Join us for an engaging talk with Professor Jay Lewis, that journeys through over 2,000 years of Korean history, examining key moments that shaped the Korean peninsula and its role as a pivotal force in East Asia.

Professor Lewis’s talk will traverse time and place, focusing on:

• The seventh-century Anapchi royal garden in Gyeongju, a masterpiece of Silla’s golden age.
• A seventeenth-century Confucian scholar’s garden, reflecting the philosophical and aesthetic ideals of its time.
• The Japan House in Pusan (15th–19th century), a site of intense Korea-Japan interactions.
• The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at the 38th parallel, its stark reality, and contemporary significance.

Beyond these landscapes, the talk will weave together the broader history of Korea—its kingdoms, conflicts, and cultural exchanges that shaped East Asia. From ancient migrations to the Mongol conquests, from the Chosŏn dynasty’s Confucian governance to modern South Korea’s global influence and North Korea’s enigmatic state, this lecture will illuminate Korea’s extraordinary resilience and transformation.

A Q&A session will follow the talk. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of Korea’s past, present, and future!

Schedule

6.00pm - Welcome from the Cambridge and Alice Burns, Temple World

6.05pm - Talk from Professor Jay Lewis

6.45pm - Q&A with Professor Lewis, facilitated by Alice Burns

7.00pm - Finish

This talk is part of the Cambridge Alumni Travel Programme and is organised by Temple World who will be arranging the alumni tour to South Korea with Professor Jay Lewis in September 2025.

This event will be recorded.