UW and Korea
UW–Madison and Korea
UW–Madison and Korea share a rich history of academic exchange, collaboration, and personal connections that continues to evolve today.
Across decades, students, faculty, scholars, and alumni have carried ideas and experiences between Wisconsin and Korea, creating relationships that reach far beyond the university.
Whether formed in the classroom, through research and institutional partnerships, or among a global community of Badgers, UW–Madison’s ties to Korea continue to bring people together, foster new perspectives, and create opportunities to make a lasting impact.
Explore some of the connections between UW–Madison and Korea.
Featured Country Initiative
Korea is one of six countries selected for the Featured Country Initiative (FCI). The FCI celebrates the university’s international collaborations in specific locations around the globe. These collaborations include joint research and publications, student and faculty exchanges, community engagement, and creative endeavors.
By the Numbers
588
Students enrolled from Korea during AY 25-26
127
UW–Madison faculty and staff are known to be from Korea
200+
Students enrolled in Korean language courses
1,854
Registered alumni living in Korea
Center for East Asian Studies
The Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) began in 1962 as the East Asian Studies program, building on more than sixty years of research and teaching on China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, and Taiwan at the UW–Madison. Over the years, it has grown from fewer than a dozen faculty members teaching thirty graduate-level courses to more than seventy faculty members teaching nearly three hundred courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
The Center for East Asian Studies is the focal point connecting East Asia to the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is dedicated to all aspects of research, education, and outreach related to China, Japan, and Korea.
Featured Stories
Alumni
Wisconsin Ideas, Korean Actions
Dong-One Kim MS’91, PhD’93, is the president of Korea University, and between 1988 and 1993, he made Madison his second home. His UW experience taught him principles that guide him as he helms one of Korea’s foremost educational institutions.
ALUMNI
Economic Visionary Kang Seok-hoon Reflects on Leadership at KDB
Kang Seok-hoon, M.S. and PhD ’91, is one of the most influential figures in Korea’s economic landscape, serving as the chairman of the Korea Development Bank.
Alumni
WSB Wraps Up 125th Anniversary Celebrations with UW–Madison Community in Seoul
The Wisconsin School of Business 125th Anniversary Celebration: Seoul united Badgers across South Korea with a show of community, school pride, and a legacy of business innovation.
Fulbright
Q&A with Fulbright Scholar Anitha Quintin
Anitha Quintin ’21, international studies, political science, and mathematics, has had an incredible journey as a student, a scholar, and a teacher.
Students
Korean Studies Major
One of the newest majors offered at UW–Madison, the Korean Studies Major offers undergraduates an incredible opportunity to explore Korean language, culture, and civilization.
students
Global Gateway 2026 Launches with New Locations, Record Participants
In summer 2026, 76 students from disciplines across campus will participate in three-week programs in Chile, Estonia, Ghana, Korea, and Washington, D.C.
Faculty
Tehshik Yoon Awarded Samsung’s Prestigious 2026 Ho-Am Award
Yoon is being honored for developing an innovative methodology for organic synthesis by utilizing transition metals as photocatalysts, enabling complex bond-forming reactions in organic molecules with low-energy visible light.
research
CEAS Launches Open Source Intelligence Project with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
The project represents a significant advancement in the application of open source intelligence to provide valuable insights into one of the world’s most opaque regions.
students
The Power of Political Theory: UW–Madison PhD Student Hyemin Park
Hyemin Park’s research focuses on how 19th and 20th century East Asian thinkers from Japan, China, and Korea interpreted Western concepts like liberty and individual rights.
Korea Connections
The Wisconsin Directory of Global Engagement (WiDGE) captures international activity across the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. This directory currently includes 20 formally signed, active agreements between UW–Madison and institutions in Korea.
Ho-Am Prize
The Ho-Am Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in South Korea and globally. The prize recognizes outstanding achievements across a range of disciplines, including science, engineering, medicine, arts, and community service, making it highly esteemed in both academic and professional circles. Since the award was established in 1990, eight individuals connected to UW have been named as recipients.
- 2026 Teshik YOON, professor, Department of Chemistry, UW–Madison
- 2023 Kyoung-Shin CHOI, professor of chemistry, UW–Madison
- 2023 Marcia Haigis, professor, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School; UW–Madison alumna, PhD, biochemistry
- 2022 Yong-Geun OH, professor, POSTECH; director, Center for Geometry and Physics, Institute for Basic Science; previously professor of mathematics at UW–Madison from 1991–2013
- 2013 Sangtae “Sang” KIM, executive director emeritus, Morgridge Institute; currently at Purdue University
- 2007 Chang-Beom Eom, Theodore H. Geballe Professor and Harvey D. Spangler Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
- 2003 Yongmin KIM, president, POSTECH University; UW–Madison alumnus, PhD, MS electrical and computer engineering)
- 1997 Hyuk YU, professor emeritus of chemistry