KUBS Professors Kwon Sooyoung, Park Kyungseo, and Han Jaemin Retire…  "Adieu KUBS!"   On February 28th, a retirement ceremony for professors Kwon Sooyoung, Park Kyungseo, and Han Jaemin was held at the LG-POSCO 6th floor Ahn Youngil Hall. The retirement ceremony was attended by professors, staff, families, and students, including Dean Kim Sangyong. Professor Kwon Sooyoung served for 31 years, Professor Park Kyungseo for 24 years, and Professor Han Jae-min for 33 years, contributing significantly to the advancement of KUBS and the nurturing of future generations. Kim Kwanghyun, the Director of the Planning Department at KUBS, who led the event, expressed his remarks, saying, "It is a great honor to hold the retirement ceremony for the respected professors as a junior professor," and added, "At the same time, there is a sense of regret."       Professor Kwon Sooyoung, a leading figure in the field of accounting, served as the president of the Korean Accounting Association. Additionally, he held positions such as the Dean of KUBS and the Director of the Graduate School of Business Administration, contributing to the establishment of an internationally recognized MBA program. Professor Park Kyungseo, specializing in finance, served as the Director of the Corporate Management Research Institute and the lead professor of finance MBA, dedicating himself to the development of KUBS. Leveraging his academic expertise, he also served as the Director of the Korea Corporate Governance Institute and the Chairman of the Public Fund Management Committee, elevating the stature of Korea University. Professor Han Jaemin, who pioneered a new paradigm in KUBS, excelled in the fields of IS and IT strategy. He served as the Director of the Corporate Management Research Institute and actively participated in national policy advisory activities as a member of the National Science and Technology Commission.    During the retirement ceremony, Dean Kim Sangyong conveyed his support, saying, "I will continue the will of the three professors who have always taken the lead with important roles, and strive even harder.” He also said, “I believe that their brilliant journey will continue even after retirement.” Subsequently, awards for distinguished service and gold medals from the school were presented, followed by the presentation of plaques and bouquets from KUBS to the retiring professors.      Professor Kwon Sooyoung expressed gratitude, noting, "Less than 40% of professors serve until retirement," and acknowledged the numerous mentors, students, colleagues, and family members he encountered on his academic journey. He concluded, "Initially, I ran forward with my eyes only on the future, but as I became accustomed, the scenery around me came into view, and time passed swiftly, 32 years in the blink of an eye." He also said “I am now leaving Anam, but I will always support the development of KUBS, my academic home.”      Following him, Professor Park Kyungseo reflected, "I was originally introverted, but coming to Korea University changed me from my undergraduate days," and continued, "I realized the joy of learning late and ended up pursuing a Ph.D. to reach this position," advising younger professors not to focus solely on academic studies but also to seek opportunities to create more practical national institutions.      Subsequently, the attending professors at the retirement ceremony delivered their messages of gratitude and regret. △Professor Lim Manwoo, △Professor Park Jongwon, △Professor Park Kwangtae, △ Professor Park Jinkwan, △Professor Kim Woochan, △Professor Kim Junghyuk, and △Professor Yoo Jisong expressed their gratitude and farewells. The event concluded with photography sessions and a farewell reception. 

