A Hub of Innovative Ideas – E-MBA ELITE Project Presentation  Korea University Business School’s Executive MBA (E-MBA) held the ELITE (Executive Learning & Interactive Team Exercise) Project Presentation on Saturday, August 9, at SUPEX Hall, LG-POSCO Building.  A hallmark of the E-MBA curriculum, the ELITE Project is a field-oriented educational program that applies management theories and methodologies learned in class to the resolution of real-world business challenges. The project culminates in presentations that showcase the outcomes of multiple rounds of research and development, guided and advised by faculty members.  A total of 46 students from the 22nd E-MBA cohort participated in the event, forming five teams. They proposed a variety of business models reflecting the latest market trends, including healthcare and wellness services, new online platform-based ventures, and O2O commerce models tailored to the senior demographic. Each team demonstrated a thorough and practical approach, covering everything from problem definition and expert interviews to market and profitability analysis and execution planning. Presentations were evaluated on multiple criteria, including business feasibility, innovation, feasibility of implementation, quality of materials, and presentation skills.  The judging panel included Professor Joonghyuk Kim (Academic Director of the 22nd cohort), Professor Daeki Kim (Academic Director of the 23rd cohort), Kwangsun Kim (President of the E-MBA Alumni Association), Deokcheon Kim (Senior Vice President of the E-MBA Alumni Association), and Jongil Hwang (Executive Vice President of the E-MBA Alumni Association). Faculty advisors included Professors Weon Sang Yoo, Byung Cho Kim, Jaiho Chung, Kyung Sam Park, and Seung-Weon Yoo. Contributing to the vibrant atmosphere, 27 members of the 23rd E-MBA cohort also attended the event.  During the Q&A session following the presentations, an active exchange of in-depth feedback took place between the judges and the audience. The judges highly praised the participants, stating, “The innovative ideas and solid market analysis were impressive, and the proposals were concrete enough to be immediately applicable in real-world business settings.” They also noted the participants’ passion and practical capabilities.  Professor Joonghyuk Kim, Academic Director of the 22nd cohort, commented, “The ELITE Project is more than just a presentation assignment—it is a hands-on training ground for solving real business problems. The passion and creativity each team demonstrated will surely translate into tangible achievements in their professional careers.” Kwangsun Kim, President of the Alumni Association, added, “I am proud of the students who, despite balancing work and studies, have achieved such remarkable outcomes in such a short time.” He also commended their dedication. The final awards ceremony is scheduled for Friday, September 5, the first day of the second E-MBA semester.  Meanwhile, the E-MBA program operates the ELITE Project to enable students to examine organizational challenges and directions for change through a managerial and theoretical lens, while actively engaging in real-world problem-solving. The program aims to nurture global decision-makers with independent thinking and emphasizes the sharing of practical knowledge, analysis, and solutions among peers.  Moving forward, the E-MBA will continue to advance its educational programs to strengthen practical leadership and cultivate next-generation leaders capable of driving change across society and industry.

