An Era of Fog, an Education That Builds the Compass : MBA Achievements of 2025
An Era of Fog, an Education That Builds the Compass : MBA Achievements 0f 2025
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Widely attributed to Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, this famous quote captures the essence of contemporary education—particularly the fundamental direction that leadership education must pursue. In an era where uncertainty has become the norm, the competencies required of leaders extend far beyond the mere accumulation of knowledge. True leadership lies in creative thinking and the ability to act—qualities that enable one to read the tides of change and build a new order within them.
Over the past year, Korea University has put this philosophy into practice by realizing an education model in which “learning becomes action.” Although each program—Korea MBA, Executive MBA, Finance MBA, KUBS-DBA, Global MBA, and CEMS Global MIM—targets a different audience and serves a distinct purpose, they all move toward a shared mission: to cultivate leaders who design their own futures in a rapidly changing world and drive positive transformation in society.
Here, learning is not simply the acquisition of knowledge; it is the act of creating the future. Students learn in the classroom, test what they have learned in real-world settings, and expand that learning once again in society. This cycle of learning represents the depth of education that Korea University strives for and is the driving force that has positioned the university as a standard-bearer of business education not only in Korea but across Asia.
Under this philosophy, Korea University has demonstrated over the past year—through a wide range of programs—that learning is the force that drives change.
Korea MBA: Building Practical Global Insight
The Korea MBA program offers an education that cultivates practical global insight grounded in management theory. From June 25 to 29, a total of 156 students participated in a global field study in Singapore under the guidance of Academic Director Professor Kwanghyun Kim. Through visits to government agencies, startups, and global corporations, the students conducted an in-depth examination of Singapore’s developmental model as a city-state where digital transformation and ESG strategies intersect. This experience functioned as a dynamic learning platform—one that allowed students to test and deepen their classroom knowledge within the real global economic system.
Executive MBA: An Educational Laboratory for Practical Leadership
The Executive MBA has continued to deliver field-centered education under a clear mission to cultivate practical managerial leaders, with the ELITE project (Executive Learning & Interactive Team Exercise) at its core. The ELITE presentation event held this past August at Supex Hall in the LG-POSCO Hall marked the culmination of these efforts. Rather than a simple project showcase, the process in which participants identified real corporate challenges and developed actionable solutions functioned as a full-scale “management laboratory.” Participants presented structured strategies—integrating data analysis, interviews, and financial simulations—while addressing realistic topics in rapidly evolving markets such as healthcare, platform businesses, and O2O services. Judges commented, “The ideas are not only innovative but also highly applicable to real-world practice.”
The accompanying International Residency Program (IRP) further strengthened the global distinctiveness of the E-MBA curriculum. The 22nd cohort participated in lectures and institutional visits on ESG and innovation leadership at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University, in the Netherlands from July 5 to 12, gaining first-hand insight into Europe’s sustainable management models. The 23rd cohort, from June 21 to 28, explored the role of executives amid global geopolitical dynamics at Georgetown University in the United States, experiencing global leadership that navigates the intersection of policy and business. These programs are not simple study tours; rather, they reflect the core identity of the E-MBA—a process in which leaders think in the field and reflect deeply on the balance between social responsibility and innovation.
Finance MBA: Financial Education That Reads the ‘Flow’ Beyond the Numbers
The Finance MBA program spent the first year of its two-year curriculum engaged in a wide range of meaningful activities. From June 26 to 29, students traveled to Shanghai, China, to gain a comprehensive view of the present and future of the financial industry. Through visits to local investment firms, fintech companies, and global financial institutions, participants explored how technological advances are reshaping financial markets. Experiencing the dynamism of a global financial hub firsthand was regarded as an opportunity to develop “insight that reads the flow beyond the numbers.”
A key pillar of the curriculum, the Independent Study course, enables students to apply theories and methodologies learned in the core curriculum to real-world issues and derive practical solutions. Students work on team projects, receive close guidance from faculty advisors, and gain experience in scientifically analyzing and solving industry problems. Professor Bumjean Sohn noted, “Students may, in fact, learn even more through Independent Study than in regular classes.” Previous cohorts have tackled a wide range of topics, including “bond investment strategies for busy working professionals” and “the current landscape of generative AI–based financial services.”
Global MBA & CEMS Global MIM: The Intersection of Global Leadership
The Global MBA and CEMS Global MIM students participated together in Homecoming Day on Wednesday, August 20. Professor Betty Chung reflected on key programs carried out over the past year, including the Business Practicum, Career Acceleration Program, Global CEO Talk, and various company visits. One of the highlights was the Global CEO Talk, a weekly session featuring distinguished leaders from diverse industries for deep, interactive discussions. This year, the Italian Embassy also visited, providing students with a meaningful opportunity for cultural and professional exchange. During the Homecoming session that followed, alumni took the stage to share the connections they had built and the personal and professional growth they experienced throughout the program. They also offered practical insights, including internship cases facilitated through the Career Office.
KUBS-DBA: A ‘Practice-Oriented Research Platform’ Connecting Academia and Industry
The KUBS-DBA program, newly established this year, is an advanced research-centered program designed to bridge academia and industry by translating management theory into the language of practice. The inaugural cohort spent the first year of the three-year curriculum focusing on career development, practice-based scientific research, and activities aimed at knowledge creation and dissemination.
In particular, the seminar series—centered on emerging management themes such as ESG, AI, and data-driven decision-making—was recognized as a program that clearly demonstrated KUBS’s perspective on “how academia drives industry.” The KUBS-DBA is positioning itself not merely as a doctoral program but as a “managerial intelligence platform” that transforms accumulated knowledge into social value, presenting a new model for cultivating next-generation practical scholars who connect the corporate, academic, and policy spheres.
Korea University is realizing an innovative model of education that integrates theory and practice, domestic and global perspectives, and academia and industry. Every MBA program has evolved into more than simply a place to “learn management”; they have become “journeys in learning the mindset and responsibility of a leader.”
In 2025, Korea University’s MBA continues to ask: “What should a leader learn, and how will they change the world?” And, by proving the answer through action, it continues to create a new future each day.
2025.12.08
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