Navigating Professional Success: Korea University's Exclusive LinkedIn Talk Explores - Valuable Perspectives with Atul Harkisanka   On March 6, Korea University organized a special LinkedIn talk, a valuable session exclusively designed for Global MBA students. The session was led by Atul Harkisanka, the Regional Business Head at LinkedIn, Singapore. The session aimed to introduce students to the LinkedIn Learning platform, offering indispensable tips on optimizing profiles, understanding global hiring trends, and leveraging their presence not just for job hunting but for overall professional development.   Korea University stands out as the first in South Korea to provide students with access to the LinkedIn Learning platform. LinkedIn Learning is an online platform featuring concise video courses instructed by industry experts, covering software, creative, and business skills.     Atul brought his wealth of experience as the Regional Business Head at LinkedIn, Singapore, to the forefront and commenced the session by sharing trends observed in the global macro climate, specifically from the Asia Pacific (APAC) lens. Despite global uncertainties, the APAC region is positioned for growth, surpassing the global average GDP and contributing significantly to overall global growth The talk not only highlighted the growing stability in hiring across the APAC region but also emphasized intensified job-seeking activities. Atul Harkisanka offered valuable tips for job seekers, focusing on agility, continuous learning, and the significance of quality in hiring practices. His insights offered a roadmap for navigating the evolving professional sphere.   Exploring strategies for building a professional presence, Atul encouraged students to 'walk their profile' on LinkedIn, turning it into a storyboard and personal brand. Practical steps included adding a professional photo, industry information, and a compelling summary. Utilizing the 'Open to work' banner and personalizing the LinkedIn URL were also highlighted as it Atul concluded the session by offering tips on amplifying one's profile and building a professional presence on LinkedIn. Engaging with the audience through posts, videos, and networking can help professionals establish their brand and expand their network.     This LinkedIn talk reflects Korea University's proactive approach to prepare Global MBA students for the dynamic job market, showcasing the university's commitment to holistic education and providing tools for professional success. For further reading and in-depth insights, refer to LinkedIn's most in-demand jobs and skills

BE THE CHANGE Empowering Connections: Recap of Korea University's 'Be the Change' Women's Day Event     On Wednesday, March 8, Korea University hosted a remarkable Women's Day event, "Be the Change," in collaboration with the American Women's Club in Korea. Taking place in the LG-POSCO Business Administration building on the Seoul Campus, the event brought together over 40 women, including 30 students from the Global MBA (18th batch), to celebrate and discuss topics crucial to women's representation and empowerment.     The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Dean Sangyong Kim and a special greeting to the new Academic Director of Global MBA, Betty Chung. Diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives were represented on the panel, featuring distinguished women excelling in their respective fields: H.E. Hyoeun Jenny Kim (Ambassador and Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Republic of Korea), Kumjoo Huh (G20 Empower Alliance), Shampa Bari (Ecosystem Partnerships LG-Ericsson), and Professor Betty Chung.     The discussions revolved around key themes of Empowerment, Mentorship, and Inclusivity, addressing the pivotal role these aspects play in our lives. Shampa Bari particularly highlighted the importance of building strong networks and shared valuable techniques for fostering mutually beneficial connections Following the presentations, students collaborated with AWC members in team discussions, delving deeper into the event's themes. Questions like "How do you find a mentor and how did he/she impact you?" sparked meaningful conversations, with male students actively participating in understanding the impact of these factors on work environments and personal lives.     AWC mentors generously volunteered their time to guide students, offering additional support to enhance their profiles and gain valuable insights into their chosen fields. This collaborative effort between KUBS and AWC provided Global MBA students with a unique opportunity to connect with diverse communities, fostering connections that could potentially lead to mentorships or partnerships.     The event concluded with a Q&A session, providing students with a platform to voice concerns about job opportunities as foreigners and gain insights into the work culture in Korea. This interactive session not only heightened awareness but also resulted in students forming new friendships, possibly with future mentors.     "Be the Change" transcended being a mere event; it served as a catalyst for fostering connections, nurturing conversations, and molding a more inclusive future for women in both academic and professional spheres. The collaborative spirit between Korea University and the American Women's Club undeniably imprinted a lasting influence on the participants, sparking a positive shift that reaches well beyond the confines of the event.

"Journey of the 96th AMP Class Continues" … AMP 96th Class Completion Ceremony    The 96th Class Advanced Management Program (AMP) completion ceremony at Korea University's Graduate School of Business Administration was held on February 19th at the LG-POSCO Building's SUPEX Hall. The event was attended by the Dean of the Graduate School of Business Administration Sangyong Kim, Associate Dean Janghyuk Lee, AMP Academic Director Seokgyun Kim, and Alumni Association President Dongseok Lee, among other alumni executives, to celebrate the completion of the 96th AMP Class.  Dean Sangyong Kim kicked off the event by applauding the students' passion and dedication over the past six months, wishing that the time spent was incredibly beneficial and would serve as a motivation in their lives. He also expressed his hope that the graduates would become social leaders who establish the ultimate purpose of management on the front lines of the business world.      Alumni Association President Dongseok Lee congratulated the 96th AMP Class cohort, becoming alumni at the end of the ceremony, and remarked, "If the seniors have led the AMP for the past 50 years, the next 50 years should be shaped by you and your juniors." In response, the 96th Class President, Deukchoon Lim reflected on the invaluable new perspectives and worlds opened through interactions with diverse owners, beyond just learning knowledge. He promised to actively contribute to the ideals and development of Korea University’s AMP in the General Alumni Association.      The ceremony concluded with the presentation of certificates and the AMP scholarship fund. The graduates celebrated the end of the AMP program and their new beginnings as alumni with a cap-throwing ceremony. Since its establishment in 1975 as the first in Korea, Korea University's Business School AMP program educates top executives in the latest management theories and techniques, while offering extensive networking opportunities.   