Reading the Future with Data, Changing the World with Ideas – The 6th DAB Competition  The 6th DAB (Data Analytics for Business) Competition took place on Friday, August 8, at LG-POSCO Hall, Room 432. The DAB Competition is an annual event hosted by the CDTB (Center for Digital Transformation & Business). It helps students better understand new business strategies in the era of digital transformation and provides them with an opportunity to propose creative and feasible business models using public and corporate data.  This year, nine teams participated, presenting the following project themes:  △ON:da (Index-based weather insurance to help small businesses manage risk)  △RunningX (Personalized running route recommendation service)  △Finding Nemo (Optimal route planning for AI-powered marine waste collection robots)  △Reconnection (Support for social reintegration of reclusive youth)  △TtareungPang (Optimizing redistribution efficiency for public bikes)   △Ttasoom (Pedestrian navigation service for the elderly)  △InMaDanDi (Supporting short-form ad planning for influencers)  △JeonSAFE (Risk evaluation model for areas vulnerable to jeonse fraud)  △HippoKUrates (Improving emergency patient transfers through real-time ER information sharing)  The mid-term review was conducted in an interactive discussion format. After each team’s presentation, Professor Jeunghyun Kim posed questions and provided feedback, to which students responded on the spot. Participants shared in detail the background of their topic selection, data collection and analysis processes, current progress, and future tasks. Some teams had already developed predictive models or employed visual materials, demonstrating a high level of project maturity.  After all presentations, Professor Kyung Sam Park provided in-depth feedback to each team, bringing the mid-term review to a close. Participants plan to actively engage with faculty and refine their projects based on the feedback received. The final presentations and awards ceremony will be held in November, where outstanding teams will receive awards along with opportunities for collaboration with companies and institutions.  A CDTB representative stated, “The DAB Competition serves as an important stepping stone for students to grow into future leaders equipped with analytical, planning, and collaboration skills by gaining hands-on experience in solving real business problems through data,” adding, “We will continue to strengthen our role as a digital innovation hub that bridges education, research, and industry through interlinked programs such as bootcamps, colloquiums, and capstone projects.”  Meanwhile, Korea University Business School operates CDTB, an open collaborative platform aligned with the era of digital transformation, where businesses, academia, and research institutions come together. CDTB goes beyond mere knowledge delivery and aims to foster problem-solving talent who can creatively tackle real-world challenges through practical, hands-on education that integrates technology and management. 

Interview with SK Research Award-Winning Professor – Professor Kwangtae Park  In 2025, Professor Kwangtae Park of Korea University Business School co-authored a paper titled “Protecting Workers from Rude Customers to Enhance Organizational Identification in Emotional Labor Environments: A Study with Call Center Agents,” which was accepted for publication in the international journal Production and Operations Management and selected as the winner of the SK Research Award.  This study empirically analyzed how dealing with rude customers in emotionally demanding call center environments induces emotional dissonance among workers and thereby undermines their organizational identification.  In particular, the study demonstrated that customer protection policies and supervisors’ servant leadership act as key moderating factors that mitigate these negative effects. It highlighted that institutional support and leadership at the organizational level play a vital role in sustaining employees’ organizational commitment.  The research was highly acclaimed not only for its academic contribution but also for providing practical insights into sustainable human resource management, offering valuable policy implications that extend beyond academia.    Q1. First of all, congratulations on receiving the SK Award. How do you feel about this recognition?   A1. Thank you. I am very pleased and honored that this study has been recognized for making a meaningful contribution to both practice and academia. I feel especially gratified that it offers insights which can genuinely help alleviate the challenges faced by frontline workers in emotionally demanding environments such as call centers.    Q2. Could you briefly introduce your award-winning research?  A2. This study is an empirical examination of how rude customer behavior in emotionally demanding environments—particularly call centers—affects workers’ organizational identification (OID). It demonstrated that customer protection policies and supervisors’ servant leadership help alleviate workers’ emotional dissonance and, in turn, sustain their organizational identification.    