YOGYAKARTA – As one of the implementation of the cooperation between Indonesia and Korea to disseminate knowledge about Korea, Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Center for Korean Studies in collaboration with the Korea Foundation conducted a workshop about Korea for high school/ vocational school teachers in Indonesia from 19-22 June 2012.
According to the Head of the Center, Dr. Novi Siti Kussuji Indrastuti, M. Hum., this year's workshop theme is Knowing the Pearl of Korea, which means that after learning the various aspects of Korea, the participants will be able to find valuable lessons, which in this is called as “the pearl of Korea”. "Many significant lessons can be gained from Korea," Novi said, opening the performance art night at Wisma Joglo, Wednesday evening (20/6).
Furthermore, Novi said after learning about Korea, the knowledge is expected to be utilized for the development of Indonesia. The workshop is attended by teachers from various islands in Indonesia, Sumatra, Bangka-Belitung, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Maluku. "We want to expand the horizon of teachers to get to know Korea from various perspectives so that they can disseminate their knowledge to their students adequately," she said.
The material presented in the workshop is quite comprehensive in history, social and political aspects, language, philosophy and religion, art and culture, economics, and technology and modernization in Korea. Speakers in this workshop are Prof. Djoko Suryo, Prof. Mochtar Mas'oed, Prof. Dr. Siti Chamamah, Dr. Mukhtasar Syamsudin, Dr. Jumeri, Ratih Pratiwi Anwar, M. Si, and Yuni Wachid Asrori, M.A. "There are also speakers from Korea, Dr. Ha Jea Hon and Lee So Hoon, who speak about the Saemaul Undong or rural community development strategy in Korea and about Korean films," the lecturer of Indonesian Literature Department added.
Meanwhile, one of the pioneers of Korean Studies in Indonesia, Prof. Dr. Siti Chamamah Soeratno, in her speech hoped that Indonesian people can learn from Korean culture, namely hard work. Advancement of Korea is partly because of the hard work culture of the local community. "In my opinion, the progress of a nation mainly comes from human resources, not natural resources. Culture of hard work has been applied by Korean people so that they are more advanced," Chamamah said.
On the performing arts, the workshop participants enjoyed Korean films and performing arts, such as traditional music (samulnori), hand-cover dance (hansam chum), fan dance (buchae chum), sword dance and Korean modern dance, as well as Korean songs and poetry reading.