East Europe and Balkan Institute of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies held an international conference and art exhibition through 17th to 22nd October. As the only institute based on strategic languages, the institute has been contributing to establish a foundation for studies on Central-Eastern Europe and Balkan regions and to enhance the relationship between Korea and Eastern Europe.

Under the theme of "Unity Over Division Looking Through the Transition Experience of Central and Eastern Europe," the conference carried out several new attempts to reach the goal of building research materials for interdisciplinary convergence and unification.

The fusion of art and learning was a part of the event. Under the common theme of "harmony beyond division," artists and experts in the humanities and social sciences gathered at the event to share their artistic, academic, and political-economic views. On 17th, the first day, art critics from Eastern European countries (Lithuania, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovakia, Poland) gathered around to give speeches on the artistic trends of Eastern European countries that experienced the system transition.

  Moreover, nine local artists and two Chinese artists held a contemporary art exhibition under the title "An+Other=One, Indivisible But All Together" through various art forms including painting, sculpture, digital and video art. The exhibition that took place in the Memorial Hall in the Seoul campus, and it was the first time to be held within the university.  Furthermore, it is an expression of "With Harmony Beyond Vision", from the perspective of artists. It is open until the 13th of November.

  Second, if the first day was the venue for the expression of art critics or artists, the international academic conference on the 21st and 22nd was the venue for discussions led by humanities and social scientists. Various issues were discussed, including changes in symbols and identity and the economic system, privatization issues, security and international relations, and unification measures after the change of system. In particular, the debate in the field of humanities on the 21st delivered vivid opinions of foreign professors with their participation from Eastern Europe.

  There was a discussion on the system transition of Eastern European countries from an economic point of view on the last day of the event that the Korea Institute of Public Finance co-hosted.

  To celebrate the event, Kim In-cheol, the Chancellor of the university, and Ok Dong-seok, the head of the Korea Institute of Tax Finance, invited around 50 VIPs home and abroad, having a luncheon at the Bankers Club on the 16th floor of the Korea Federation of Banks, sharing the importance of the event and suggested keep working together in the future.

  Conducted in simultaneous interpreting, a lot of experts, including the Ukrainian ambassador and the Georgian counsellor had a debate on useful system transition types and measures suitable for Korean unification after hearing the Eastern European cases during the first session. They moved on to the second session with another discussion on the issues regarding Korean unification, having the best pundits from all around the world with professor Namgoong Young as a chairperson. In the last session, a discussion on how symbols, images, and identities were newly interpreted and recreated in everyday life and cities after the system transition.

  This conference and art exhibition will be worthwhile in that the convergence of all academic and artistic fields has been attempting under the major theme of "harmony" beyond the field, and it is also meaningful that Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, the Korea Institute of Public Finance, and the International Association of Art Critics have attempted to unite and practised true harmony. Besides, it can be considered as a great pathway to future discussion on unification by bringing about opinions from all levels of society.