Seoul, September 30 – In a groundbreaking move that’s drawing significant attention in academic circles, Dongduk Women’s University (President Kim Myung-ae) has launched the world’s first graduate-level K-Silkroad Turkic Studies Department, alongside a new Silkroad Korean Studies Track for undergraduates within its International College.

EDnews reports: that this announcement, made on September 30, marks a pivotal step toward building new academic frameworks that connect Korea and the Turkic world, while also challenging long-standing Western-centered approaches in the humanities.

A Landmark in Global Area Studies

Unlike traditional regional studies programs that divide Eurasia into Middle Eastern, Central Asian, or Slavic studies, Dongduk’s K-Silkroad Turkic Studies Department is the first to offer a comprehensive, interdisciplinary program that unites humanities and social sciences focused solely on the Turkic region. Until now, even within the Turkic world, most scholarship has remained narrowly centered on language and literature.

This program is already being recognized as a pioneering model, both in Korea and internationally.

Spearheaded by a Leading Korean Turkologist

At the heart of this initiative is Prof. Dr. Eunkyung OH, a leading scholar in Turkology. Prof. OH has dedicated her academic career to advancing Korean contributions to global humanities, previously directing the compilation of the world’s first Encyclopedia of Turkology and the Humanities.

Prof. OH completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Türkiye and, in 2014, became the first foreign recipient of a Doctor of Science in the Humanities in Uzbekistan. She also founded Korea’s first Institute of Eurasian Turkic Studies in 2016, a center committed to original research in Turkology.

Her academic vision centers on establishing an independent intellectual framework for Korean humanities—one that actively contributes to global scholarship rather than relying on imported paradigms.

Bridging Korea and the Turkic World: The Silkroad Korean Studies Track
Dongduk’s new undergraduate Silkroad Korean Studies Track is designed to welcome students from Turkic universities who are majoring in humanities. Through 2+2 dual degree programs or fourth-year transfers, students can earn bachelor’s degrees in Korean Language & Literature or Korean Culture, and continue into graduate studies at the K-Silkroad Turkic Studies Department.

This initiative is the first of its kind globally to institutionalize the academic bridge between Turkology and Korean Studies. It empowers Turkic students to study Korea through their own cultural lens and engage in comparative research, opening up new dimensions for both academic fields.

A Flexible and Inclusive Learning Model

The K-Silkroad Turkic Studies Department is open to both Korean and international students of all genders. Recognizing the needs of working professionals, Dongduk offers evening and weekend classes to ensure academic accessibility and inclusivity.

A Strategic Cultural and Diplomatic Platform

As EDnews highlights, these programs go beyond academia—they serve as strategic platforms for cultural diplomacy. By formally reconnecting Korea with the Turkic world—linked historically by the ancient Silk Road—Dongduk Women’s University is fostering mutual understanding, academic cooperation, and stronger diplomatic ties, while enhancing Korea’s soft power in the region.

Vision for the Future
Through this visionary initiative, Dongduk Women’s University aims to train scholars who will become academic and cultural bridges between Korea and the Turkic world. Graduates of these programs are expected to expand the global influence of Korean Studies and elevate the role of Turkology in international academia.

With this launch, Korea takes a major step toward becoming a new center for global scholarly dialogue—rooted in its own intellectual traditions and committed to building new international academic connections.