Q3. What motivated you to begin this research?   A3. The study was inspired by the first author’s first-hand experience working in a call center. The industry tends to focus on efficiency-focused technical approaches while paying relatively little attention to the fundamental issue of emotional labor. In Korea in particular, despite legislative progress, on-the-ground implementation often falls short. This gap between nominal protection policies and their actual execution—what we call “decoupling”—ultimately motivated us to conduct this research.    Q4. How do you think your research findings could impact society and industry?  A4. Beyond its academic contribution, this research highlights the importance of improving practical policies and strengthening leadership training to better protect employees engaged in emotional labor. We believe that when companies implement such protection policies genuinely—not merely to meet legal requirements—these efforts can enhance organizational identification and employee retention, providing meaningful implications for the industry as a whole.    Q5. Could you share your future research plans or topics of particular interest?  A5. In the future, we plan to conduct comparative research examining how emotional labor environments in other industries (e.g., hospitals, finance, retail) influence organizational performance. In particular, exploring how AI-based customer service systems are transforming employees’ emotional labor would be an especially intriguing avenue of research.    Q6. What message would you like to share with students?  A6. Research is not just about testing theories; it begins with asking meaningful questions about real-world problems. Even small inconveniences or curiosities in your daily life can become excellent research topics. I encourage you to pursue research that is alive and closely connected to practice.    The following is a summary of Professor Park Kwangtae’s paper.  "Protecting Workers from Rude Customers to Enhance Organizational Identification in Emotional Labor Environments: A Study with Call Center Agents"  This study empirically examined how emotional dissonance—the gap between genuine feelings and the emotional display required by the organization—arising when call center employees deal with rude customers, undermines their organizational identification (OID). Over time, such dissonance erodes employees’ sense of belonging and engagement.  The study also examined two moderating factors: employees’ perception of customer protection policies and supervisors’ servant leadership. The findings indicated that employees who perceived customer protection policies as genuinely enforced experienced less negative impact from emotional dissonance, and those working under supervisors who practiced servant leadership maintained higher levels of OID. Notably, for long-tenured employees—who are more susceptible to accumulating emotional dissonance—effective enforcement of protection policies could still mitigate these adverse effects.  Overall, this research empirically demonstrated that institutional support at the organizational level and human-centered leadership are critical in maintaining and strengthening workers’ organizational identification in emotionally demanding environments. 

[Interview] Campus CEO Startup Competition Winner ‘Ourtube’ – A Challenge Born from the ‘Strategic Technology Commercialization’ Course    Starting a business is an excellent way to learn how to manage failure. The journey of Team Ourtube, which began in Professor Jinyoung Kim’s entrepreneurship course Strategic Technology Commercialization, is a prime example. Their innovative idea—a recommendation platform designed to break the filter bubble effect of YouTube’s algorithm—won them first place in the Campus CEO Startup Competition. Behind this achievement was a classroom environment that embraced trial and error, along with team dynamics fueled by strong engagement. KUBS News sat down with the team to hear how their entrepreneurial idea became a powerful platform for learning and growth.        ■ Interview with Professor Jinyoung Kim (Special Lecturer)  Q1. Was there anything particularly noteworthy about the winning team’s development during the course?  A1. Entrepreneurship courses are more like juggling practice than traditional lectures. The instructor isn’t the only one tossing balls in the air—each student must learn to juggle their own. Some start the semester already holding a ball, while others don’t even know how to make one. By the end, my goal is for every team to put on its own juggling performance. Rather than simply delivering knowledge, this course placed a greater focus on cultivating the ability to manage failure.  In that sense, Team Ourtube was especially memorable. Their dedication and focus were evident right through to the end of the semester, and their passion truly stood out. I hope that this hands-on “juggling” experience will help them pursue their own ideas with confidence in the future.  