The Russian Studies Institute of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (Director: Pyo Sang-yong) participated in the ‘2024 Arctic Cooperation Week’ event, co-hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and co-hosted by the Korea Maritime Institute and the Korea Polar Research Institute. This ‘Arctic Cooperation Week’ event, held at the Busan Port International Exhibition Convention Center from December 10 to 12, 2024, was sponsored by the Korea Tourism Organization and the Busan Tourism Organization. This ‘Arctic Cooperation Week’ was held under the title of ‘The Arctic and People: Interaction, Collaboration, and Shared Prosperity.’

During this Arctic Cooperation Week event, the Russian Institute co-hosted a seminar on Arctic humanities and social sciences entitled “Sustainable Coexistence of the Arctic and Humanity.” The expert session of this seminar was moderated by Professor Choi Woo-ik of the Russian Institute, and included the following presentations: △ Dr. Seo Hyeon-gyo of the Polar Institute on “Research Cooperation Plans with Arctic Indigenous Peoples” and a discussion by Dr. Jeong Hyeok of the Polar Research Center at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, △ Professor Ra Seung-do of the Russian Institute at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies on “Sad Tundra: Russian Arctic Minorities in Recent Documentary Films” and a discussion by Dr. Gye Yong-taek of the Russian Research Center, △ Professor Bae Gyu-seong of the Korea-Siberia Center at Paichai University on “Changes in the Arctic System and the Future of Arctic Cooperation” and a discussion by Professor Yang Jeong-hun of Suwon University.

Meanwhile, in addition to participating in this Arctic Humanities and Social Sciences Seminar, Professor Choi Woo-ik, the director of the Polar Research Center at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, also demonstrated the ‘Russian Arctic Information Map.’ The Polar Research Center at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies received a contract from the Polar Research Institute under the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology in September 2024 for a research project called ‘Establishment and Utilization of the Russian Arctic Information Map Interface.’