CNU's seven professors have been selected to receive the 2004 research grants for basic sciences (humanities and social sciences) from Korea Research Foundation. The selected professors will receive 2,151 million won (about US$1.8 million) fro their research projects. CNU researchers accomplished the splendid feat of winning the research grants for their projects on humanities and social sciences, which have been in the declining trends. CNU's continuous efforts to restore the humanities have been reflected on diverse events and programs such as 'Talks on Humanities.'
According to the announcement of Korea Research Foundation, a total of 329 research projects were selected out of 1,321 projects. Seoul National University ranked 1st in the number of selected projects and Ehwa Womans University placed the next position. CNU ranked 4th following Korea University in the number of grant-winning projects.

The followings are the CNU research projects, selected by Korea Research Foundation:

♢ Prof. Kim Kyong-hak (Dept. of Anthropology, College of Social Sciences) - "Migration and Nations: the Formation, Changes, and Networks of the Indian Diaspora"
The Indian Diaspora is a generic term to describe the people who migrated from territories that are currently within the borders of the Republic of India. It also refers to their descendants. The Diaspora covers practically every part of the world. It numbers more than a million each in eleven countries, while as many as twenty-two countries have concentrations of at least a hundred thousand ethnic Indians. Prof. Kim will make an in-depth study of the problems and difficulties, the hopes and expectations of the overseas Indian communities as well as the Korean communities all over the world.

♢ Prof. Lee Deung-yeon (Dept. of Chinese Language & Literature, College of Humanities) "Modern Korean and Chinese Writers' Works on the Chosun Dynasty: Translations and Studies"
This is a comparative study of literary works describing the lives of the Chosun Dynasty, written by Korean and Chinese writers. Prof. Lee will conduct a project to study the literary materials and documents related with Chosun and complete the translations for the research. The translated materials will be formed as a database, which can be provided as knowledge contents.

♢ Prof. Kim Soon-im (Dept. of German Language & Literature, College of Humanities; Institute of European Studies) "A Study for the Education of Cultural Communications with the European Union Countries"
Increasingly, disseminating information around the world happens in different languages, and several media. The first responsibility is to communicate the information, which is emerged as a significant task for current globalized communities. This study will examine regional information, communication methods, communication skills for business, and cultures of the European Union (EU) countries for the development of governmental policies relating to the EU.

♢ Prof. Kim Yang-hyun (Dept. of Philosophy, College of Humanities; Research and Education Center for Philosophy) "A Study Focusing on the Morals of Responsibility Expressed by Existential Philosophers"
His research aims to investigate the concept of 'responsibility,'expressed in Existential Philosophy and to broaden the scope of the concept relating to the morals of environment, life, information, and technology. This study will show a clear image of the principles and concept of responsibility with an academic approach.

♢Prof. Lee Ju-no (Dept. of Chinese Language & Literature, College of Humanities) "A Study on the Interactions of China's Cultural and Political Powers in the Mao Years (1949-1976)"
Prof. Lee's research aims to analyze the interactions of China's cultural and political powers in the Mao Years from the establishment of the People's Republic of China and to the end of the Cultural Revolution. He will reveal the linkage between cultural and political powers, which flow from cross-border interactions and from internal conditions during the Mao years.

♢ Prof. Wee Sang-bok (Dept. of Philosophy, College of Humanities; Research and Education Center for Philosophy) "Modernity in Hegel's Philosophy: Explanations and Prospects"
As now largely eroded controversies around the phenomenon of "postmodernity" and other issues of academic 'chic' subside and critics are after the next fashionable commodity on the cultural analysis of the world, Prof. Wee's research project focuses on the cultural condition of modernity and the emergent phenomena of postmodernity. For this analysis, he makes Hegel's philosophy as a standard to compare and interpret the arguments and reflections on relevant issues.

♢ Prof. Nah Hee-kyong (Dept. of English Language & Literature, American Studies Research Institute) "The Fallacy of Reductionism: Asian American Writers' Cultural Identity"
The world of Asian American art contains just as much diversity, creative expression, and talent as that of Asian American literature. The writers are always coming up with innovative and provoking ways to weave their own cultural identity with their artistic expression and their work is drawing a lot of attention from Asians and non-Asians alike. Prof. Nah will conduct a research project to study individual identity problems and investigate the fallacy of reductionism, which commonly appears in the studies on Asian American writers' cultural identity. Korean American writers such as Lee Chang-rae and Suzi Kim will be studied as an example for the study.