The SNU Foundation for Peaceful Unification Project
1. Introduction
The “Foundation for Peaceful Unification Project” aims to improve comprehensive and systematic research capacity on unification related issues. IPUS initiated the “SNU Unification Research Network” in 2014 to construct a network among colleges and departments within SNU and to collaborate on issues concerning North Korea, inter-Korean relations, unification, and integration. Based on this network, the “Foundation for Peaceful Unification Project” was launched in 2015, and many SNU research units participated in this University-wide project. IPUS is in charge of planning and coordinating the project.
2. Achievements
a. Expanding research in the area of unification and peace studies
- Among the centers and institutions at SNU, a total of 16 units in 2015, 20 in 2016, 28 in 2017, 33 in 2018, 30 in 2019 and 23 in 2020 participated in this project. Between 2015 and 2020, a total of 182 research projects have been conducted (worth 6.56 billion KRW).
b. Improving research capacity for unification and peace in the Korean peninsula
- The Foundation for Peaceful Unification Project has contributed to strengthening the research capacity in preparation for peaceful unification on the Korean peninsula and developing effective, feasible, and sustainable inter-Korean cooperation.
c. Constructing a comprehensive and future-oriented network for unification and peace studies
- The number of participating institutions has increased from 16 in 2015 to 30 in 2019. IPUS fosters an integrated approach to unification studies, providing a platform for research collaboration among domestic and international scholars.
Numbers of Participating Institutions and Projects (2015-2020)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institutions | 16 | 20 | 28 | 33 | 30 | 23 | 150 |
| Projects | 23 | 25 | 34 | 39 | 34 | 27 | 182 |
List of Selected Projects related to Peace and inter-Korean Cooperation
| Title of Research | Academic Department | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SNU-Kim Il-Sung University-Yan Bian University Joint Symposium | Education |
| 2 | Development of Unification and Humanities Network | Humanities |
| 3 | SNU-Bradford University-Free University of Berlin Consortium Program on Peace Studies | Political Science |
| 4 | Korea-China Cooperation Forum on Peace | Political Science |
| 5 | Design of Appropriate City Model in Unified Korea | Engineering |
| 6 | Development of Legal System for Improving Inter-Korean Relations and Expanding Exchange | Law |
| 7 | Study on Legal System for Economic Cooperation, Labor Market Integration and Social Rights | Law |
| 8 | Infrastructure Construction Enterprise along the Border Area | Sociology |
| 9 | Study on Transnational North Korean Diaspora | Geography |
| 10 | Political Theory of Peace | Political Science |
| 11 | Peace Studies in Korea: Discourses and Practices | Political Science |
| 12 | Geopolitics of Peace Regime on the Korean Peninsula | International Relations |
| 13 | Case Studies of ‘Post-Unification’ Systems | International Studies |
| 14 | ‘Future Earth’: International Research Network for Sustainability on the Korean Peninsula | Geography |
| 15 | DMZ Border Area Peace Arts Project | Environmental Planning |
| 16 | DMZ Border Landscape Reconstruction Project for Peace Tourism | Landscape Architecture |
| 17 | Climate Change and Ecosystem Change in North Korea | Environmental Management |
| 18 | Health and Medical R&D in Northeast Asia | Medicine |
| 19 | International Cooperation for Northeast Asian Unified Healthcare | Medicine |
| 20 | Foundation of Unified Dentistry Cooperation | Dentistry |
| 21 | Analysis of Veterinary Education and Preventive Measures in North Korea | Veterinary medicine |
| 22 | Korea-Russia Agricultural Cooperation System | Agriculture |
| 23 | Korea-Russia Agricultural Cooperation: with special reference to the Maritime Province | Agriculture |
| 24 | Educational Exchange of Natural Science: Role of Universities | Natural Sciences |
| 25 | Nutritional Supplementary Food Development for Infants and Pregnant Women in North Korea | Food Science |
| 26 | Policy Research for Sustainable Diet in Unified Korea | Nutrition |
| 27 | Promotion of Sports Exchange between South and North Korea | Physical Education |
| 28 | Sports Integration Plan for Unified Korea | Physical Education |
| 29 | Unified Arts Exchange and Cooperation Program | Arts |
| 30 | Adaptation of North Korean Defectors to South Korean Society: The Role of Social Capital | Economics |
| 31 | An Analysis of Veterinary Science and Technology in North Korea and a Study on the Inter-Korean Exchange of Veterinary Science and Technology | Veterinary Science |
| 32 | Systematic Analysis and Publication of North Korean law for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation and peaceful reunification | Law |
| 33 | An Analysis of Agricultural Trade Trends in North Korea and a Study on the Development of Inter-Korean Cooperation Items in Preparation for Unification | Agriculture |
| 34 | Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance for Sustaining Peace | Peace Studies |
| 35 | Climate Change and Sustainable Environmental and Ecological Peace in East Asia | Environment |
| 36 | 『Introduction to Peace Studies』 Textbook Writing and Publishing Business | Peace Studies |