"Producers of Knowledge" – KUBS-DBA Admissions Information Session Successfully Held    On October 17, the Korea University Business School (KUBS) hosted an admissions information session for the 2025 Doctor of Business Administration (KUBS-DBA) program at the Young Il Ahn Hall of the LG-POSCO Hall. The event, led by Associate Dean for MBA Programs Gangseog Ryu, featured a detailed presentation and welcomed attendees who had pre-registered to learn more about the KUBS-DBA program.     The KUBS-DBA program is a doctoral degree designed to develop Korean-style business theories based on practical and professional experiences. It distinguishes itself from traditional academic Ph.D. and MBA programs. While MBA programs emphasize acquiring and applying management knowledge for practical use, KUBS-DBA focuses on creating new knowledge derived from real-world experience and practice. In essence, the program positions itself as a "producer of knowledge," transforming professional experience into academic and practical insights.    Although the KUBS-DBA and traditional Ph.D. programs both emphasize knowledge creation, their objectives and approaches differ. Ph.D. programs focus on establishing universal, generalized, and abstract theories, typically presented in the form of academic papers. In contrast, the KUBS-DBA program prioritizes the development of specific, practical theories that can be applied in real-world settings. Research outputs include not only academic papers but also practical papers, business case studies, and professional books.      To design the KUBS-DBA program, KUBS leveraged its extensive expertise to develop an optimal curriculum. The program fosters innovative and valuable knowledge based on practical experience, enabling learners to realize their research through dissertations, case studies, and seminar presentations.    The three-year program follows a structured, step-by-step approach to knowledge development. Year 1 focuses on building foundational capabilities for independent and creative research while exploring potential research topics. Year 2 involves studying advanced and specialized subjects tailored to individual interests, refining research topics further. Year 3 is dedicated to writing and presenting the doctoral dissertation.    Graduates of the KUBS-DBA program, who earn the Doctor of Business Administration degree, have the opportunity to pursue diverse career paths. By balancing their studies with professional work, they can apply their specialized knowledge within their organizations and in broader professional contexts. Potential career options include roles as business consultants, researchers, freelance professional lecturers, and academic positions such as full-time, industry-focused, adjunct, or visiting professors, empowering graduates to mentor and guide the next generation of professionals.      As part of the 2025 admissions process, document screening results were announced on November 22, with interviews scheduled for November 30. Final admission results will be released on December 13. 

Alumnus Hui Sung Yoo Donates 1 Billion KRW, Continuing His Legacy of Generosity      Mr. Hui Sung Yoo (Class of 1958), an alumnus with a heartfelt wish to dedicate everything to his alma mater, Korea University, and its Business School, has an inspiring history of giving that dates back to 2011. That year, he appeared at Korea University and made a remarkable donation of 1 billion KRW to fund the construction of KUBS’s new building. In 2015, he once again visited his alma mater, handing over another check for 1 billion KRW to the development fund. In 2017, he donated a 155-square-meter (approx. 50-pyeong) apartment in Seoul’s Seocho District, valued at 2.4 billion KRW at the time, which held cherished memories of raising his children.    Mr. Yoo’s philanthropy knows no bounds. He donated 1 billion KRW each in 2019 and 2020, followed by additional contributions of 1 billion KRW in early 2022 and again in May 2023, earning him the nickname “The 85-Year-Old Donation King.” Then, in November 2024, much like in 2011, he quietly reappeared to hand over another check for 1 billion KRW to KUBS’s development fund. With this, his total contributions to Korea University and its Business School have reached an astounding 9.4 billion KRW.    On November 19, a ceremony titled the “KUBS Insung Fund Donation Ceremony” was held in the university president’s office. The event, celebrating Mr. Yoo’s latest donation of 1 billion KRW, was attended by President Dong-One Kim, Vice President for Development and External Affairs Hojung Shin, Dean Eonsoo Kim, Mr. Yoo’s children, and fellow alumni from the Class of 1958.    At the ceremony, Mr. Hui Sung Yoo shared, “I have always expressed my desire to give everything I have to Korea University throughout my life, and I plan to continue adhering to this philanthropic philosophy. As we approach the university’s 120th anniversary, I feel immense pride as an alumnus witnessing its ongoing development.” He added, “I hope that the faculty of KUBS will impart knowledge to students through their research, and that these students, through their dedicated studies, will grow into leaders shaping the future, creating a virtuous cycle.”    In response, President Dong-One Kim expressed heartfelt gratitude, saying, “We deeply appreciate the unwavering love you have shown for your alma mater over the past 13 years. The Insung Fund you have generously donated will actively support the research efforts of KUBS faculty and help nurture creative talents who will lead emerging trends.”    The KUBS Insung Fund, named after the Chinese characters for “仁” (In) from the names of Mr. Yoo’s mother and grandmother, and “星” (Sung) from his own name, supports research initiatives by the school’s faculty. Mr. Yoo’s contributions have been utilized in various ways, including the Insung Scholarship Fund, Insung Research Fund, and Insung Research Award. In recognition of his generosity, Lecture Room B205 in the Hyundai Motor Hall has been named the “Hui Sung Yoo Lecture Room.” 