Q2. What kind of support do you think is still needed for student entrepreneurship?  A2. KUBS offers a robust entrepreneurial infrastructure, including the Startup Station. Of course, not all students aim to become entrepreneurs, but an increasing number are wondering how successful founders achieve what they do. I believe we need more accessible opportunities for students to try their hand at entrepreneurship in a low-pressure setting. If on-campus programs—such as the Crimson Startup Support Group—continue to diversify and lower their entry barriers, they can serve not only as platforms for launching startups, but also as spaces where students can safely practice managing failure.  Q3. Any advice for students aspiring to start their own ventures?  A3. Failure should be experienced repeatedly on a small scale, quickly, and within a manageable scope. Just as you build muscle at the gym, the ability to manage failure can also be developed through practice. At KUBS, we offer a range of entrepreneurship courses taught by faculty members who bring both academic expertise and real-world experience. I encourage any students interested in startups to take advantage of these opportunities to strengthen their mental muscles.      ■ Interview with the Winning Team ‘Ourtube’  The participants were Hyunjoon Koh (Class of 2019), Jaewook Shim (Class of 2021), and Kiyong Choi (Class of 2021). Team member Byeongchan Kim (Class of 2021) was unable to attend the interview due to personal reasons.  Q1. What led you to participate in the startup competition?  A1. Hyunjoon Koh: Taking Professor Kim’s entrepreneurship course was the biggest reason. I remember giving an elevator pitch during midterms, and then the class voted for team leaders. In the next session, we had a casual “happy hour” with snacks, where we interviewed classmates on the spot to form our teams. That spontaneous and interactive process really strengthened our team chemistry, and we were proud of the result. When the professor recommended the competition, we naturally decided to take on the challenge.  Jaewook Shim: The team leader’s idea aligned closely with my own concerns about the “filter bubble” problem. I was intrigued and wanted to help bring the concept to life. Since we were already proud of what we had produced in class, joining the competition was a natural next step for us.  Kiyong Choi: I joined the team a bit later. I had been studying software development on my own and was interested in service design, so when Jaewook invited me to help on the technical side, I agreed—even though I didn’t feel fully confident in my skills. With the team’s encouragement, I decided to participate.  Q2. What was the core idea behind your winning startup concept?  A2. Hyunjoon Koh: Ourtube is a platform that identifies and reduces bias in YouTube’s recommendation algorithm. It promotes more balanced viewing by leveraging algorithm scores and MBTI analysis to recommend a wider variety of content, addressing the filter bubble problem. The name “OurTube” reflects our aim to shift from “YOU” to “OUR,” thereby creating a shared experience rather than an isolated one.  Q3. What was the biggest challenge during preparation process?  A3. Hyunjoon Koh: As a senior preparing for job hunting, it was challenging to juggle both the competition and job applications. Initially, our idea focused on political content, but after receiving feedback about its limited profitability, we decided to broaden the scope, which required a lot of careful consideration.  Jaewook Shim: It was my first time pitching, and conveying an idea clearly within a short time was more difficult than I expected. I studied various pitch examples on YouTube and practiced extensively. I eventually presented for our team at the Campus CEO Startup Competition, and through that experience, my presentation skills improved significantly.  Kiyong Choi: Since all of us were business majors, we were concerned about the technical feasibility of our concept. To address this, we sought technical advice from a friend in computer engineering and also researched possible legal risks.  Q4. What are your plans moving forward after winning the competition?  A4. Hyunjoon Koh: I hope to apply for other government support programs, such as the Pre-Startup Package. We are building on the feedback we received—especially regarding feasibility and profitability—as we prepare for the next stage.  Jaewook Shim: The most valuable part of the competition was receiving feedback from industry professionals. I would like to continue participating in other competitions and startup support programs whenever the opportunity comes up.  Kiyong Choi: While I don’t yet have the technical skills to immediately implement our idea, I’m refining my personal portfolio based on the team leader’s concept. Even at our post-competition team dinner, we talked about regrouping and making another serious attempt. I’m still very optimistic about collaborating again in the future. 

