Prospects for Korean Studies in Africa: The case of The University of Nairobi

Abstract

This paper discusses trends and prospects of Korean Studies in Kenya and Africa in general. The presentation is divided into five parts, namely: An introduction; The Korean Studies Project; the trends of the Korean Studies in Kenya; the results in Kenya; and the suggestions on how to develop and promote Korean studies in Kenya and African continent. I advance an argument that prospects for promoting Korean studies are bright based on internationalisation programmes pursued by many universities in Africa. Another enabling factor is the foreign policy shift in African countries to an enhanced engagement with East Asian countries mainly China, Japan and Korea as opposed to Europe and North America. In conclusion, I argue that a lot still needs to be done in terms of capacity strengthening, infrastructural support and having a focal point for supporting Korean Studies in Africa.