“The Startup Train Keeps Running”… 2024 FALL CHOO CHOO DAY     On November 1, the Startup Institute (Director: Jungbien Moon) of Korea University Business School (Dean: Eonsoo Kim) hosted the startup demo day, ‘2024 FALL CHOO CHOO DAY,’ at D.CAMP Seolleung. Organized by the Startup Institute and supported by the LINC 3.0 Project Group and Campus Town Promotion Team, the event was sponsored by the Banks Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs (D.CAMP), Iljin Global, and Donghwa Group. Key figures in attendance included Dean Eonsoo Kim, Vice Dean Dae Il Nam, panelists, and five teams from the Startup Station. The panelists featured ▲ Kang Ki-hyun, Partner at FASTVENTURES ▲ Jung In-oh, Team Leader at POSTECH ▲ Kim Ha-kyung, CEO of ZDVC ▲ Eom Se-yeon, CEO of AUM Ventures ▲ Kim Ha-jung, Investment Analyst at Daseong Ventures, and ▲ Kim Na-yeon, Investment Analyst at Bon Angels.       In the opening remarks, Young-Kyung Kim, Director of the Iljin Startup Support Center at the Startup Institute, stated, 'We have organized this demo day to bring together individual investors, venture capitalists, government agencies, startup-related organizations, and media representatives. We hope for continued support and interest in our future events.' Dean Eonsoo Kim followed, emphasizing that ”Korea University Business School was the first to establish a startup center and has supported 139 teams to date. We are excited to showcase the growth stories and future potential of the five teams presenting today.”     Young-Hoon Park, CEO of D.CAMP, also shared his encouragement, stating, “Our mission is to nurture and develop startup teams, and I hope that the five teams presenting today will experience significant growth and benefit from our ongoing support."       The five startup teams showcased at CHOO CHOO DAY included:     ▲ Alphamonto, an all-in-one styling service offering personalized solutions for men.     ▲ MATARI, which provides high-end Korean dining experiences, starting with the mechanized restoration of traditional Korean liquor.     ▲ Daebong, Daebong, an agricultural sourcing partner for online sellers     ▲ HEARLERS, an AI-powered, personalized interactive counseling service.     ▲ AKEO edu, a customized coding tutor platform.          Before the presentations, Tae-Hyun Kim, CEO of Landing—a graduate startup team from the 14th cohort of Startup Station that participated in last year’s CHOO CHOO DAY—took the stage as an open mic speaker. Landing is a platform designed to streamline workflows for generative AI in design. CEO Kim envisioned the future achievements of the five teams, offering a virtual portrayal of the goals they might one day reach. He went on to advise, “Around this time last year, I felt like I had bought my ticket at the Startup Station and was beginning my journey. If your destination is clear, pursue your big dreams, even if there are obstacles along the way.”       The event featured five-minute pitches from each startup team, followed by a seven-minute Q&A session with panelists and the audience. The day concluded with closing remarks from Jungbien Moon, Director of the Startup Institute, followed by a networking session for all participants. 

