Monash Academy of Korean Studies Indigenous Award Winners
Monash University Korean Studies is proud to announce the Korean Studies Award for indigenous Australians: "Monash Academy of Korean Studies Indigenous Award". This award is presented to an indigenous Australian student who demonstrates high academic performance and commitment to Korean Studies at Monash University. The aim of the award is to encourage more indigenous Australian students to pursue high-level academic work in Korean Studies.
2025 Report
The 2025 Monash-Academy of Korean Studies Indigenous Prize was awarded to TK Reekie-Buckland, who is currently double majoring in Korean and Japanese Studies and taking Korean Proficient 1.
Please join us in congratulating TK!
The following is TK’s statement on receiving the award:
My interest in Korean Studies is multifaceted. I was initially drawn to Korean Studies through my interactions with the Korean community in my hometown of Darwin, where I first started studying Korean language at a local Korean church. Through this study, I was able to form amazing bonds and have many wonderful experiences, which were all under-pinned by Korean culture and language. Stemming from that initial community-based interest, I became more curious about Korean culture and history also. Since coming to university, I have been able to learn about modern Korean history which has only further perpetuated my curiosity in not only the development of Korean culture, but also Korean social issues.
Another layer of my interest is also based in linguistic studies. As someone who has studied both Chinese and Japanese in tandem with Korean, I have become more curious about the linguistic relation between these languages. My interest tends to be in both words that transferred more recently in the advent of modern globalisation and words based in Hanja which have stark differences in pronunciation to modern Mandarin.
To me, this prize means that I will be able to better focus myself on Korean Studies, continue to pursue my Korean related interests and hopefully immerse myself better in Korean Culture. Whilst I have been able to interact with Korean culture in Australia, I hope that this prize will allow me to travel to Korea and immerse myself in the culture at some-point this year. As I have studied Korean for so long and have not been able to actually go, this would mean a great deal to me and would not only greatly benefit the development of my Korean language skills but also allow me to better understand Korean culture from first-hand experience.
2022 Report
Congratulations to Grace King for winning the 2022 Monash-Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) Indigenous Award ($5,000).
Monash University recognizes and creates opportunities to show respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their culture. Following these values, MUKSRH introduced this award last year to encourage more Indigenous Australian students to pursue high-level academic performance in Korean Studies program at Monash University. Students receive a prize of $5,000 with the award recorded on their academic transcripts. This is the second time Grace has received this award, which showcases her love and dedication towards Korean Studies at Monash University.
Here’s what Grace has to say about receiving the award:
I am extremely grateful to receive the Korean studies Indigenous award. But more so, I'm proud to be majoring in an area of study which shows genuine support for minority Indigenous students. For many, Indigenous students studying at university can create environments in which identifying as Indigenous can seem unnecessary or shameful. For me, the offer of this award from the Korean studies department showed me that my major department genuinely cares for the support and acknowledgment of Indigenous students and encouraged a stronger sense of pride in my Aboriginality. I'm more than hopeful for the prospect of more Indigenous students considering studying Korean at Monash because of the culturally safe environment encouraged by the department through this award and consistent acknowledgment of the Country at special events (e.g., the Annual Korean Speech Contest).
2021 Report
Please join us in congratulating Grace King for winning the 2021 Monash-Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) Indigenous Award ($5,000). This award is presented to an indigenous Australian student who demonstrates high academic performance and commitment to the Korean Studies program at Monash University.
See what Grace has had to say about her experience with the program:
I enjoy learning Korean, and since studying Korean culture units alongside the language units, I have found an equal amount of interest in Korean history and culture. My interest in Korean Studies has grown over the past three years, and I'm ambitious to continue my studies next year in Korea. Receiving this prize will go towards assisting my plans and has given me a nice push of confidence that I will be able to fulfil my ambitions for next year.
We hope this program will continue to motivate Indigenous Australian students by acknowledging and appreciating their commitments and academic achievements in Korean Studies. Monash University respects the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and cultures, and recognising Traditional Owners is important to all of us. We would like to express our gratitude to the Core University Program for Korean Studies through the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Studies Promotion Service of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) for continually supporting this program.
If you have any queries, please contact Dr Lucien Brown at Lucien.brown@monash.edu