[2024 Fall Semester New Faculty Interview] Professor Hae Kang Lee – KUBS Is A Place Where People Dream of a Better Future Through Hard Work [2024 Fall Semester New Faculty Interview] Professor Hae Kang Lee  Korea University Business School (Dean: Eonsoo Kim) has appointed five new faculty members as of September 2024: Professors Baek Jung Kim (Marketing), Min Jung Kim (Strategy), Jongsoo Kim (Strategy), Hae Kang Lee (Finance), and Viacheslav Savitskiy (Global Business). In this context, the KU Business Journal interviewed the new faculty members to share their aspirations with readers.  Q: Can you introduce your journey so far?  A: I completed my PhD at NYU Stern School of Business and worked as a finance professor at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina before joining Korea University. I feel honored to be part of the globally renowned Korea University Business School.    Q: What motivated you to choose the path of an academic after graduating?  A: After graduation, I wanted to apply the knowledge I gained in school to real-world situations, so I started my career on Wall Street rather than immediately entering academia. After several years of diverse experiences, I realized that I wanted to understand the financial markets more deeply, which led me to pursue a PhD later in life and embark on an academic career.    Q: What aspects of Korea University Business School do you find most appealing?  A: One of its greatest strengths is its continuous evolution. KUBS works not only to maintain its status as a top-tier institution in Korea but also to become a leading global business school. The strong networking among students, alumni, and faculty under the Korea University name is another significant advantage.    Q: What teaching methods do you employ as a faculty member?  A: Reflecting on my own education, I believe learning becomes more engaging when it connects with real-world experiences beyond textbooks. I aim to leverage my diverse work experiences across various countries and fields to bridge academic concepts with the realities of the financial markets in my classes.    Q: Can you introduce the courses you are currently teaching?  A: I am currently teaching Investments. As mentioned earlier, my goal is to help students gain a deeper understanding of current global financial market dynamics, beyond just academic finance. To do this, I incorporate discussions of business news into my classes and engage students through random questioning. While some students may find this method challenging, I believe that constantly thinking and expressing one’s opinions is essential in the global business world, and class provides an excellent opportunity to practice this.    Q: What research achievements do you aspire to as a faculty member of Korea University Business School?  A: Although I feel the pressure to meet the high standards set by my esteemed senior colleagues, I also aspire to produce research that gains recognition in the field of finance. My primary research focuses are insurance and investment theory (asset pricing), but I have diverse interests. Recently, I've noticed a growing trend in conservative finance academia towards integrating machine learning and AI, and I plan to expand my research in that direction.    Q: How would you like to be remembered by your students as a professor?  A: I hope to be remembered as a professor who continuously strives to be helpful to students in my lectures. Reflecting on my own undergraduate experience, many lectures and professors left a lasting impression on me. Some classes, regardless of whether they were taught by renowned professors, can significantly impact a student’s life and even alter their career trajectory. If I can be that kind of memorable professor for even a few students, I will feel fulfilled in my role as a professor. 

A New Chapter in Business Education… Launch of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Program in Spring 2025 Korea University Business School (Dean: Eonsoo Kim), the first in Korea to introduce commercial education, has proudly upheld over 60 years of history since establishing its Graduate School of Business Administration in 1963. Today, under the leadership of Dean Eonsoo Kim, the Graduate School is recognized as a leader in delivering Korean-style MBA programs with a focus on practical, industry-centered education. Beginning in Spring 2025, the school will take a bold step forward with the launch of its Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program, aiming to pioneer practical, industry-driven Korean management theories and usher in a new chapter in business education.    The KUBS-DBA program aims to develop management scholars who excel in both practical skills and academic excellence, shaping future leaders in management innovation. The three-year program offers a part-time format with classes held on Fridays and Saturdays. Students will be awarded a doctoral degree upon completing 36 credits and successfully passing the dissertation reviews.    Why choose the KUBS-DBA program? The KUBS-DBA program is optimal for professionals who want to balance work and study while pursuing career development, practical and scientific research, and knowledge creation and sharing. The program integrates professional experience with theoretical knowledge, enabling students to contribute to the development of Korean-style management theories and models. Research outcomes are realized in various forms, such as dissertations, management case studies, management manuals, and monographs, promoting both knowledge creation and sharing.    To achieve these goals, the KUBS-DBA program offers a curriculum supported by the largest faculty in the country, consiting of 88 full-time faculty member. The program focuses on developing core research competencies, reinterpreting and systematizing practical experience through theoretical learning and conducting in-depth studies on the latest research and management trends. Additionally, students receive personalized education and one-on-one guidance tailored to their individual interests and needs.    In addition, the KUBS-DBA program is open to applicants who hold a master’s degree and have at least 10 years of practical experience. The admission quota is limited to 12 students, with applications opening on October 14. For more information, please contact the administration office at 02-3290-1309. 