BA Alumni Share Practical Knowledge on Using Business Analytics in the Workplace… DTB Colloquium    On October 30, the Center for Digital Transformation & Business (CDTB) at Korea University Business School hosted a ‘DTB Colloquium’ at LG-POSCO Hall. The event featured two sessions led by BA alumni, focusing on practical cases of Business Analytics (BA) knowledge application in professional fields."     The first session featured Kunsu Park, a graduate from the fourth BA cohort and a member of SK Siltron’s HR2 Team, who shared his experience applying data analysis techniques in human resources (HR) to support corporate decision-making.       Park explained HR data analysis through BA in four main stages: Status Reporting, Advanced Reporting, Issue Resolution, and Predictive Analysis. He outlined that after establishing an understanding of the current status, analysis progresses to advanced reporting to address various HR issues. Issue resolution then involves targeted analyses to solve specific problems, while predictive analysis focuses on supporting decision-making processes. However, Park noted that 'most domestic companies are still only at the status reporting stage, and it is rare to see cases advancing to higher-level analyses or predictive stages.’     He also presented a case study analyzing employee dissatisfaction and needs using review data from Blind, an anonymous workplace community. He explained, 'Blind allows employees to leave honest, anonymous reviews of their companies, making it possible to analyze genuine opinions.' By examining review data from 2020 to 2024 for companies in the semiconductor and battery sectors, including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and LG Energy Solution, he identified key factors contributing to employee dissatisfaction.     Park emphasized the importance of using data to understand employee needs as a foundation for corporate decision-making, underscoring that feedback-based HR decisions are essential. He explained that BA-driven analysis could 'serve as a way to reflect employee opinions,' though he cautioned that 'anonymous review data has limitations when used as a predictive source and requires more thorough validation.' His presentation illustrated the practical applications of BA in HR and suggested ways corporate decision-making can evolve through data-driven insights.       The second session featured Sungjae Yoon, an AI Consultant at LG Management Research Institute, who discussed 'AI-Based Industrial Trend Analysis and Relevant Answer Generation (RAG) Technology Applications.' A graduate of the third BA cohort, Yoon is currently addressing a variety of business challenges through AI-driven consulting. As the think tank of LG Group, LG Management Research Institute conducts research on major AI-related industrial trends and develops AI technologies to support these studies. Specifically, Yoon has been working on a project utilizing BERTopic and RAG models to analyze and summarize extensive research data and the latest trends, while also enhancing the intelligence of the internal research environment.       Yoon explained the use of BERTopic for trend analysis and text clustering, describing how he leverages this text clustering technique to analyze extensive report data by categorizing research topics and extracting keywords. 'By utilizing large language models (LLMs) for Korean embedding and topic naming, we overcame previous analysis limitations,' Yoon noted.    This approach enables effective identification of changes in specific trends and a deeper understanding of relevant companies. For example, when analyzing trends related to a prominent company like NVIDIA, meaningful insights are extracted, such as associations with Microsoft or OpenAI.     Yoon emphasized that "AI-based technologies are essential for uncovering valuable insights from massive datasets and enhancing research efficiency." He concluded by highlighting that “various AI technologies, including RAG, will play a pivotal role in transforming research environments in the future.”       The CDTB at the Business School organizes 4-5 DTB Colloquiums and Seminars annually to promote business strategies and trends related to digital transformation. 

A New Beginning and a Meaningful Conclusion: The Farewell Ceremony for KUBE’s 19th Term and the Launch Ceremony for the 21st Term   The farewell ceremony for the 19th term and the launch ceremony for the 21st term of the KUBE student ambassadors at Korea University Business School (Dean: Eonsoo Kim) took place on September 30 at the LG-POSCO Hall. Dean Eonsoo Kim, Vice Dean Hyun Seung Na, and student ambassadors from the 19th, 20th, and 21st terms attended the event.      During the first semester of the 2024 academic year, KUBE engaged in a range of activities, including regular campus tours, official events, alumni meetings, the 17th Youth Mentoring Day, and ongoing promotional activities. After presenting the activity report, 20th-term President Je-woo Yoon stated, "We will strive to further enhance the Business School this semester." Dean Eonsoo Kim expressed deep gratitude for the passion and dedication of the KUBE student ambassadors in promoting the Business School and encouraged them to continue their impactful work.        At the farewell ceremony, 19th-term member Jung-won Je (Business '23) shared, "While the knowledge gained in school lectures is valuable, the responsibility and attitude I developed through KUBE are irreplaceable experiences. I will support the new 21st term as they start their journey."      Meanwhile, 21st-term member Woo-jin Shin (Business '23) remarked, "KUBE shaped my first impression of the Business School. I will carry a sense of pride and responsibility as a student ambassador over the next year." The event concluded with Dean Eonsoo Kim presenting certificates of participation, awards, and scholarships to the students, followed by a commemorative photo session. 

‘A Platform for Cutting-Edge Management Theories and Expansive Networking': AMP 98th Class Opening Ceremony Held  The opening ceremony for the 98th class of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Korea University Business School (Dean: Eonsoo Kim) took place on September 23rd at SUPEX Hall, located in LG-POSCO Hall. Distinguished attendees included Dean Eonsoo Kim, Vice Dean Gangseog Ryu, AMP Head Professor Seokkyun Kim, AMP Alumni Association President Dongseok Lee, and Chair of the Women's Committee of the AMP Alumni Association, Geumja Lee.  The ceremony proceeded as follows: △Introduction of distinguished guests △Opening remarks △Congratulatory speech △Recitation of the school anthem △Group photo.  In his opening remarks, Dean Eonsoo Kim stated, “The AMP educates top executives from various industries on the latest management theories and techniques while fostering an expansive human network. I am confident that after completing this six-month program, all of you will emerge as the leaders that these times demand.”  In his congratulatory speech, AMP Alumni Association President Dongseok Lee commented, “Balancing work and study over the next six months will not be easy, but I believe that the insights gained from the AMP program greatly enhance your future prospects.” Following this, Women's Committee Chair Geumja Lee presented bouquets to the new female AMP students. The ceremony concluded with a group photo, after which the new AMP students took part in a campus tour and dinner, marking their first steps as the 98th class of the program.