Aix-Marseille University and Bordeaux Montaigne University in France will each create a new department of Korean studies in September this year with the approval of the French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research.

Created in 2012 from the merger of three universities in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, Aix-Marseille University is the second-largest national university in France, having earned a reputation for excellence in the fields of law, archaeology, French, and foreign languages and literature. The university currently offers courses on Korean language and Korean studies as a major within the Department of Asian Studies. With the drastic increase in demand for Korean studies in France, however, the university plans to officially create a new department of Korean studies in September this year.

The University of Bordeaux, the precursor to Bordeaux Montaigne University, was established by Pope Eugene IV in 1441. It consisted of faculties of arts, medicine, law and theology, and was later split into the University of Bordeaux 1, University of Bordeaux 2, and University of Bordeaux 3. Then, in 2014, the present University of Bordeaux was created from the merger of the University of Bordeaux 4 and the existing Universities of Bordeaux 1 and 2. Specialized in the fields of humanities and social sciences, the University of Bordeaux 3 was renamed after Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, philosopher and author of the “Essays,” with its current name of “Bordeaux Montaigne University” in place since 1990.

The Faculty of Languages and Civilisations of Bordeaux Montaigne University offers courses on Korean language and culture, with close to 650 students currently enrolled. The department of Korean studies, scheduled to open in September this year, attracted a total of 737 applicants when the application window opened in March, far exceeding the 40 vacancies available. This is further proof of the great demand for and interest in Korean studies and language in the region.

Along with other universities boasting a Korean studies department such as INALCO and Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, Aix-Marseille University and Bordeaux Montaigne University are expected to contribute greatly to enhancing deeper understanding and knowledge of Korea, while laying the groundwork for Korean studies research in southwest France.


▪ Aix-Marseille University Faculty of Arts, Letters, Languages and Humanities Website:
https://allsh.univ-amu.fr/DULC-coreen

▪ Bordeaux Montaigne University Korean Section Website:
http://www.u-bordeaux-montaigne.fr/fr/universite/organisation/unites_de_formation/langues_et_civilisations/section-de-coreen.html