Sowing Time and Weaving Stories – The Past and Future of the Korea University Business School’s 120th Anniversary Projects      Korea University Business School (KUBS) is marking its 120th anniversary in 2025 with a series of commemorative initiatives. First launched in 2022, the anniversary project is currently led by the 120th Anniversary Project Committee, chaired by Professor Hojung Shin, and encompasses a wide range of academic and cultural programs with lasting significance.  The first initiative took place in April 2022, with the creation of a symbolic green space in front of the KUBS main building. Trees such as wild plum, pagoda, and Korean pine were planted, transforming the KUBS campus into a space that evokes its historical legacy and identity. In May of the same year, the sculpture Relatum – The Location by renowned artist Lee Ufan, was installed in front of the KUBS main building, bringing greater artistic depth to the campus. Then in November, 120 Years of KUBS: An Oral History—featuring the recorded voices of honorary professors—was published, contributing to the preservation and enrichment of the school’s historical record.      In 2025, a series of academic and cultural projects are being carried out to further commemorate this historic milestone. In May, Korea University Business School: 120 Years and Beyond, a special commemorative pictorial book, was published. What makes this publication unique is its artistic reinterpretation of key moments in KUBS history through watercolor illustrations—offering a creative and emotionally resonant perspective on the school’s 120-year legacy.  KUBS traces its origins to 1905 as the Department of Commerce at Bosung College and is the only college that has shared Korea University’s 120-year journey since its founding. As the first institution to offer business education in Korea, KUBS has played a pioneering role in advancing the field of business studies nationwide. The commemorative pictorial book is organized into four balanced chapters—△Bosung College (1905–1945), △College of Commerce and Economics (1946–1976), △KUBS (1977–2004), and △Global KUBS (2005–present)—featuring 120 key events and scenes illustrated in watercolor.      The main illustrations were created by Professor Youngsun Jin, an honorary professor  in School of Art & Design, while select scenes were digitally illustrated by the 120th Anniversary Pictorial Student Committee using AI tools. The content of the book is based on records from A Centennial History of KUBS by Professor Emeritus Soosik Shin, and was planned and reviewed by the 120th Anniversary Project Committee to ensure editorial and historical accuracy. Going beyond a simple retrospective, KUBS: 120 Years and Beyond serves as a foundation for imagination and insight toward the next 120 years. The book is currently on public display at the KUBS History Hall on the first floor of the Hyundai Motor Hall.  In August, The Path of Business: A Civilizational History of Korea University Business School’s 120 Years will be released. Also in August, the KUBS Imagination Contest will be held, offering total prizes of 6 million KRW. Under the theme “Mapping the Future: Business Society in 60 Years,” the contest invites students to unleash their imagination and creativity by envisioning the world 60 years from now. The selected entries will serve as foundational material for discussions at the 120th Anniversary Forum on Friday, September 26, where invited experts will explore “The Future of Business and Business Studies.” All Korea University students are eligible to participate and may apply via the KUBS website by Friday, August 15.  September will feature a wide range of engaging events. Beginning on Thursday, September 25, the student-led KUBS festival Hosang Daedongjae will take place, followed by the official 120th Anniversary Forum – The Future of Business and Business Studies hosted by the business school on Friday, September 26. A panel of young entrepreneurs, corporate HR executives, and academic leaders will freely discuss the future direction of business and business education, drawing on student-generated visions of the world 60 years from now. The forum will feature a keynote lecture by Professor Youngheon Cho, historian and author of The Path of Business, along with the final round of the Imagination Contest, panel discussions, and a garden party. In the evening, a celebration hosted by the K-MBA Student Association will conclude the day’s festivities.      The 120th anniversary project goes beyond a mere retrospective; it serves as a platform to solidify KUBS’s identity and articulate its vision for the future. This was symbolically demonstrated during the 120th Anniversary Ceremony in May, where Dean Eonsoo Kim presented the school’s academic road map and development strategy. At the event, Dean Kim introduced the “Next Intelligence” vision, which aims to lead the future by integrating Human Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence. A key space for realizing this vision is the soon-to-be-established “3C 4Tech Trading Zone” within the KUBS campus.  Dean Kim emphasized that “a creative convergence space that dismantles the boundaries between technology, business, and art is essential for nurturing future talent,” adding that “the Trading Zone will be an open platform where students, companies, startups, and artists can freely collaborate, experiment, and grow together.”      The Trading Zone will feature a 3C Café offering refreshments, transparent whiteboards for open ideation, an Open Theater showcasing cultural content every Friday, an Art Sculpture that fuses technology and visual art, and art–multimedia studios. This space will serve as an Experiential Learning Place where students from business, engineering, and design collaborate in teams to identify and solve real-world challenges, working alongside startups and companies. Dean Kim emphasized that the Trading Zone will become a springboard for positioning KUBS as a hub for cultivating creative talents grounded in 4Tech innovation, expressing a strong commitment to driving innovation in future-oriented education.  Marking a significant turning point, Korea University Business School is leveraging its 120th anniversary as a springboard for sustainable change and innovation, collectively driven by its members, as it sets its sights on a bold leap into the next century. 

