women's education, who was interested in subjects such as women, education, science, and globalization, the Kim Okgill Memorial Lecture has been held annually since 2001.