PhD student impresses judges with research paper
A University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) PhD student has won a global competition for her research into North Korea.
Priscilla Jung Kim was awarded first place and handed a prize of 3,000,000 South Korean Won, which equates to £1,200, in the 2015 Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) Research Paper Contest for Korean Studies which attracted entries from around the world.
The first year Phd student, who originates from Los Angeles in the USA, submitted her paper that looked at what informal, non-governmental relationships exist between the USA and North Korea, often referred to as Track Two Diplomacy.
Priscilla commented: “I’m really pleased to win first prize as not only will the money come in handy for the travelling I need to do for my Phd, it is also encouraging because it shows that the work I am doing is important which keeps me motivated and on track. Research in this area is still very young compared to Chinese studies and it’s something I’ve always been interested in.”
"UCLan only established the Institute of Korean Studies two years ago, and this award shows that we’re already attracting an exceptionally high calibre of research student as judged by one of the premier worldwide academic bodies on Korean studies."
It was the reputation of Professor Hazel Smith, the Director of the Institute of Korean Studies at UCLan, which drew Priscilla to the University. Congratulating her student, Professor Smith said: “Priscilla has done amazingly well to win this international competition. UCLan only established the Institute of Korean Studies two years ago, and this award shows that we’re already attracting an exceptionally high calibre of research student as judged by one of the premier worldwide academic bodies on Korean studies. Our research students form part of UCLan’s exciting and innovative Korean studies research and teaching community, including the exponentially increasing undergraduate students studying the Korean language, and our dynamic and highly-qualified academic staff from all over the world.”
Priscilla, 24, has now applied to present her research paper at an international conference on Korean Studies to be held in Singapore later this year. Prior to studying at UCLan she completed her undergraduate degree in East Asian Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and has long-term ambitions to work in the US State Department and for the US Foreign Service as a Diplomat.