종합경제사회연구원

KIME Guide

중동경제연구소 Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies

Forward| History| Background| Objective| Characteristic| Org. Chart| Members| Finance| Main Work| Activity|Korean

 

 Seek after Truth, Based on Facts

KIME Summer Symposium (1995/08/18)

RIES Booklet

 KIME is a private institute attached to RIES established to study the comprehensive area studies on August 15, 1993. KIME performs the academic studies of the Middle East and the interdisciplinary studies with KYC, Korea-Yemen Center. Remembrancer of the old homepage:  , , ,


Background

Historically the Korean's first economic relations with Muslim goes back to the 8th century. However the official relationship between Korea and the Middle East countries started in 1957 when Korea had entered into diplomatic relations with Turkey. In modern context the full-scale Korea's advance to the Middle East was made in the early of 1970's after the 1st oil crisis of 1993. Thereafter Korea has not only expanding its business to the Middle East countries including the advance of manpower and construction but broadening its political, economical, social and cultural exchanges with them.

The Middle East has variety of races, languages, religions and geographies, as it consists of more than 20 countries which is connected through the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. In historical aspect, the Middle East is the origin of ancient civilization of the Nile and Euphrates and Tigris culture. They succeeded in the influence of Byzantine, Persia and Othman Empire in this region. Geographically the Middle East locates at the vast region through West Asia to North Africa and ethnologically it consists of various races such as the Arabs, Turks, Iranians, Jews and other minorities. What is more, the Middle East coexists with Christianity, Islam and Judaism as the cradle of religion. Therefore the Middle East has to be studied more widely than any other countries in the world.

For these reasons, the Middle East became the region of an Area Studies that Research Institute of the East-West Economy and Society (RIES) has been pursued, and RIES selected 'the Middle East' as a concerning region of Area Studies. For the systematic studies of the Middle East, RIES established 'Korea Middle East Institute' which raised the 'the Middle Eastern department' of RIES to higher rank of the Institute, attaching to RIES on December 12, 1995. After that, KMEI renamed 'Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies' (KIME) by RIES committee on November 2, 1996. On the other hand, Korea - Yemen Center that already born as an attached body of RIES in 1994, made Yemen a concerned country in the Middle East studies.

In accordance with it, KIME conceptualizes the scope of the Middle East as follows: It deals with the region from Iran in the East, to Sudan and Egypt in the South through Arabia peninsula, to Morocco and the Sahara desert in the West, and to Turkey in the North. KIME performs the studies contains more than 20 countries which are located in the above-mentioned region. Especially KIME divides the Middle East into six areas in detail that consist with Fertile Crescent, the Gulf, the Red Sea, al-Maghreb, Levant and non-Arab region and places an emphasis on the studies of the Mideast economies by comprehensive area studies. Extending Yemeni studies that begun in 1994 to the Ummayyads, Abbasiyyads and Othman period historically, KIME performs the study of economic history in the Middle East lengthwise. KIME also deals with the crucial issues as oil and water resources that are connected with food security in the world crosswise. Synthesizing the Mideast studies lengthwise and crosswise, KIME will help to understand the Mideast. For the purpose of these, KIME opens the door to play a role in the economic relations between Korea and the Mideast in the form of the attached body of RIES.

 


Objective

As mentioned above, Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies (KIME) became to feel the need of the 'the comprehensive Mideast studies' about history, economy, society, culture and art in the Middle East. KIME, thus, aims to research the deeper 'Mideast studies' through practical use of its languages and socio-scientific analysis in this region. KIME divides the Mideast into five special areas and focuses its study on 'the economic relations between Korea and the Mideast'. For the purpose of it, KIME was established to research the Mideast studies and play an important role in an information center between them as an attached body of RIES.


Characteristics

Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies performs general and multi-aspectual studies for the specific subject that consists of RIES research team controlled by the director eligible for the objective project. KIME prides itself on being able to perform every project effectively through connecting organically 'home library system' possessed by each member, utilizing the computer network. KIME places its emphasis on the slogan of "Small, but Rich" in accordance with RIES precept, "Seek after Truth, based on the Facts". Moreover KIME possessed the Mideast specialists who attained the diploma M.A. or Ph.D. is able to carry out easily the comprehensive research for the Mideast studies.

 


Oranization Chart 


Members

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Finance

Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies is a pure private research institute and its finance is supported by the member's fee and public and private subsidies.

 


Main Activities

Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies performs the following activities;

1) Collection of the research works, and the informations relating to the Mideast.

2) Publication of research works, periodicals and other materials of the Mideast.

3) Promotion of academic researches and the exchanges of data and information

4) Short-term lectures and special language education.

5) Carrying out the cultural and artistic events.

6) Holding sisterhood relationship with the related body of the Mideast.

7) Translation of research works and books relating the Mideast studies.

8) Dispatch the research team and researcher in accordance with the project home and abroad.

9) Performing the other projects to coincide our institute's objectives.

 


Kwanak P.O. Box 49, Seoul  151-600, Korea, Tel: 82-2-876-4249, Fax: 82-2-876-4349

Copyright ⓒ 1997-2012 KIME. All rights reserved.