The Center for Korean Studies, Tongji University was established in December 2016, and filed as a center for national/regional studies with the Ministry of Education in 2017. The Center is headed by Prof. Men Honghua, President of the Institute for China & Studies and Dean of the School of Political Science & International Relations, Tongji University. Mr. Ning Fukui, the former Chinese ambassador to South Korea, was appointed as the honorary director.

1. Strategic Positioning

      The Center is an open research institution focusing on South Korea, the Korean Peninsula, and international relations in Northeast Asia. It is committed to doing innovative research, carrying out special cooperation, organizing academic conferences, and delivering research results, to build a major base for Korean studies. It is a discipline construction base to establish a robust and fruitful academic team comprised of domestic and foreign elites, dedicated to promoting Korean studies in Tongji University and facilitating academic interaction and personnel exchange between Tongji University and Korean universities. It is an academic service agency to sponsor academic research projects, support the publication of achievements related to China-ROK relations, and hold special lectures and cultural activities for Tongji teachers and students and Shanghai citizens. It is a decision-making advisory body that actively participates in the decision-making consultation organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, etc. and submits research reports to offer advice and suggestions for the country.

2. Development Effectiveness

      With a focus on research, consultation and communication, the Center has made iconic progress in related fields. In terms of basic research, it is committed to strengthening studies on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. It carries out research topics and directions around the future strategies in the era of globalization, and concentrates on issues such as new security threats and the future response strategies of Northeast Asia, the future strategies of Northeast Asia in the information age, and the theory of international relations in Asia. Through publishing The Annual Report on the Korean Peninsula, The Chinese Journal of Strategic Studies (Korean version), and paper on key journals, the Center is committed to creating a research result system with Tongji characteristics. In terms of consultation, the Center has written and submitted policy reports on hot issues in China-ROK relations, the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia in the past few years, which have been adopted by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries and commissions for many times, and have received positive comments from the central leaders. In terms of communication, thanks to the Shanghai-Busan Cooperation Forum and other brand activities, the Center has built institutionalized communication channels with Dongseo University, Sungkyunkwan University, and the Korea Foundation (KF), etc., and obtained KF’s continuous funding, providing new opportunities and platforms for the dual track cooperation between China and South Korea.

3. Team

      The Center has a cross-organizational, cross-regional, and highly international research team. There are currently 10 full-time researchers and 6 part-timers including Xu Bu, President of China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). All the researchers hold a PhD degree. Experts at the Center are engaged in researches on China-ROK relations and South Korea’s diplomatic and security strategy and domestic social politics. In China and South Korea, they have published numerous academic results on China-KOR relations, South Korea’s foreign policy, and the situation in Northeast Asia, with a good academic influence.