"To Rebirth as Creative CEOs", Completion of the 2024 E-MBA 22nd Class On-Campus Orientation   On February 17th (Saturday), an on-campus orientation was held for the incoming students of the 22nd Class of the Executive MBA (E-MBA) program at the Graduate School of Business Administration (Dean= Sangyong Kim) in Room 530 of the LG-POSCO Hall. The E-MBA is a specialized master's program in business administration targeting senior managers and executives with over 10 years of experience, aiming to cultivate creative global CEOs who lead sustainable growth and innovation. It is a weekend MBA program running from Friday afternoon to Saturday, adopting a modular course system that completes one subject in two weeks, maximizing the educational effect for busy CEOs.      The event began with a congratulatory speech by Dean Sangyong Kim of the Graduate School of Business Administration. Kim mentioned that our E-MBA ranked 80th in the world in the "Top 100 Executive MBA Programmes" selected by the Financial Times in 2023. He expressed, "Have pride and a sense of belonging to the KUBS E-MBA," and wished, "Upon completing the two-year course, I hope you will be reborn as true creative CEOs."    Professor Shijin Yoo, the academic director of the E-MBA program, introduced the overall EMBA course. The explanation covered △excellent indicators of the E-MBA course △curriculum △graduation requirements △teaching methods, among others. Additionally, he introduced the EMBA's flagship programs including the ELITE (Executive Learning Interactive Team Exercise) Project, developed with a mentor professor and involving professional consultants; the International Residency Program (IRP); the CARE Program and Homecoming Day for graduates. Professor Yoo encouraged students to "focus on your studies while building good relationships through various events and networking with fellow students." Following this, an E-MBA staff member provided administrative guidance on △classrooms △attendance △student ID numbers △community membership △portal use, etc.      Subsequently, the KU Human Rights and Gender Equality Center conducted a training session on "Creating a Respectful and Gender-Equal Campus Culture." This was followed by a special lecture for CEOs on "Data Analysis and Decision Making" by Professo Kyungsam Park from CDTB. Professor Park emphasized, "Data analysis is important for rational decision-making," and explained business statistics, including △descriptive statistics △probability distributions △graphs △statistical analysis, etc.      Lunch was served at Young-Il Ahn Hall in the LG POSCO Hall after which students were divided into three groups to participate in a campus tour led by KUBS student ambassadors. They visited various parts of Korea University's campus, including the three buildings of KUBS (Main Building, Hyundai Motor Hall, LG POSCO Hall), the Central Plaza, SK Future Hall, etc. After the tour, there was a special lecture by Emeritus Professor Kwanhee Yoo on "The Framework of Financial Accounting: Understanding Financial Statements." Professor Yoo emphasized, "Financial accounting is the core of corporate management," and introduced the sequence of preparing financial statements as 'Income Statement - Statement of Changes in Equity - Balance Sheet - Cash Flow Statement,' stating, "Although you will continue to learn more, I hope you take away at least this much from today's special lecture."      The introduction of the 21st Class Alumni Association and a Q&A session followed. Under the guidance of Sangbum Kim, the secretary-general of the 21st Class Alumni Association, △the student council △executive branch △department activities, etc., were introduced. The on-campus orientation for the E-MBA 22nd Class concluded successfully with free networking and an after-party. 

