Students of Korean Studies Present Research at Conferences, Publish Articles and Take Part in Professional Events

In the 2025–2026 academic year, students of the Department of Korean Studies at HSE University – St. Petersburg presented at conferences in Moscow, published an article on the platform of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), and took part in international models and cultural festivals. Behind most of these events lies the same logic: moving from an interest sparked in class toward an independent research outcome.

Students of the Department of Korean Studies at HSE University – St. Petersburg have notably expanded their presence beyond classrooms and language courses in the 2025–2026 academic year. Conferences in Moscow, a Korean literature festival in St. Petersburg, a League of Nations model, and a publication in an analytical journal – all became part of the academic year for second‑ and third‑year students.

One of the key venues where the voices of Korean Studies students were heard was the annual Lomonosov Conference at Moscow State University (MSU). Third‑year student Varvara Chertykovtseva took first place in the section “Historical Politics, Information Wars, Propaganda and Mass Media in Asia and Africa” with a report on how the media of the Republic of Korea and the DPRK covered the inter‑Korean summit in Panmunjom in April 2018. The topic grew out of a course on the history of East and Southeast Asia: from a class assignment to an independent comparative analysis of media discourses in the two states.

Varvara Chertykovtseva, 3rd year, on the Lomonosov Conference:
“I was very worried when I went to the conference – it was my first time participating in such a large‑scale event in person. But in the end, everything went perfectly.”

A month earlier, in March, Varvara made her debut at the Collegium‑Linguisticum conference at Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU) with a paper on the impact of the technological revolution on culture and social psychology in the Republic of Korea. This topic also grew out of an essay that so engaged the author that it turned into an independent study. The paper received third place, and the proceedings have been published. At the same time, her analytical article “Ecofeminism in the Republic of Korea and Japan: Challenges of Adaptation” was published on the RIAC website – a result of her work within the discussion‑analytical club on international relations in East Asia.

At the same Lomonosov Conference, second‑year student Ksenia Arzamaskova presented a paper on the evolution of the institution of marriage on the Korean Peninsula – from Confucian traditions to socialist norms. The paper was based on her term paper. Before the presentation, Ksenia was afraid of the unknown, but most of the questions turned out to be predictable, and she was able to answer them confidently. Her academic supervisor, Angelika Sergeevna Bobryshova, accompanied her at every stage – from topic approval to stepping up to the podium.

Ksenia Arzamaskova, 2nd year:
“This experience taught me not to be afraid to try new things and helped me step out of my comfort zone.”

Second‑year student Demid Nefyodov took part in two very different events this year. In March – at Korean Literature Week 2026 at the Korean House in St. Petersburg: five days of lectures, discussions and face‑to‑face meetings with writers, where he could speak Korean, ask questions directly and make connections that, in his words, could prove useful for future research. In December 2025 – at the MGIMO Model: a League of Nations format, writing resolutions, presenting positions and lectures by former diplomats for the participants.

Demid Nefyodov, 2nd year, on the MGIMO Model:
“We examined a case related to the history of East Asia in the 1930s – we had to simultaneously train historical knowledge, area studies erudition, and skills in international relations. Only well‑prepared people participated, which greatly increased the interest. This is probably one of the best events I have ever taken part in.”

Korean Studies training helps students see the region in a broader Oriental studies context, which is also reflected in the topics they choose for independent work. Third‑year student Alexey Grudnev presented a paper on the fortifications and fortified towns of the Silla state at the Eighth International Conference of Young Korean Studies Scholars at the Institute of Asian and African Studies (IAAS), MSU, in October 2025. Second‑year student Victoria Kokurina also took part in Korean Literature Week. Third‑year student Sofya Rudakova turned to Japanese studies: she presented a paper on the representation of Japanese mythology and symbolism in games by the studio Chilla’s Art at the conference “Japanese Popular Culture in the Modern World” at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and published an article in the conference proceedings.

Sofya Rudakova, 3rd year:
“I had long dreamed of writing on the topic of my favourite developer’s games – so when I saw the conference announcement, I immediately applied. I am very glad that my proposal was accepted.”

All of this forms a trajectory that begins in the classroom. A term paper becomes a conference presentation. An essay becomes a talk topic. An academic course becomes the starting point for research that then reaches an academic platform. The institute creates the conditions that make this path possible as early as the second and third years of study: through support when choosing a topic, academic supervision, and integrating students into professional events related to Korea and East Asia.