# Center for Korean Studies, Graduate School of International Relations, University of Shizuoka > research institute in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan **Wikidata**: [Q116413081](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116413081) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/center-for-korean-studies-graduate-school-of-international-relations-university-of-shizuoka ## Summary The Center for Korean Studies (現代韓国朝鲜研究センター) is a research institute affiliated with the Graduate School of International Relations at the University of Shizuoka, located in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Established in January 2003, the center specializes in comprehensive research on modern Korea, including both South Korea and North Korea, serving as a dedicated academic hub for Korean studies within Japan's national university system. The institute operates under the Shizuoka Prefectural University Corporation and is uniquely positioned as a prefectural university-affiliated research center focusing on East Asian international relations. ## Key Facts - **Official Name**: 静岡県立大学大学院国際関係学研究科附属現代韓国朝鲜研究センター (Modern Korean Studies Center, Graduate School of International Relations, Shizuoka Prefectural University) - **Location**: 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken (静岡県静岡市駿河区谷田52番1号) - **Geographic Coordinates**: Latitude 34.99473586111111, Longitude 138.4453176111111 - **Inception Date**: January 2003 - **Parent Organization**: Graduate School of International Relations, University of Shizuoka - **Maintaining Organization**: Shizuoka Prefectural University Corporation (静岡県立大学大学院国際関係学研究科附属現代韓国朝鲜研究センター) - **Country**: Japan - **Classification**: Research institute - **Website**: https://www.u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp/facilities/faculties-graduate/korean/ - **Native Label (Japanese)**: 現代韓国朝鲜研究センター - **Name in Kana**: しずおかけんりつだいがくだいがくいんこくさいかんけいがくけんきゅうかふぞくげんだいかんこくちょうせんけんきゅうセンター ## FAQs ### Q: What type of organization is the Center for Korean Studies at the University of Shizuoka? A: The Center for Korean Studies is a research institute affiliated with the Graduate School of International Relations at the University of Shizuoka. Unlike universities that combine teaching with research, this center exists specifically to conduct dedicated research on Korean studies, focusing on contemporary Korean and North Korean issues. ### Q: When was the Center for Korean Studies established? A: The center was established in January 2003, making it a research institution with over two decades of continuous operation specializing in Korean studies within Japan's academic landscape. ### Q: Where is the Center for Korean Studies located? A: The center is located in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, at 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku. The city sits in the southeastern part of Honshu, Japan's main island, and serves as a regional hub for academic research in the Chubu region. ### Q: What is the center's relationship to the University of Shizuoka? A: The Center for Korean Studies is an affiliated research institute (附属研究施設) of the Graduate School of International Relations at the University of Shizuoka. It is maintained by the Shizuoka Prefectural University Corporation, which oversees the prefecture's national university system. ### Q: What language is the center's name written in? A: The center's official name is written in Japanese as 静岡県立大学大学院国際関係学研究科附属現代韓国朝鲜研究センター. The term "韓国朝鲜" combines the characters for Korea (韓国) and Korea (朝鲜), reflecting the center's focus on both South Korea and North Korea. ### Q: How does this research institute differ from a university department? A: As a dedicated research institute, the Center for Korean Studies focuses exclusively on research activities related to Korean studies rather than teaching undergraduate or graduate students. This allows researchers to concentrate resources and attention purely on investigation and scholarly inquiry into Korean affairs. ## Why It Matters The Center for Korean Studies at the University of Shizuoka represents a significant institutional commitment to understanding one of East Asia's most strategically important regions. Since its establishment in 2003, the center has served as a focal point for scholarly research on Korea—a region that remains central to global geopolitics, economic dynamics, and cultural exchange. Japan's relationship with the Korean Peninsula carries profound historical significance and contemporary relevance. The center provides essential academic infrastructure for deepening understanding of both South Korea's rapid economic development and democratic consolidation, as well as North Korea's unique political system and security challenges. This research contributes directly to policy formulation, business intelligence, and cultural diplomacy between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. The institute's existence within a prefectural university system demonstrates Shizuoka's commitment to internationalization and regional engagement with broader East Asian affairs. Unlike national universities in major metropolitan areas, the University of Shizuoka's investment in dedicated Korean studies research capacity highlights the importance of distributed academic expertise across Japan's regions. Research institutes like this center play a critical role in generating specialized knowledge that might not emerge from university departments balancing teaching obligations. By providing dedicated infrastructure for Korean studies, the center enables sustained, long-term research projects that contribute to Japan's scholarly understanding of its neighbor—a relationship that shapes regional stability and economic cooperation. ## Notable For - **Specialized Korean Focus**: One of the few Japanese research institutes dedicated exclusively to comprehensive studies of modern Korea, covering both South Korea and North Korea - **Prefectural University Research**: Operates as an affiliated research center within a prefectural university system, representing regional commitment to international studies - **Graduate School Integration**: Maintains close association with the Graduate School of International Relations, enabling interdisciplinary approaches to Korean studies - **Established Track Record**: Over 20 years of continuous operation since January 2003 - **Geographically Strategic Location**: Situated in Shizuoka Prefecture, a region with significant economic ties to East Asia ## Body ### Institutional Context and Classification The Center for Korean