Sungkyunkwan University ( SKKU ) College of Liberal Arts | Academic Programs | Schools / Departments | Russian Language and Literature

Location
Location	#31711, 7th floor of toegye hall of humanities

Address
Address	25-2, Sungkyunkwan-Ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea

Telephone
Telephone	82-2-760-0641

Website

Although Russia is geographically close to Korea, our understanding of the country had been severely limited until the late 1980s because of the Cold War. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Russian Federation in the early 1990s, led not only to improvement in political and economical relations, but also to the realization of the importance of cultural and social exchanges between the two nations. In order to meet our society's urgent demand for cultivating Russian specialists, the Department of Russian Language and Literature was founded at SKKU’s Humanities and Social Sciences Campus in 1993.

The educational goal of our department is to cultivate Russian specialists of high qualification by nurturing a deep understanding of Russian tradition and contemporary reality, as well as by providing training in the Russian language. In accordance with this goal, the curriculum of our department emphasises both the practical and academic aspects of Russian studies. For example, we provide courses of various levels not only in Russian grammar, conversation, and writing, but also in Russian linguistics, literature, history and culture in general.

Department in Detail

1. Courses and Curriculums

Courses and Curriculums
Category	Core Major	General Major
Students aiming for Learning	Elementary Russian Ι, Beginnig Russian II, Practice in Elementary RussianⅠ, Practice in Elementary RussianⅡ, Intermediate Russian I, Intermediate Russian Ⅱ, Practice in Intermediate RussianⅠ, Intermediate Russian Conversation I, Intermediate Russian Conversation Ⅱ, Language and World of the Russians	Elementary Russian Conversation I, Elementary Russian Conversation Ⅱ, Understanding Russian Linguistics I,U nderstanding Russian Linguistics II, Practical RussianⅠ, Practical RussianⅡ, Practical Russian ConversationⅠ, Russian Area Reading 1, Russian Area Reading 2,U nderstanding of Russian History, Russian Literature and Film, Old Russian Literature and Society, Russian Literature and Society in the 19th Century, Russian Literature and Society in the 20th Century, Old Russian Literature, Russian Folklore, The Study of Russian Literary Works, Seminar on Russian Literature Ideas, Seminar on Russian Culture
Students aiming for Professional Jobs	Elementary Russian Ι, Beginnig Russian II, Intermediate Russian I, Intermediate Russian Ⅱ, Practice in Intermediate RussianⅠ, Practice in Intermediate RussianⅡ, Intermediate Russian Conversation I, Language and World of the Russians, Russian Literature and Society in the 20th Century	Elementary Russian Conversation I, Elementary Russian Conversation Ⅱ, Understanding Russian Linguistics I, Understanding Russian Linguistics II, Practical RussianⅠ, Practical RussianⅡ, Practical Russian ConversationⅠ, Understanding of Russian History, Russian Literature and Film, Old Russian Literature and Society, Russian Literature and Society in the 19th Century, Practice in Elementary RussianⅠ, Practice in Elementary RussianⅡ
Students aiming for Double Major	Elementary Russian Ι, Beginnig Russian II, Practice in Elementary RussianⅠ, Practice in Elementary RussianⅡ, Intermediate Russian I, Intermediate Russian Ⅱ, Practice in Intermediate RussianⅠ, Intermediate Russian Conversation I, Intermediate Russian Conversation Ⅱ, Language and World of the Russians, Russian Literature and Society in the 19th Century	Elementary Russian Conversation I, Elementary Russian Conversation Ⅱ, Practical RussianⅠ, Practical RussianⅡ, Russian Area Reading 1, Russian Area Reading 2, Understanding of Russian History, Russian Literature and Society in the 20th Century, Old Russian Literature

The Dept. of Russian Language and Literature at SKKU is one of the leading educational departments in Korea. Over the past 20 years since its inception, the department has been proud not only of producing excellent students who are working in major companies related to Russia and their business partners, but of encouraging students interested in pursuing their further studies either in Korea, Russia or other countries. As of December 2016, the department offers both M.A. and Ph.D. graduate courses, including numerous interesting and scholarly-renovated subjects associated with Russian language and literature. We have five distinguished professors (2 for Linguistics and 3 for Literature, respectively) and one native speaker.

