Institute of French and African Studies (Director Professor Jo Hwa-rim) successfully hosted its first domestic academic conference, titled 'The Spectrum and Trends of African Popular Culture,' on Friday, November 14 in Room 208 of the Humanities and Social Sciences Building at Jeonbuk National University (JBNU).

The conference was organized to academically illuminate the multilayered spectrum and developmental patterns of African popular culture. By analyzing African identity and social practices as expressed across diverse cultural domains—music, film, media, digital platforms, and language—it conducted an in-depth exploration of the social discourses and cultural meanings shaped by popular culture.

The event also reviewed major domestic and international achievements and trends in African popular culture research, and featured vigorous discussions seeking new research horizons through interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration.

The program was carried out as part of the Humanities Korea 3.0 (HK3.0) project in which JBNU's Institute of French and African Studies participates. Through the conference, it provided an opportunity to establish a foundation for research on African popular culture within Korean academia and to contribute to the sustained development of related academic fields.

Director Jo Hwa-rim commented, 'The conference enabled in-depth discussion of African popular culture from diverse perspectives and served as an occasion to broaden the horizons of Africa-related research within Korean academia.'

Director Jo Hwa-rim added, 'JBNU's Institute of French and African Studies will, building on this conference, further strengthen humanistic imagination and international solidarity, and continue to contribute to the deepening and dissemination of African studies as well as to the promotion of civic education and cultural exchange within Korean society.'