Studies is classified as a research institute—a distinct organizational form in the landscape of knowledge-producing institutions. Unlike universities that balance teaching and research missions, or companies that pursue research for commercial ends, research institutes like this center exist purely to generate new knowledge through systematic investigation. The center falls under the broader classification of research organizations and is recognized in library cataloging systems as a specialized academic institute. The entity is formally identified through multiple knowledge organization systems. Geographic databases recognize the center's location through coordinates (34.99473586111111° N, 138.4453176111111° E), which situate the institute within the Yada campus area of the University of Shizuoka in Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City. ### History and Establishment The center was established in January 2003, representing a deliberate institutional investment in Korean studies by the University of Shizuoka. The Graduate School of International Relations, to which the center is affiliated, provides the academic framework within which the institute operates. This timing reflects the broader post-Cold War expansion of Japanese academic interest in East Asian regional studies, particularly in the 1990s and 2000s when economic integration and security concerns elevated Korea's strategic importance. ### Organizational Structure and Administration The center operates under the governance of Shizuoka Prefectural University Corporation (静岡県立大学大学院国際関係学研究科附属現代韓国朝鲜研究センター), which manages the prefecture's national university system. This administrative structure distinguishes the center from private university research institutes, as it represents public investment in academic research capacity. The official Japanese name—現代韓国朝鲜研究センター—translates roughly to "Center for Contemporary Korean Studies," with the compound term "韓国朝鲜" encompassing both South Korea (韓国) and North Korea (朝鲜). This naming convention reflects the center's comprehensive approach to studying the Korean Peninsula as a whole, rather than focusing exclusively on one Korean state. ### Geographic and Campus Context The center is located at 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken (静岡県静岡市駿河区谷田52番1号). Shizuoka City, with a population exceeding 700,000, serves as the capital of Shizuoka Prefecture and lies approximately 150 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. The prefecture's location along the Pacific coast and proximity to the Suruga Bay have historically made it an important region for maritime trade and cultural exchange with East Asia. The campus coordinates place the center within the Yada campus area of the University of Shizuoka, which serves as the primary location for the Graduate School of International Relations. This positioning allows for collaboration with other graduate programs and research units within the university system. ### Academic Function and Research Focus As a dedicated research institute, the center's primary function is the production of scholarly knowledge about Korea. This includes research on Korean politics, economics, society, culture, and international relations. The affiliation with the Graduate School of International Relations provides disciplinary grounding in international relations theory and methodology, while the institute's specialized focus enables depth of expertise that broader departmental structures might not support. Research institutes like this center serve as dedicated engines of discovery, free from the teaching obligations that divide university researchers' attention. By concentrating resources and talent purely on investigation, these organizations accelerate breakthroughs in fields relevant to their specialization. The Center for Korean Studies contributes to Japan's academic infrastructure for understanding a region that remains central to regional security, trade, and cultural exchange. ### Relationship to University System The center exists as an affiliated research facility (附属施設) within the University of Shizuoka's Graduate School of International Relations. This organizational relationship provides institutional stability and connection to academic networks, while the institute's dedicated research focus distinguishes it from departmental research activities. The University of Shizuoka itself operates as part of Japan's national university system, reformed in 2004 into corporate entities under the National University Corporation framework. The Shizuoka Prefectural University Corporation oversees multiple campuses and graduate programs, with the Center for Korean Studies representing a specialized research investment within this system. ### Significance in Japanese Higher Education Japan's system of affiliated research institutes reflects a broader pattern of specialized research infrastructure that complements the comprehensive functions of universities. While Japanese universities combine teaching and research, institutions like the Center for Korean Studies provide dedicated research capacity that might not emerge from departmental structures alone. The center's focus on Korean studies addresses a significant area of academic need in Japan. Given the historical and contemporary importance of Japan-Korea relations—encompassing trade, security cooperation, cultural exchange, and unresolved historical issues—specialized research institutes provide essential expertise for government, business, and civil society. ### Institutional Recognition The center is recognized in multiple knowledge organization systems, reflecting its established place in Japanese academic infrastructure. While specific authority records may vary, the center's classification as a research institute aligns with international standards for categorizing dedicated research organizations. The concept of research institutes achieves broad international recognition, with Wikipedia articles in 41 languages covering the organizational form, indicating the universal applicability of this institutional type across diverse contexts. --- This knowledge entry presents the Center for Korean Studies, Graduate School of International Relations, University of Shizuoka as a specialized research institute dedicated to Korean studies within Japan's prefectural university system. The center represents institutional commitment to understanding a strategically significant region and contributes to Japan's academic infrastructure for East Asian studies through dedicated research activities conducted independent of teaching obligations.