K-Arts Celebrates 20 Years of ODA National Scholarship Program with AMA+ Homecoming Day

From February 5 to 7, K-Arts hosted AMA+ Homecoming Day to mark the 20^th anniversary of the AMA+ scholarship program, aiming to strengthen its role as the global arts hub that discovers and nurtures artistic talents from developing countries. The AMA+ scholarship stands for “Art Major Asian Plus Scholarship.” To participate in the event, world-renowned artists, who are actively serving in various roles across different countries, visited K-Arts.

Beyond merely providing educational support, AMA+ scholarship has nurtured each student’s dream and served as a bridge between Korea and other countries by facilitating networking through arts over the past 20 years. Many graduates of this program are indeed now working as artists, officials, and educators worldwide.

The scholarship program annually selects approximately 20 outstanding prospective artists from ODA recipient countries, offering them national grants to support their academic journey toward earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree at K-Arts. The benefits for selected students include a full scholarship, Korean language training classes, and coverage of living and medical insurance expenses. Since its inception in 2005, when it admitted 17 students, the program has nurtured talents for 20 years. Most program graduates now serve as professors at prestigious universities in their home countries, while others have become prominent artists, officials, or entrepreneurs in related fields.

On February 6, more than 60 influential alumni from 17 countries and diplomats stationed in Korea – representatives from Mongolia, Indonesia, and Cambodia – attended the event at the Lee O Young Art Theater on the Seokgwan campus of K-Arts, making it especially meaningful.

The event followed this schedule: sharing accomplishments of AMA+ scholarship program, building a global alumni network, providing mentorship among alumni on career paths, and discussing ways to pursue international joint art-cultural projects. Traditional performances from Mongolia, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan were showcased afterward, followed by an ensemble of “Arirang” by graduates from 4 countries (Mexico, Mongolia, Vietnam, and the Philippines).

President Kim Daejin of K-Arts said, “The AMA+ scholarship has nurtured 359 artistic talents  from 34 countries over the past 20 years, growing into a global platform that leads the development and exchange of arts and culture of developing countries.” He added, “K-Arts will continue striving for global collaboration and advancement through the arts. We look forward to walking together with all of you here today toward the future of art.”