"What If You Dream of Career Development?"—2025 Korea MBA Admission Information Session Held On September 11, 2024, Korea University's Graduate School of Business (Dean: Eonsoo Kim) hosted an admission information session for the 2025 Korea MBA program at LG-POSCO Hall. Unlike the in-person session for the Finance MBA and the hybrid session for the Executive MBA, the Korea MBA information session was conducted entirely online. The agenda included a welcome speech by Dean Eonsoo Kim, an introduction to Korea University Business School, an overview of the Korea MBA program, admission guidelines, and presentations from student clubs.  The Korea MBA program is designed for working professionals aspiring to continuous career development, rooted in the rich history of Korea University's Graduate School of Business Administration. The program employs various teaching methods, including discussions, presentations, and group projects, allowing students to choose one of eight specialized tracks: Global Business, Marketing, Human Resources, Strategy, Finance, Accounting, Logistics, Service & Operations Management (LSOM), and Management Information Systems (MIS).  Professor Tai Gyu Kim, the academic director who introduced the Korea MBA program during the session, highlighted its distinctive courses. He explained that the Introduction to General Management (Orientation) course offers students an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the curriculum while learning the university's anthem and cheers, fostering camaraderie with peers and alumni. Additionally, the Special Topics on Management course provides insights into contemporary business trends and innovative concepts.  The session also featured information about an overseas Field Trip, where Korea MBA students visit prominent countries to attend lectures by local scholars and experts, participate in corporate visits, and engage in industry tours, enhancing their global business perspective.  To showcase vibrant student life, club activities were highlighted through creative videos made by each club, followed by a Q&A session with the Korea MBA Student Council, who shared insights into MBA life. For those interested, the application period for the 2025 Korea MBA program runs from September 13 to October 11. For further inquiries, prospective students can contact the admissions office at 02-3290-1303 or 2705. 

The Best Choice for Future CEOs: 2025 Executive MBA Admission Information Session Held On September 6th, Korea University's Graduate School of Business Administration (Dean: Eonsoo Kim) hosted an admission information session for the 2025 Executive MBA program at LG-POSCO Hall, with both in-person and online attendance. The in-person event took place in Young-Il Ahn Hall, while an online livestream was available via KUBS’s YouTube channel.  The session covered several key topics: an introduction to Korea University Business School, an overview of the Executive MBA program and curriculum, a showcase of the program’s distinctive features, admission guidelines, a Q&A session, and introductions to the alumni association and student clubs.  The event began with a welcome video from Dean Eonsoo Kim, followed by a presentation from Associate Dean Gangseog Ryu. Associate Dean Ryu emphasized that “Korea University's Graduate School of Business Administration is a pioneer in the field and consistently holds the title of the top business school in the country.” He also highlighted that the school is the only domestic institution listed in the Financial Times 2023 Global Executive MBA Rankings, adding that “the Executive MBA program has consistently ranked among the top 100 worldwide as a standalone offering.”  The session continued with an introduction to the Executive MBA program and its curriculum, delivered by two academic directors, Professors Shijin Yoo and Daeki Kim. They explained that the Executive MBA employs a modular format, featuring intensive two-week courses followed by a one-week break, allowing for 5 to 7 modules per semester. Additionally, they introduced the ELITE Project, a unique initiative where participants take on the role of CEO to present innovative business strategies and entrepreneurial ideas.  After the Q&A session regarding the curriculum, alumni and student clubs gave presentations, highlighting the strong network among graduates. Participants learned about a variety of clubs, including the Business Club “Bisty” and the Wine Club “Warak.”  The application period for the 2025 Executive MBA program runs from September 13 to October 11. For further inquiries, prospective students can contact the admissions office at 02-3290-1309. 

“The Future of Marketing Transformed by AI”: Entrepreneurship Academy Lecture on Demand by Joo-hye Shin of SELFISH CLUB   On September 10, 2023, Korea University's Business School (Dean: Eonsoo Kim) hosted a lecture on demand for the Entrepreneurship Academy at the Startup Research Center (Director: Jungbien Moon) in Room B308 of the Hyundai Motor Hall. The lecture was delivered by Joo-hye Shin, master of SELFISH CLUB.    Joo-hye Shin is the founder of SELFISH CLUB and serves as a leading speaker for AI marketing education at various institutions, including the Gyeonggi Knowledge and Busan Economic Promotion Agency, Fast Campus, and Class101. During her lecture, she presented on the topic of “Building a Full-Stack Marketing Team with AI.”      Shin began by sharing her career journey, which spans over a decade in the marketing field across numerous startups, including the healthcare platform GoodDoc, P2P finance, Wingbling, and Class101. She revealed that her venture into artificial intelligence (AI) stemmed unexpectedly from her experience as a victim of a Ponzi scheme.    While working at a real estate investment platform and in P2P finance, she was left broke due to the scheme. "I had to take up marketing as a laborer," she explained. Teaming up with a friend as a "marketing duo," she worked at five different companies, which transformed her perspective on marketing. “In marketing, being ‘number one’ is meaningless; the goal is to achieve a strong positioning in a specific area and become a ‘promotion expert,’” she reflected. This experience ultimately led her to create a full-stack marketing team at Class101, which brings together a team to achieve shared objectives.      After using ChatGPT, Shin concluded that AI can be most effectively utilized by those with prior experience. She noted that while AI makes it challenging to recruit specialists like designers and engineers, it presents a golden opportunity for marketers and planners. She emphasized that we are in an era where it is possible to generate prompts based on images, marking the end of watermarking images purchased for use. Shin concluded her lecture by posing the question of whether AI could enable marketers to accomplish tasks previously deemed impossible. 

KUBS Faculty News for August to September 2024   1. Professor Hyun Seung Na (Finance)    Professor Hyun Seung Na, along with his doctoral student Suji Kim from the Graduate School of Business Administration, was awarded the “Maeil Business Newspaper Best Paper Award” at the Korean Academy of Management’s Convergence Academic Conference, held in Gyeongju from August 12 to 14. Their paper, titled Social Ties in Business Groups: Evidence from Disciplinary CEO Turnovers in Korea, examines how social connections between executives and major shareholders in large business groups influence disciplinary CEO turnovers.