As cultural economy and heritage industry are gaining increased importance in the age of creative economy, each nation is making concerted efforts to register their own heritage on the World Heritage List. Taking into account this global trend, the Department of World Heritage Studies at the Konkuk University (KU) Graduate School started offering the first graduate program in its field in Korea in 2014. The program itself is interdepartmental, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of world heritage studies in the master’s and doctoral levels, and comprises geography, history, cultural context, and architecture, among others. The purpose of this program is to develop world heritage specialists and experts capable of researching, nominating, conserving, promoting, and managing world heritage both in theory and practice.

The major aim of the Department of World Heritage Studies at KU is to foster global experts in the research and education of world heritage and in particular its protection and promotion. The program seeks to foster specialists in the conservation and management of world heritage trained in interdisciplinary techniques and knowledge, as well as to facilitate experts able to implement promotion planning, management planning, development and tourism planning, and advertising related to the value of world heritage.