Newsletter

The Dokdo Research Institute held a two-day seminar on November 23-24, 2009. Overseas geography educators were invited to the event. There were 20 high school geography teachers from the United States and 16 geography teachers from Korea participating as presenters, discussants, and moderators of the seminar.

The theme of the seminar was "Geography Education and the International Community." The Korean and American geography educators were at the center of the seminar, with around 70 geography experts, scholars, and other stakeholders in attendance. The seminar examined from an international perspective the issues concerning geographical naming with which educators encounter in the classroom setting. The seminar also contributed to building an interpersonal network and served as an opportunity to learn about how middle school and high school geography education is carried out in Korea and the United States.

Regarding territorial issues, the seminar provided insight into the past, present, and future trends in U.S. geography education while serving as a venue to acquaint U.S. participants with the history of Korean geography education. Participants could gain an understanding of how geography education has helped shaped the national identity of the United States, a multicultural and multiethnic country. The seminar also served as an occasion to inform the participants of Korea's position that territorial issues and geography education contribute to the constructions of a Korean national identity.

Korean geography education and internationalization are confronted by border issues with neighboring countries. One presentation pointed out that this is not a problem unique to Korea and that it is something affecting the United States as well. In order to overcome this common problem, it was perceived that geography education should aim to foster harmony in international community. In the session on "Geography Education in a Global Era and Seeking New Directions," there was a presentation entitled "The Case of the East Sea from a Historical and Global Perspective," which underscored why the East Sea is, in fact, the "East Sea" and why Dokdo is Korean territory.

Focusing on long-term cooperation with NCGE

Based on the lessons from this year's event, the 2010 Invitational Seminar for Overseas Geography Teachers will undergo even more thorough planning and preparation. The Seminar will be a long-term endeavor that aims to educate U.S. geography teachers so that through them, U.S. students will be able to learn about the East Sea and Dokdo. The Dokdo Research Institute is reviewing the proposal of Joseph Stoltmen, President of the National Council for Geography Education (NCGE), to hold the 2010 Seminar in the United States.

The 2010 NCGE annual conference will be held in October in Savannah, Georgia. The Dokdo Research Institute is planning to work with the Korean-American Association for Geospatial and Environmental Sciences (KAGES) to organize a session on geographical naming and territorial sovereignty of the East Sea at the NCGE conference. We hope that the NCGE conference will serve as an opportunity to expand and strengthen the network between Korean and U.S. geography scholars and educators. The Dokdo Institute is also planning to set up a Korea booth to provide various information kits on the East Sea and Dokdo.

We will compile materials on the East Sea and Dokdo into CD or DVD information kits, which U.S. geography teachers can use in class. The kits can be highly effective in disseminating Korea's position on the East Sea and Dokdo to the American public. The kits will not consist simply of information and data that teachers relay to students. They will be designed to foster teacher-student interactions that will deepen the teachers' and students' understanding of Korea. They will provide accurate information related to the East Sea and Dokdo and help teachers and students digest the given information.