The Academia Via Serica at Keimyung University is pleased to announce the commencement of the process for the second Keimyung Silk Road Award. This prestigious endeavor is designed to acknowledge and honor authors who have made remarkable contributions to the realm of Silk Road Studies. Annually, a distinguished interdisciplinary selection committee, composed of esteemed scholars within this domain, meticulously evaluates the scholarly works submitted for consideration. Our commitment lies in maintaining the utmost standards of impartiality, fostering a rigorous and unbiased assessment process. To ensure fairness, we uphold confidentiality regarding the identities of our esteemed committee members until the unveiling of the award-winning books.

Competition Rules and Procedures

• To be eligible for the award, books must be high-quality scholarly monographs presenting original research. They should be first editions and have their initial publication in English or Korean between January 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

• In addition to original works, scholarly monographs that are translations of ancient materials related to the Silk Road written in rare classical languages are also eligible. These translations must be available in English or Korean.

• Annually, the Keimyung Silk Road Award honors a maximum of two outstanding books. These selected works epitomize excellence and innovation in their respective fields.

• Edited volumes, new editions of previously published books, bibliographies, dictionaries, and textbooks are not eligible.

• Nominations for the award may be submitted by publishers, academic organizations, the authors themselves, or scholars actively involved in Silk Road studies.

• To initiate the nomination process, we kindly request that you send an email to censca@kmu.ac.kr, with the subject line “KEIMYUNG SILK ROAD AWARD”. In the email, kindly submit the author’s curriculum vitae and up to three pages of pertinent  descriptions regarding the nominated book. Please attach two recommendation letters from experts in the field of Silk Road studies affirming the scholarly merit of the work. Additionally, please include the electronic version of the book in PDF or ebook format. To facilitate the review process, kindly send a physical copy of the nominated book to the provided address below.

• The deadline for all submissions is Monday, July 1, 2024. (A physical copy must be submitted by July 5th.)

Award Ceremony

• Each awardee will receive a cash prize of $2,000 for a book in English or 2,500,000 Korean won for one in Korean, along with a distinguished medal of excellence recognizing their significant contributions to Silk Road research.

• The announcement of the awardees will be made in September 2024, providing them with sufficient time to prepare for their participation in the award ceremony scheduled for October or November.

• The grand award ceremony will take place at Keimyung University in Korea, providing a prestigious platform to celebrate the accomplishments of the awardees. Invited awardees will have the opportunity to deliver a special lecture, sharing their insights and expertise with the audience.

• It is essential for awardees to accept the invitation and be available to attend the ceremony on the specified date set by the university. To facilitate their participation, all necessary travel expenses, including round-trip airfare and lodging for a three-day, two-night stay in Korea, will be fully covered.

• The awards will be presented to the winners by the President of Keimyung University, demonstrating the university's recognition and gratitude for their outstanding work. The Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do, the province where Keimyung University is located, may also serve as a co-presenter.

For inquiries, please contact censca@kmu.ac.kr

Address for hard copies:

Academia Via Serica, Keimyung University

1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea