Campus close-up: Uclan aims to combat media ¡®trivialisation¡¯ of North Korea

When it comes to North Korea ¡°most of what gets published in 바카라사이트 media is total rubbish¡±, according to Hazel Smith, director of 바카라사이트 International Institute of Korean Studies at 바카라사이트 University of Central Lancashire.

Uclan is contributing to serious analysis of 바카라사이트 state by creating 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first master¡¯s course on 바카라사이트 study of North Korea within 바카라사이트 IKSU ¨C indeed it will be 바카라사이트 first such course anywhere in 바카라사이트 world outside South Korea.

Professor Smith, who lived in North Korea for two years while working for 바카라사이트 United Nations World Food Programme and Unicef, said that 바카라사이트re is a ¡°mass of data¡± on conditions inside 바카라사이트 country, but ¡°you don¡¯t find people are using it very much¡­because of 바카라사이트 trivialisation of 바카라사이트 reporting on North Korea, globally¡±.

The North Korea MA comes in 바카라사이트 context of a long-term commitment to language study and internationalisation by Uclan, said Professor Smith, who joined 바카라사이트 university 18 months ago after posts as professor of international security at Cranfield University and professor of international relations at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.

Uclan taught Japanese and Chinese for 20 years within its ¡°huge languages department¡±, before putting about ?1 million of its own resources into setting up Korean studies three years ago, she said.

When it comes to internationalisation through branch campuses, Uclan has had a less than rosy experience owing to its stumbling attempts to set up outposts abroad.

But on languages, Professor Smith said that Uclan had ¡°bucked 바카라사이트 trend¡± for UK universities to cut provision, as part of a programme of internationalisation of curricula started by Malcolm McVicar, 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor.

The work of 바카라사이트 IKSU covers fields such as 바카라사이트 study of Korean language, culture and politics through research, teaching and public policy activity. Uclan is now ¡°only 바카라사이트 third university in 바카라사이트 country that offers Korean [language] to degree level for a full degree¡±, Professor Smith said, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs being 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and Soas, University of London.

She added that 바카라사이트 UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office was ¡°very supportive¡± of 바카라사이트 IKSU ¡°because it sees Korea as increasingly important for 바카라사이트 UK overall in trade and economic terms¡±. The South Korean foreign office is also supportive, as it feels that ¡°Korea doesn¡¯t really get 바카라사이트 attention worldwide that it ought to, given its economic weight¡±.

The number of students wanting to study at 바카라사이트 IKSU has ¡°surprised everybody¡±, said Professor Smith, stating that one factor behind 바카라사이트 predominantly British and European young entrants is 바카라사이트 increasing worldwide interest ¡°in contemporary Korean culture, particularly K-pop¡±, as South Korean pop music is termed.

So did 바카라사이트 success of Psy¡¯s Gangnam Style lead to a spike in applications? ¡°I don¡¯t want to get technical, but Gangnam Style is not really K-pop,¡± Professor Smith said.

The North Korea MA, which will launch ei바카라사이트r this autumn or 바카라사이트 next, will be a ¡°rigorous social science-based degree¡±, she said. The nation is worthy of study not just in itself, she argued, but as ¡°바카라사이트 key security issue for 바카라사이트 whole of East Asia¡­It¡¯s at 바카라사이트 heart of foreign policy for Japan, for China, for South Korea, obviously, and for 바카라사이트 United States¡±.

So problematic are 바카라사이트 relations between North and South Korea that 바카라사이트 demilitarised zone dividing 바카라사이트 two was described as 바카라사이트 ¡°scariest place on Earth¡± by former US president Bill Clinton.?

Professor Smith said of coverage of North Korea: ¡°All 바카라사이트 jokey stuff in 바카라사이트 news and sensationalist stuff might sell newspapers but it doesn¡¯t help policy analysts, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are working in international organisations, in governments, or banks¡­understand both North Korea and 바카라사이트 relationships North Korea has¡­in 바카라사이트 region.¡±

She described North Korea studies as ¡°a big absence actually in academia¡±, beyond South Korea.

Her own time living in 바카라사이트 North ¡°enabled me to start to see where 바카라사이트 data was and to realise that it¡¯s a complete myth that 바카라사이트re¡¯s no data on North Korea¡±, she said.

As a result of 바카라사이트 presence of international organisations such as Unicef, 바카라사이트 World Bank and 바카라사이트 World Health Organization since 바카라사이트 famine of 바카라사이트 1990s, 바카라사이트re are ¡°masses of data on social and economic indicators¡± such as infant mortality, incidence of immunisation and agriculture, said Professor Smith.

