Now accepting applications: Nordic-Korea Next Generation Experts Training Program 2025-2026
Do you want to learn more about contemporary politics on the Korean Peninsula? Are you from one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, or Finland) and are you in your early career or pursuing a PhD?
To promote greater awareness and more balanced knowledge, the ISDP Stockholm Korea Center and the Korea Foundation are looking for the next batch of participants for its Next Generation Experts Training Program.
The Nordic countries are long-standing partners to South Korea, engaging in dialogue and collaborating on regional and global concerns since 1959. Despite a long history of state-level cooperation, the Nordic public’s knowledge of Korean affairs remains comparatively low when compared to other regional powers in East Asia, particularly China and Japan. However, during the last decade, there has been a noticeable increase in societal interest in South Korea throughout the Nordic region. Nonetheless, the present structures for information and knowledge exchanges on Korean issues within the Nordic region are insufficient and appear obsolete in dealing with 21st-century challenges, ranging from increasing awareness of regional security interdependence and shared values to promoting common business opportunities and cultural exchanges.
About the program:
The Nordic-Korea Next Generation Experts Training Program is completely sponsored (travel expenses and participation honorarium) by the Korea Foundation. With the goal of raising awareness among young Nordic early career and/or PhD students, the program provides an excellent opportunity for young Nordics to gain a broader understanding of contemporary issues on the Korean Peninsula through lectures and guidance from South Korean, European, and American experts. Based on their enhanced awareness of the Korean Peninsula, the participants will select a research topic of interest and produce a policy paper with policy recommendations under the supervision of a mentor who is an expert in the chosen issue. The participants’ papers will at the end be assembled into a booklet and presented at a book launch event in Stockholm.
The policy papers of the first group of fellows can be found here.
What we offer:
- A three-day training session in Stockholm featured lectures from South Korean, European, and American specialists on domestic issues, the security situation, the green transition, and gender debates. There will also be courses on writing policy papers and mediation techniques. The three-day training session is expected to take place in week 36 (September 3-5, 2025)
- An experienced mentor in the field to assist in writing the policy paper.
- Having the participants’ papers printed into a booklet for public presentation at a book launch event in Stockholm at the end of the program.
- We provide flexibility and information in advance to accommodate the participants’ full-time employment.
Who are you?
- A national to either Denmark, Norway, Sweden, or Finland.
- In your early career (no more than approximately 5 years of experience) or a PhD student. The program is designed to be broad, aiming to engage young professionals from various sectors. It seeks to attract individuals from diverse fields such as journalism, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), universities, security experts, analysts, and government agencies.
- Applicants must be interested in issues pertaining to the Korean Peninsula, knowledge or prior experience is however not required.
- Proficiency in written and spoken English (no knowledge of Korean required).
Application process:
Please provide the following information in one document to Ms. Josephine Ørgaard Rasmussen, the Project Manager at the Stockholm Korea Center, via email: jrasmussen@isdp.eu
- Your CV
- A cover letter describing why you want to participate in the program (Max 1 page). For example, describe how the training program will benefit you professionally, which specific subjects you are particularly interested in learning more about, and why you want to learn more about the Korean Peninsula in general.
The deadline for applications is May 31st, 2025. If you have any additional questions about the program, please contact Ms. Rasmussen. We are excited to receive your application.