Two research institutes at Pukyong National University have been selected for the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation's '2026 Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute Support Project,' receiving approximately 1.88 billion won each for up to six years.
The support project aims to cultivate research hubs and generate outstanding academic research outcomes through the specialization and professionalization of humanities and social sciences research institutes.
A total of 44 research institutes from 33 universities nationwide, including Pukyong National University, have been selected for this initiative. Among these, eight universities have two or more institutes selected, including Pukyong National University.
The Global Regional Studies Institute and the Decentralization Development Institute at Pukyong National University have been chosen. Professor Park Sang-hyun leads the Global Regional Studies Institute, while Professor Kim Joo-hee heads the Decentralization Development Institute. The Global Regional Studies Institute has been selected for this project consecutively since 2020. Its research theme is 'The Pacific of Latitude and Longitude: Historical Geometry of Multilayered Connectivity and the Expansion of Peace Spaces.'
The institute plans to analyze the formation and changes of various networks that have developed across the Pacific over centuries, encompassing people, culture, trade, economy, institutions, and technology.
In particular, amid the fragmentation of existing Pacific connections due to U.S.-China strategic competition and the restructuring of global supply chains, the research will explore the potential for 'peace through connectivity' rather than 'peace through power.'
The study will examine how various connections, such as migration, trade, ports, and communication networks, have transformed cities and regions, and will propose conditions for new peace spaces based on open and inclusive connections.
The research will also focus on the networks of major coastal cities along the Pacific, including Busan. This aims to establish an academic and policy foundation for Busan to develop as an international connectivity hub and a peace city in the Pacific Rim.
The Decentralization Development Institute will conduct research on 'Establishing Korean-style Regional Economic Security Governance in the Era of Complex Crises,' drawing on its experience from the past decade of social science research support projects (SSK).
The institute will analyze the impact of complex crises, including the pandemic, U.S.-China strategic competition, wars, supply chain restructuring, and instability in energy, food, and logistics, on local regions. It plans to expand the existing national-centered economic security discussions to the regional level, establishing the concept and theoretical framework of 'Regional Economic Security.'
The research will systematically analyze how regions respond to and recover from external economic and security shocks, and how inter-regional connections and cooperation create differences.
Based on this, the institute aims to develop a 'Regional Economic Security Index (RES Index)' to measure and categorize the level and characteristics of regional economic security, and to clarify how regional economic security is formed and operates under different institutional and regional conditions through comparative studies of major regions domestically and internationally.
Furthermore, the institute plans to propose a Korean-style regional economic security governance model involving various stakeholders, including central and local governments, businesses and industries, universities, and research institutions.
Meanwhile, Pukyong National University was also selected last year for the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation's Humanities Korea 3.0 (HK3.0) support project and the Humanities and Social Sciences Convergence Talent Development Project (HUSS).
* This article has been translated by AI.
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