If you were told cricket was to become a subject in a university course, you might well guess the university to be Cambridge in England, Melbourne in Australia, or even India's Madras Institute of Technology. But would you guess a university in Korea? No? Well you wouldn't be the only one, but as of March 2001, CRICKET will be an elective subject in the Department of Sports Science at Seoul's SungKyunKwan University!

SungKyunKwan University is the oldest academic institution in Asia, and was founded in 1398 (a little before WG Grace first stroked the leather!). The school has two campuses catering for nearly 25,000 students, and has sister relations with Oxford, Sydney, plus a number of well-known universities in Europe, Asia and the United States.

The cricket subjects initiation is the brainchild of university lecturer Matthew Steele. Steele, who was born into Australia's cricket rich culture, is completing a doctorate in International Relations at SungKyunKwan as well as lecturing part time. He believes that introducing cricket to the South Korean students is an exciting prospect. "Koreans tend to be inquisitive regarding new things and the students are certainly interested in learning about cricket. They currently have a very limited knowledge of the game but hopefully we can rectify this over the coming months," Steele said. At last count close to 50 students had registered to take the subject, including 5 females!

The course syllabus will initially concentrate on an introduction to cricket with early lectures focusing on the history of the game, rules and equipment. Following this, lectures will take a more practical form with students learning the batting, bowling and fielding skills through various drills designed for beginners. By the end of the course it is hoped the students will have enough knowledge to play, umpire and score a complete game.

Supporting Steele's vision of cricket education in Korean universities is the Korean Cricket Association (KCA) and the ICC East Asia – Pacific Development program. The KCA, who staged a dinner for former Australian test great Allan Border last year, will supply equipment for the course, while the students will attend several local KCA games as part of their studies. The ICC's East Asia – Pacific Development Officer Tim Anderson has been involved in setting the syllabus for the course, and will also be a guest lecturer during an upcoming visit to Seoul.

With Korea setting the pace, how long will it be before cricket subjects are being taken in university courses all over the world? Only time will tell, but with the Koreans showing an obvious interest in our great game, don't be surprised if SungKyunKwan University soon offers the worlds first BCric – or Bachelor of Cricket!! Watch this space

Australian Test great Allan Border with some young Korean cricket fans at the Seoul Academy Photo © ICC

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