AMH

The Academy of Mobility Humanities (Director: Inseop Shin) at Konkuk University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Asia Research Institute (ARI, Director: Tim Bunnell) of the National University of Singapore (NUS) on July 17. Through this agreement, the two institutions will actively promote joint research and academic activities in the humanities and social sciences.

Founded in 2001, ARI is a global academic hub which has lead the asian studies. Encompassing a wide range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, ARI is particularly committed to interdisciplinary and integrative research, fostering international scholarly exchange through seminars, conferences, and collaborative projects.

Established in 2018, the Academy of Mobility Humanities (AMH) was selected the same year for the HK+ Program, funded by Korea’s Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea. Since then, it has explored new humanistic perspectives and practices on the mobilities of humans, objects, technologies, and societies. This year, AMH was consecutively selected for the HK3.0 Program under the theme of “Infrastructure Humanities,” demonstrating its outstanding achievements and capacities in this emerging academic field.

AMH has maintained close collaboration with NUS, most notably by co-hosting the Global Mobility Humanities Conference at Konkuk University in 2024 with the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The trust built through these exchanges has now culminated in the signing of this MOU.

Under the agreement, the two institutions will formalize broad cooperation system, including: △joint research, △faculty and researcher exchange, △exchange of academic resources, △co-hosting of conferences, and △collaboration on special journal issues and monographs. In particular, AMH researchers will participate in the upcoming international workshop hosted by ARI, Digital Work, Mobilities and Changing Cities in Asia, to be held in Singapore this October, as part of their collaborative academic endeavors.

The Academy of Mobility Humanities will host the 2025 Global Mobility Humanities Conference (2025 GMHC: entr’act) on December 5–6, 2025 at Konkuk University, Seoul Campus.

Marking its 6th conference this year, the 2025 GMHC will be held under the theme:
“Mobility Infrastructures of Humans, Non-humans, and More-than-humans.”

For more details, please visit our website: https://www.mobilityhumanities.net/

We look forward to your participation and interest.

The Academy of Mobility Humanities will co-host the 2025 Global Mobility Conference, held in collaboration with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority Mobility Support Center, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, and the Korean Transport Society, on September 9–10 at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul.

The Global Mobility Conference has been held annually since 2023 to showcase South Korea’s innovative achievements and vision in advanced mobility to the world. This year marks the first time the conference, previously focused on technology and industry, will include formal sessions on humanities, addressing human experiences and cultural contexts. The Academy of Mobility Humanities at Konkuk University has been involved in planning these sessions from the very beginning.

Under the theme “Shaping the Future Together: New Possibilities Through Innovation,” this year’s conference will bring together global companies, government agencies, and academic experts to discuss ways to reduce mobility gaps across countries, regions, and generations, and to create a future mobility environment accessible to all.

Several researchers from the Academy of Mobility Humanities will participate in the conference. On September 9, Professor Mimi Sheller, a distinguished advisor, will deliver the keynote speech. On September 10, the session “Humanities & Mobility” will feature presentations by Professor Peter Adey, HK Professor Taehee Kim, and HK Research Professor Donghyun Koo. This session will analyze mobility issues from a humanities perspective and propose ways to maintain human-centered values and socio-cultural responsibilities amidst rapid technological innovation.

The 2025 Global Mobility Conference is open to anyone via pre-registration. Those wishing to attend can register through the conference website below:
・Conference Website: https://mobility.or.kr/

We look forward to your active interest and participation.

The Academy of Mobility Humanities at Konkuk University (Director: Inseop Shin) has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for mutual cooperation with Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. This renewed agreement expands the collaboration to include four departments: in addition to the Department of English, School of Social Sciences, and the Centre for Mobilities Research, the School of Arts has now newly joined the partnership.

Founded in 1964, Lancaster University is one of the UK’s leading institutions and was ranked 12th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025, recognized for its excellence in research and education. Since the first MOU signed in 2019, followed by a renewal in 2022, the Academy of Mobility Humanities has steadily expanded academic and material exchanges with Lancaster University. The partnership has included joint research efforts, including a project funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

This latest renewal not only reflects the stability and continuity of the ongoing collaboration but is also significant in that it expands the participating institutions and diversifies the fields of cooperation into humanities, social sciences, and the arts. Through this agreement, both parties aim to institutionalize the exchange of human and material resources and to promote a wide range of academic activities, such as joint research projects, academic conferences, special journal issues, and the publication of monographs. In doing so, they seek to further strengthen a global interdisciplinary research network that integrates mobility studies with humanistic inquiry.

The Academy of Mobility Humanities has established the Convergence Department of Humanities and Mobility Studies within the Graduate School.

The Convergence Department of Humanities and Mobility Studies aims to cultivate creative and interdisciplinary leaders who can respond to rapidly transforming cities and societies by fostering an integrated understanding of mobility and infrastructure from humanistic, social, and technological perspectives. The goal is to nurture mobility humanists and infrastructure innovators who will lead us toward a sustainable future. We appreciate your interest and support.

For more information, please visit the department’s website:
Korean: mobilityedu.konkuk.ac.kr
English: enmobilityedu.konkuk.ac.kr