About the conference
The TCN Annual Conference 2026 takes place on Friday, 30 October 2026 at TCN Headquarters in Ganghwa, Incheon, Republic of Korea. This year’s theme is “What Does TCN Tell Us in the AI Era?”
The one-day programme opens with two addresses. It continues with student team presentations from the Idu and Economic History classes, a professor session, and a master’s defence session for graduate students of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS). The day closes with a vote of thanks, a cultural and historical field trip to three sites in Ganghwa, and a conference dinner.
Conference Overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | Friday, 30 October 2026 |
| Venue | TCN Headquarters, Ganghwa, Incheon, Republic of Korea |
| Theme | What Does TCN Tell Us in the AI Era? |
| Format | One-day programme, followed by a field trip and conference dinner |
Programme at a glance
A concise itinerary of the conference day from morning arrivals to the evening return journey.
| Time | Session / Activity | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00 | Volunteer pickup | TRANSPORT |
| 08:00 | Student pickup at Siseupjae (시습재), AKS | TRANSPORT |
| 09:30–10:00 | Registration and welcome coffee | REGISTRATION |
| 10:00–10:20 | Opening Addresses | ADDRESS |
| 10:20–12:20 | Student Presentations | SESSION |
| 12:20–13:30 | Lunch with discussion | MEAL |
| 13:30–15:20 | Professor Session | SESSION |
| 15:20–16:20 | Master’s Defence Session | SESSION |
| 16:20–16:30 | Vote of Thanks | ADDRESS |
| 16:30–18:00 | Cultural and Historical Field Trip | FIELD TRIP |
| 18:00–19:40 | Conference dinner and networking | DINNER |
| 19:40 | Return journey | TRANSPORT |
Programme · Part 1: Morning Programme
Arrival and Registration (07:00–10:00)
| Time | Event & Arrangements | Personnel / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00 | TRANSPORT Volunteer pickupProfessor Jun picks up Bilal, Mouchumi, Ana and Tom. |
Professor Jun Driver |
| 08:00 | TRANSPORT Student pickup at Siseupjae (시습재), AKSSix cars arrive at Siseupjae. |
Aisulu (Coordinator) Mouchumi (Holds the drivers’ phone numbers) |
| 09:30–10:00 | REGISTRATION Registration and welcome coffeeBreakfast: coffee and bread |
Reception |
Opening Addresses (10:00–10:20)
| Time | Session & Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00–10:10 | ADDRESS Opening AddressChallenges and Future of the AI Era from Transcultural Perspectives |
Kim Won Joon President of the TCN; Kim & Chang |
| 10:10–10:20 | ADDRESS Opening AddressIntroducing C&A |
Kim Hyun Ho (김현호) CEO, C&A Co., Ltd. (㈜씨앤에이) |
Student Presentations (10:20–12:20)
Session Chair: Sang Hoon Lee (이상훈) · Professor Emeritus, Academy of Korean Studies (AKS)
| Time | Session & Topics | Presenters / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10:20–11:00 | PRESENTATIONS Idu Class• Team A: Transcultural Monsters (4 presenters) • Team B: Comparative Birth Myths (3 presenters) |
Student Research Teams |
| 11:00–11:30 | BREAK Discussion with coffee break |
Mid-morning break |
| 11:30–12:20 | PRESENTATIONS Economic History Class• Team A: Beyond the Silk Road: Trade, Religion and Migration (3 presenters) • Team B: Monetary Autonomy and Economic Transformation in Goryeo (3 presenters) • Team C: Economic History of Women in Markets: A Case Study of Joseon Women (4 presenters) |
Student Research Teams |
| 12:20–13:30 | LUNCH Lunch with discussion |
Lunch break |
Programme · Part 2: Afternoon and Evening
Professor Session (13:30–15:20)
Session Chair: Do Sang Ho · Professor Emeritus, Keimyung University
| Time | Presentation Title | Speaker / Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| 13:30–13:50 | PRESENTATION TCN Professor SessionTCN in the AI Era: From Connecting People to Connecting Knowledge |
Deog Bae Park, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Business Administration, Dongguk University WISE Campus, Gyeongju |
| 13:50–14:10 | PRESENTATIONBankless Society: Kaseong Korea |
Vilayphone Somsamone Professor, Souphanouvong University |
| 14:10–14:30 | PRESENTATIONThe New Great Divergence or Convergence? Rethinking AI and Global History from a Transcultural Perspective |
Zhang Wen Professor, Center for Economic Research, Shandong University |
| 14:30–14:50 | PRESENTATIONOverview of the U.S. Minority Business Program in the AI Era |
John Lee CEO, ACE Engineering Inc. |
| 14:50–15:20 | BREAK Discussion with coffee break |
Afternoon coffee break |
Master’s Defence Session (15:20–16:20)
AKS Graduate Student Defence Session
Session Chair: Daniel Schwekendiek · Professor, Academy of East Asian Studies, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)
| Time | Thesis Title / Topic | Candidate / Reviewer |
|---|---|---|
| 15:20–15:30 | DEFENCE Title to be confirmed |
Aleksi |
| 15:30–15:40 | DEFENCE The Commercialisation of Cultural Heritage |
Mouchumi Basumatary |
| 15:40–15:50 | DEFENCE Title to be confirmed |
Mohd Bilal |
| 15:50–16:00 | DEFENCE Songdo and Alatau City: A Comparative Analysis of City Planning |
Shapolayeva Aisulu |
| 16:00–16:20 | COMMENTS Comments on the presentations |
Professor Daniel Schwekendiek |
Closing, Field Trip and Dinner (16:20–19:40)
| Time | Activity & Route | Personnel / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 16:20–16:30 | ADDRESS Vote of Thanks |
Jeon Seong Ho Professor, Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) |
| 16:30–18:00 | FIELD TRIP Cultural and Historical Field Trip1. Ganghwa Anglican Church (대한성공회 강화성당) 2. Ganghwa Dolmen Site (강화고인돌유적) 3. Yeonmijeong Pavilion (연미정) |
Historic Ganghwa Sites |
| 18:00–19:40 | DINNER Conference dinner and networking |
Evening Reception |
| 19:40 | TRANSPORT Return journey |
Departure from venue |