2. Specialty in Major

Russian Linguistics

A broad range of subjects are provided and they chronologically and thematically follow: Old Church Slavic, Russian Phonology, Russian Phonetics, Russian Syntax, Morphology, and other Seminars on Russian Linguistics, including Czech, Ukraine, and even special themes which are rarely studied in the discipline of Russian Linguistics. These various courses also include a couple of theory-based subjects such as Semiotics and Historical Linguistics. The primary purpose of these courses, generally speaking, is not only to provide students with a general understanding of Russian Linguistics, but to have specific knowledge of themes and the ability to apply their own basic theoretical concepts to language texts. Of the five professors lecturing in our department, two are linguistic professors whose academic degree is in Russian Linguistics.

Russian Literature

There are several courses providing a broad range of subjects. Generally speaking, the purpose of the courses with regard to Russian Literature is providing specific knowledge of the relevant themes as well as deepening the student’s understanding of Russian literature in general. Moreover, it provides specific knowledge of the relevant themes in order to gain the ability to apply their own basic theoretical concepts to literary texts. The courses are listed as follows: Old Russian Literature, 19th Century Russian Literature and Society, Seminar on Russian Culture, Russian Philosophical Thoughts and Literature, 20th Century Russian Literature and Society, Studies on Russian Writers, Russian Modernism, and Russian Avant-garde. These various courses also include a number of theory-based subjects such as Semiotics and Culture, Russian Literary Theories and Analysis, and Discourse of the Russianness. Of the five professors in this department, three are literature professors whose academic degrees are in Russian Literature.

Why Choose Us?

1. Future Possibilities

Russia is a large country with huge potential, but in reality, Russian regional experts are lacking. Therefore, a major in Russian Linguistics and Literature is a field with a lot of room for development.

Graduates from this major can choose diverse and broad careers, especially thanks to the recent improvement in Inter-Korean relations; and since a wide knowledge of Russia is needed, the careers of graduates from this major will be brighter. The alumni of our department are working in various sectors of our society as bilateral political, economic and cultural exchanges grow, and we hope our department can make a significant contribution to the development of Russian studies in Korea.

2. Distinguished Faculties

At present, our full-time faculty consists of professors, Kim Kun-Sun, Lee Duck-Hyung, Lee Hyung-Goo, and Oh Jong-Woo, as well as Anna Nikolaevna Kireitseva who is working as a full-time visiting professor from Russia. The specialties of our faculty members cover various disciplines such as Russian linguistics and literature from the earliest period up to the contemporary period, and various genres such as; prose, poetry, drama and criticism.

3. Special Activities

Cultural Activities :

In addition to the academic program, our department supports a variety of cultural activities for students. For example, since 1995 our department has held an annual Russian Festival featuring presentations of students' papers on Russian literature and history, Russian drama performances in the original language, singing of Russian folk songs, recitation of Russian poems, screenings of Russian films, and so on. Also, the editorial staff of our department's students' association has been publishing the Sung-kyun Pravda, a journal providing information about Russia.

Plays of Department of Russian Language and Literature in Native Language

Date: Every year during the fall semester.
Participant Target: Students of Department of Russian Language and Literature of SKKU
Program Overview: The department selects a valuable piece of drama from Russia and screens it in its native language. There are approximately 30-40 students participating as actors/actresses/staff managing various areas of the screening
- act directions, sound, stage and so on. All professors, students and even graduates of any departments can enjoy the play.

4. Support for Students

Act in Russian plays in original language (The biggest event held once every year, in Sept/Oct)
Department newsletter 「Наше Всё」(Includes information about the department, academy and enrolled and graduated students. Published twice a year)
Собор Colloquium (Students and professors debate about considerable issues related to politics, economics, social and cultural events in Eurasian area)