Singapore, China, U.S., Netherlands… KUBS MBA Classes Expand Across the Globe      Korea University Business School (KUBS) organized International Field Trip for students enrolled in the Korea MBA (K-MBA), Finance MBA (F-MBA), and Executive MBA (E-MBA) programs. By visiting key global hubs such as Singapore, China, the United States, and the Netherlands, participants were able to experience local business environments firsthand and enhance their global perspective and practical competencies.      From June 25 to 29, 156 K-MBA students, led by Professor Kwanghyun Kim, participated in a global field study in Singapore to explore current global business trends. They visited leading IT companies, startup accelerators, and government institutions to learn about digital transformation strategies and ESG practices in the Asian market. By examining Singapore’s strategic growth model and entrepreneurial ecosystem, the students broadened their understanding of global market dynamics.      Meanwhile, 33 F-MBA students, led by Professor Bumjean Sohn, visited Shanghai, China, from June 26 to 29 to gain firsthand exposure to one of the world’s leading financial centers. They visited local investment firms, global financial institutions, and fintech companies, where they received in-depth briefings on the latest trends and policy directions shaping China’s financial sector. The program also featured active discussions on the future of global finance. One participant shared, “It was a valuable opportunity to experience the dynamism of an international financial hub and to refine my vision for a global career.      The E-MBA program also successfully conducted its 2025 Spring Semester International Residency Program (IRP). As a core course in the E-MBA curriculum, the IRP enhances participants’ understanding of the global business environment and strengthens their practical capabilities through short-term study at prestigious universities in the U.S. and Europe, as well as visits to local companies and institutions.     From June 21 to 28, E-MBA 23rd cohort students, led by Professor Daeki Kim, participated in the International Residency Program (IRP) at the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C. Through lectures on diverse topics—such as American Business and Government in Global Geo-Politics, Artificial Intelligence Implications for Business, and Creativity for Leaders—students expanded their insight into the rapidly evolving global business landscape. As part of the program, they also visited the Port of Baltimore, a key logistics hub on the U.S. East Coast, where they gained firsthand experience of global trade and supply chain operations. The visit deepened their understanding of the interconnectedness between port infrastructure and public policy. As part of the program, students also visited Capitol Hill, where they engaged in in-depth discussions on U.S. trade and investment policy, as well as the role of Congress. Taking place in the very heart of the U.S. policy-making landscape, the visit offered participants valuable insights into strategic thinking and global governance. In addition, cultural exploration activities included visits to Manhattan in New York City, Hudson Yards, the One World Observatory, and a cruise around the Statue of Liberty—allowing participants to experience the history and culture of the U.S. East Coast firsthand.      E-MBA 22nd cohort students, led by Professor Joonghyuk Kim, completed their International Residency Program (IRP) in the Netherlands from July 5 to 12 at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University. The program focused on sustainable management and innovation strategies in Europe. Students attended lectures such as Introduction to Leading Innovation, Impact of Political, Social, and Environmental Changes on the European Economy, and Disruptive Technology and AI, gaining multifaceted perspectives on management challenges in the era of ESG and digital transformation.    They also visited leading innovation institutions and sustainable urban development sites, including Floating Farms, TNO (the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research), Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), High Tech Campus, and Blue City, where they explored firsthand examples of Europe’s leadership in ESG-driven business practices.  In addition, students broadened their understanding of local culture and industrial heritage by taking a canal cruise in Amsterdam and visiting the Heineken Experience. The European IRP served as a meaningful opportunity for participants to strengthen their management philosophy and practical leadership skills as global leaders, while deepening their insights into Europe’s distinctive culture of innovation and sustainability-centered business strategies.      This global field study program exemplifies the Korea University Business School MBA’s distinctive educational philosophy. By facilitating experiential learning in real-world global business environments beyond the classroom, the program received high praise from participants. KUBS will continue to expand its practical global business education through sustained partnerships with leading universities and corporations around the world.