“Adding the Color of Green Environment to Business” Completion of the 2023 7th Lecture Series on ESG     The 7th lecture of the 2023 ESG Lecture Series organized by the ESG Research Institute of Korea University Business School (Director: Lee Jaehyuk), was held on January 29th, Tuesday, at 3 p.m. in the LG-POSCO Management Hall. This series aims to invite top scholars in the ESG field to share key topics related to ESG in domestic companies and industries to develop academic research and educational content related to ESG, and to support research in both public and private sectors. Additionally, it facilitates projects for undergraduate students annually, where teams are mentored by the KUBS faculty. They analyze companies over six months and present their research results. Furthermore, it supports research on ESG management cases for faculty and hosts ESG-related colloquiums and lecture series.  The keynote speakers for this lecture were former Climate Change Ambassador Kim Chanwoo and Professor Park Wonseok from the Graduate School of Law at Chung-Ang University. Center Director Lee Jaehyuk stated, "The purpose of the ESG lecture series is to invite practitioners from various fields and introduce them to undergraduate students."      The first part of the lecture was delivered by Professor Kim Chanwoo. Professor Kim, who works as an adjunct professor at Kyungsung National University, has been involved in environmental diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1998. In particular, he has served as a representative of Korea in various negotiations such as the post-2012 climate negotiations and the Paris Agreement. Professor Kim Chanwoo has authored famous books such as ⌜21st Century Environmental Diplomacy⌟, ⌜Post-2012 Climate Negotiations⌟.     Professor Kim emphasized the importance of analyzing whether ESG is a sustainable topic or a temporary phenomenon, and he approached the ESG topic from the perspective of environmental diplomacy. The first part of the lecture was divided into three main topics in the following order: △the goals of climate change agreements △the start of the new climate regime △ the importance of technology development and international cooperation for environmental protection. Professor Kim stated, "The goal of climate change agreements is to stabilize greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to prevent human interference with the climate system." In the climate change regime, seven greenhouse gases are identified, with carbon dioxide accounting for two-thirds of the total greenhouse gas emissions, and when additional factors such as deforestation are considered, it accounts for three-quarters of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, when the international society proposes measures to reduce greenhouse gases in response to climate change, carbon dioxide is the most discussed. According to Professor Kim, the international community currently requires countries to voluntarily set reduction targets for greenhouse gases every five years, and in addition to each country's own reduction targets, additional reduction targets are set when conditional support is provided by the international community.      The discussion and criticism of the new climate regime followed. The new climate regime refers to international agreements between countries to regulate and prevent global warming, aiming to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which is scheduled to expire in 2020, with a new climate change regime, which soon became known as the Climate Change Agreement and the Paris Agreement combined. Professor Kim stated, "When analyzing the specific procedures provided by the implementing order, the Paris Agreement, it shows that global efforts for environmental protection at the global level are far from sufficient."    During the Q&A session at the end of the lecture, when asked about solutions to climate change, Professor Kim Chanwoo stated, "The role of the international community in addressing climate change is to buy time and encourage individual actors to act." He continued, "I am personally a reflective optimist who believes that, just as vaccines that would have taken 10 years to develop were developed in one year when COVID-19 struck, society is evolving into one where technology can be rapidly introduced through internet technology and others in the era of non-face-to-face interactions, so we need to develop technological solutions, which are the fundamental solution." He advised, "For South Korea to continue to be a leading country in the future, individual companies and subunits must actively act in line with the vision of the country."      Professor Park Wonseok took charge of the second part of the lecture, titled "Kunming-Montreal GBF, NBSAP, and ESG." Professor Park, who has served as an advisor to the negotiation delegation for the Convention on Biological Diversity and as a representative for the Nagoya Protocol negotiation delegation at the Ministry of Environment, is currently a professor at the Graduate School of Law at Chung-Ang University. The "Kunming-Montreal GBF" refers to the new "Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)" adopted in Montreal, Canada, on December 19th of last year to preserve global biodiversity and components over the next 27 years until 2050. Professor Park stated, "In addition to the Kunming-Montreal GBF, five additional implementation mechanisms were collectively adopted to realistically implement this framework." He continued, "The Kunming-Montreal GBF is evaluated as a very radical and high-level content biodiversity agreement with execution methods which cannot be compared to existing implementation strategies."    Professor Park believes that to protect biodiversity, it is important to make companies and all countries feel the importance of biodiversity ultimately leading to the conclusion of international treaties. He introduced examples of international treaties, saying, "At the end of 2022, individual countries created biodiversity strategies tailored to each country's circumstances through the 'Global Biodiversity Framework' in Canada." Professor Park also foresaw that discussions on the value of ESG would continue beyond temporary trends from the perspective of biodiversity conservation. He said, "Key indicators on how to implement ESG in fields such as the marine environment are being developed, and concrete measures are being proposed," and predicted, "When countries implement biodiversity strategies, they will adopt and utilize these ESG-related indicators."      Finally, regarding the future of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Professor Park Wonseok stated, "The Ministry of Environment will create guidelines related to biodiversity by 2025," and warned, "In a sense, even in the most environmentally unfriendly field of business, if we do not add the color of green environmental friendliness, both companies and organisms may not be sustainable."