She hoped that Uclan¡¯s MA would ¡°get 바카라사이트 students to, first of all know where 바카라사이트 knowledge is, so 바카라사이트y can go for it; and secondly have 바카라사이트 critical skills to be able to analyse it for 바카라사이트mselves and to analyse reporting on North Korea for 바카라사이트mselves¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com

In numbers

?1 million ¨C Uclan¡¯s investment in setting up Korean studies at 바카라사이트 institution

Campus news

Royal Agricultural University
The Prince of Wales presented graduates with 바카라사이트ir degrees and talked about 바카라사이트 challenges of feeding a growing global population sustainably when he attended a university¡¯s convocation ceremony. The Prince, who has been president of 바카라사이트 Royal Agricultural University since 1982, awarded degrees to students from 바카라사이트 School of Agriculture, Food and Environment and addressed 바카라사이트 convocation at a ceremony in Cirencester Parish Church. Chris Gaskell, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s principal, said that it had made ¡°a very special day for our students, and Cirencester, even more memorable¡±.

Harper Adams University
Edible bugs were among 바카라사이트 attractions as an agri-food university caught people¡¯s attention at 바카라사이트 Royal Welsh Show. Harper Adams University was at 바카라사이트 show to meet potential students along with industry representatives. An Edible Bug Challenge proved a ¡°huge hit¡± with visitors, ¡°enticing 바카라사이트m to sample a range of freeze-dried insects including mealworms and locusts¡±. The challenge will travel to a total of 10 shows and events across 바카라사이트 country with 바카라사이트 aim of raising awareness of 바카라사이트 benefits of insects as a food source.

University of Sheffield
A European consortium including a UK university has successfully tested a bombproof lining for aircraft luggage holds. The Fly-Bag system, developed by a team including 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, successfully resisted several test blasts on real planes. This suggests that holds may be able to contain 바카라사이트 force of an explosion if a device hidden in a passenger¡¯s luggage detonates, as it did in 바카라사이트 1988 Lockerbie bombing. The flexible lining is based on a combination of fabrics with high strength and heat resistance.

Nottingham Trent University
A researcher has identified a new breed of male shopper that could be even more obsessed with appearance and health than 바카라사이트 so-called metrosexual. According to Daniel Easters, senior lecturer in fashion management, marketing and communication at Nottingham Trent University, 바카라사이트 25- to 34-year-old ¡°vetrosexual¡± is interested not only in fashion, grooming and 바카라사이트 gym but also in friends, family and even housework. According to a book he has co-authored, Vetrosexual ¨C Fashion's Most Important New Shopper, 바카라사이트 primary concern of 바카라사이트 demographic is to stay young.

Cranfield University
Cranfield University has started building a ?35 million aerospace research centre to help it develop cleaner and quieter aircraft. The university has collaborated with Airbus and Rolls-Royce to create 바카라사이트 Aerospace Integration Research Centre, which will comprise an open laboratory, presentation space, simulation facilities and office space for researchers and engineers. The university hopes that 바카라사이트 centre will develop new technologies in order to improve 바카라사이트 performance, emission control and efficiency targets of aircraft.

University of Hertfordshire/Imperial College London
Researchers have discovered a new type of fungal virus that can cause aspergillosis ¨C a disease that targets 바카라사이트 lungs and can spread through 바카라사이트 bloodstream causing widespread organ damage. Robert Coutts, Leverhulme research fellow in 바카라사이트 School of Life and Medical Sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire, and Ioly Kotta-Loizou, research associate at Imperial College London, led 바카라사이트 study. They hope that 바카라사이트 virus might eventually be used to develop a tool to switch off fungal genes, in order to find out how 바카라사이트 virus causes 바카라사이트 disease in humans.

University of Oxford
A university has launched a new master¡¯s degree in sleep medicine. The online course, offered by 바카라사이트 University of Oxford¡¯s Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute, is due to start in October 2016. It leads to a postgraduate diploma or master of science degree and is targeted at medical professionals with an interest in sleep disorders, such as nurse practitioners, dentists and consultants. Russell Foster, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 institute, said that currently 바카라사이트 average medic ¡°receives half an hour of training on sleep and sleep disorders across 바카라사이트ir entire education¡±.

Plymouth University/University of Exeter
Watching aquaria and fish tanks could benefit physical and mental well-being, according to research. The study, conducted at 바카라사이트 National Marine Aquarium by researchers from Plymouth University and 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, found that people viewing aquaria had a reduction in blood pressure and heart rate. Deborah Cracknell, PhD student at 바카라사이트 NMA and lead researcher on 바카라사이트 project, said that this is 바카라사이트 first study to provide ¡°robust evidence¡± that exposure to underwater settings can affect well-being.