Above: Dr. Chin Soo, Lim: Vice President of the Korea Maritime Institute.
In late May the Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS) and Center signed an Agreement for Academic Cooperation with the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI). The purpose of the Agreement is to foster an enhanced dialogue between the Republic of Korea, Canada, the United States, and the Inuit in Canada to enhance understanding and research on international governance, trade and ecosystem management.
The signing ceremony took place over a luncheon at the University Club on campus. Canadian Studies presented Vice President of KMI, Dr. Chin Soo Lim with an Inuit print from Inuvialuit in the Northwest Territory. KMI presented the Canadian Studies Center with a framed piece of Korean traditional embroidery entitled, The Lucky Omen.
See http://jsis.washington.edu/jackson/news/research_agreement_korea_may_2014.shtml.
Already the Center has provided the Korea Maritime Institute with a report – Inuit Foreign Policy and International Relations in the Arctic (N. Fabbi & V. Gallucci) – to better inform the Republic of Korea as to the important and influential role of the Inuit in policy shaping both domestically in Canada and globally.
In August, Vince and Nadine met with Dr. Jong Deog Head of the Polar Policy Research Center at KMI to begin to layout a three-year plan for the Agreement. This will include a research agenda and meeting of experts at the University of Washington in 2015 to begin to build the KMI-JSIS collaborative partnership and, specifically, to address the passing of the chairmanship of the Arctic Council from Canada to the United States.