July 25-29, 2005

This course was a new offering in the Summer Institute series. It met daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. A total of 28 teachers were enrolled, including nine from outside the tri-state area who were able to participate due to scholarships provided from re-programmed Freeman Foundation funding.

The course explored Korea's place in the long and complex history of cultural exchanges and trading relations with neighboring countries through the nexus of the Silk Road through presentations focused on art, history, archeology, linguistics and religion. The lecture topics and presenters were as follows: "Korea and the Silk Road" by Jonathan Best, professor of art history, Wesleyan University; "Origins of Koreans and Their Culture" and "History of the Three Kingdoms" by Mark Byington, post-doctoral fellow, Korea Institute, Harvard University; "Silk Road Treasures from Ancient Korea-Glass and Gold" by Insook Lee, director, Pusan City Museum, Pusan, Korea; "Origin of the Korean Language" by Gari Ledyard, King Sejong Professor Emeritus of Korean Studies, Columbia University; "Globally-oriented Sillans in the Silk Road World" by Richard McBride, Visiting East Asian Professionals Program, Washington University; "Korea's Role in the Emergence of Agriculture and State Formation in Ancient Japan" by Song Nai Rhee, research associate, Museum of Cultural and Natural History, University of Oregon; "Art in Korea and Japan" by So Young Lee, curator, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; "The Diffusion of Cultural Ideas in East Asia" by John Goulde, associate professor of religion and director of Asian studies, Sweet Briar College; and "Hands-on Workshop: Introduction of Curriculum Materials" by Marjorie Bingham, consultant and textbook author.

This course was designed to be very intensive and most of the participants appreciated the unique learning opportunity it afforded.

Course Material:

Richard McBride - Globally Oriented Sillans