Busan, South Korea | 11 September 2026
The India–Korea Forum (IKF) and the India Center, Busan, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen institutional cooperation and expand academic, educational, research, and people-to-people engagement between India and South Korea.
The MoU was signed by Prof. Rajiv Kumar, Director of the India–Korea Forum, and Prof. Soon-Cheul Lee (이순철), Director of the India Center and Professor at Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS).
The signing ceremony was also attended by Ms. Young-Hee Park (박영희), Secretary General of the India Centre, and Prof. Srijan Kumar, Senior Fellow at the India–Korea Forum and Associate Professor at BUFS, along with representatives of both institutions.
The agreement represents an important step toward developing a sustained partnership between the two institutions and creating new platforms for dialogue, knowledge exchange, education, research, and collaborative initiatives related to India–Korea relations.
Building a Broader Platform for India–Korea Cooperation
Under the partnership, the India–Korea Forum and the India Center will explore cooperation across a range of areas, including joint conferences and academic events, educational programs, collaborative research, student and faculty engagement, internships and mentoring, publications, and public outreach initiatives.
A particular focus will be on creating greater opportunities for students, researchers, professionals, and emerging leaders to deepen their understanding of India and South Korea and participate more actively in the future development of bilateral relations.
The collaboration also forms part of IKF’s broader effort to strengthen networks among universities, research institutions, businesses, professionals, and next-generation leaders across India and South Korea.
From an MoU to Meaningful Cooperation
Commenting on the partnership, Prof. Rajiv Kumar, Director of the India–Korea Forum, emphasized the importance of translating institutional partnerships into concrete and sustained engagement:
“India–Korea relations are expanding across economic, technological, educational, and cultural domains, but the long-term strength of this partnership will also depend on deeper institutional and people-to-people connections between our two countries. Academic and knowledge-based platforms have an important role to play in building these connections.”
“For us at the India–Korea Forum, an MoU should be more than a formal agreement. Its real value lies in what we build together afterward—bringing students, researchers, academics, professionals, and emerging leaders together and creating practical opportunities for learning, collaboration, and long-term networks between India and Korea.”
— Prof. Rajiv Kumar, Director, India–Korea Forum (IKF)
Looking Ahead
The India–Korea Forum and the India Center look forward to translating the MoU into concrete programs, collaborative activities, and new opportunities for India–Korea engagement in the coming months.
Through joint initiatives, research, educational activities, and people-to-people engagement, the partnership seeks to contribute to a stronger ecosystem for India–Korea knowledge exchange and next-generation cooperation.
