Celebrating a Semester of Hard Work – Korea MBA End-of-Semester Gathering Filled with Laughter  Korea University Business School’s Korea MBA program held its end-of-semester gathering and celebratory dinner for the first semester of the 2025 academic year on Friday, June 20, at Ahn Young-Il Hall in the LG-POSCO  Hall.  The event was organized to celebrate the end of the semester, strengthen the sense of community among current students, and provide an opportunity for new students to share their thoughts and challenges from their first months in the program. Approximately 120 Korea MBA students attended the event, exchanging stories and reflections in a warm and memorable atmosphere.  A special highlight of the evening was the wine provided with the support and encouragement of the Dean, which contributed to the warm and festive atmosphere of the event. Students exchanged words of appreciation and support for one another’s efforts throughout the semester, reaffirming their motivation and commitment to their future studies and activities.  The 107th Korea MBA Student Council, which organized the event, stated,  “We hope this gathering served as a meaningful opportunity for communication and connection among classmates. Moving forward, we will continue to offer a variety of programs that support the growth and collaboration of all members of the MBA community.”  Korea University Business School will continue to promote a student-centered approach by fostering a sustainable networking culture and providing an inclusive environment where students from diverse backgrounds can grow and thrive together.   

Bridging Academia and Industry: 2025 Capstone Seminar Held at KUBS  On Friday, July 4, Korea University Business School held the 2025 Capstone Project Topic Seminar at Sudang CLC Lab 2 (Room 328C), LG-POSCO Hall. Hosted by the Center for Digital Transformation & Business (CDTB), the seminar featured the participation of Hyundai Motor Securities, which proposed project topics based on real-world data and collaborated with students to refine and develop the ideas.  Hyundai Motor Securities proposed a project that enables students to apply their analytical and strategic planning skills using qualitative data—such as individual behavioral traits—highly valued in the finance and investment sectors. The students will continue to develop the project in teams through ongoing collaboration with the company.  Earlier in June, a series of topic seminars were held in collaboration with leading companies from a range of industries, including LG Household & Health Care, PwC, LG CNS, Hyundai Department Store, Hyundai Home Shopping, and Hyundai Motor Company. Each session featured in-depth Q&A discussions on the background of the projects, approaches to data utilization, and analytical frameworks, helping students gain a deeper understanding.  Through its Capstone Project program, Korea University Business School aims to cultivate practice-oriented talent by providing hands-on learning experiences that address real-world industry challenges through data-driven analysis and solutions. 

The first step toward global leadership: ‘Global MBA Welcome Night’ Successfully Held      The ‘Global MBA Welcome Night’ was held on Wednesday, June 11, at Young-Il Ahn Hall on the 6th floor of LG-POSCO Hall at Korea University. The event served as a meaningful occasion for newly admitted students of this year’s Global MBA program to meet for the first time, introduce themselves, connect with current students and faculty, and celebrate the beginning of their shared journey.      The event began with a welcoming address by Professor Betty Chung. She highlighted the phrase, “Once Korea University, Forever Korea University, Always Korea University,” emphasizing its significance as a guiding spirit for the community. She noted that the gathering was designed to help students get to know one another and foster a sense of community. She went on to say, “This program is not merely about receiving an education, but about embarking on a journey to become business leaders who strive to make society better.”    Professor Chung went on to introduce several key features of the program: a global faculty of over 80 professors; a 12-week Business Practicum; a 32-hour Career Acceleration Program (CAP: Leadership Workshop); career exploration programs; and the Global CEO Talk series, which includes conversations with top executives. She also emphasized the variety of hands-on opportunities and career networks available to students through the G-MBA program, citing collaborations with leading companies such as Loewe, Samsung, Gucci, CJ, Coupang, and IKEA.      Following her speech, four current students—including Student Council President Jungwook Na—took the stage to share their personal experiences. They particularly emphasized the importance of networking, with one student noting, “I’ve developed a mentoring relationship with a company CEO and regularly receive practical advice through coffee chats.” They highlighted that such interactions with industry professionals have significantly deepened their understanding of real-world business and provided valuable support for their career planning.    Newly admitted students actively engaged in the conversation by asking a wide range of questions—covering topics such as startup opportunities, the personal mottos of current students, and reflections after completing a year in the program. The current students responded with warm and practical advice, drawing from their own experiences.      The official portion of the event concluded with closing remarks from the program manager, followed by a casual dinner and networking session. Faculty members and current students joined the newly admitted students at their tables, sharing a meal and answering questions about career paths, academics, and campus life in a warm and engaging atmosphere.    More than just an orientation, the Global MBA Welcome Night served as a meaningful starting point for newly admitted students to begin building relationships with those who will become their future colleagues and mentors.   

A Stepping Stone to the Real World: 2025 Capstone Project Topic Seminar Held      The 2025 Capstone Project Topic Seminar was held over three days—Monday, June 9; Wednesday, June 11; and Friday, June 13—at Sudang CLC Lab 2 (Room 328C), LG-POSCO Hall.  Co-hosted by the Center for Digital Transformation & Business (CDTB) and Business Analytics (BA) at Korea University Business School, the seminar featured participation from major companies across various industries, who proposed project topics focused on digital transformation and data-driven challenges.      Participating companies included LG Household & Health Care, PwC, LG CNS, Hyundai Department Store, Hyundai Home Shopping, and Hyundai Motor Company. Each company presented project topics to students based on real-world challenges and datasets drawn from their operations. Through this initiative, students were able to gain hands-on experience tackling practical issues, while participating companies had the opportunity to generate fresh ideas through collaboration with the university.      Following each presentation, students participated in open Q&A sessions, posing a wide range of questions on topics such as data acquisition methods, analysis techniques, and the scope of the proposed themes. Corporate representatives responded thoughtfully, helping students better understand the direction and feasibility of the proposed projects. Afterward, students will choose a topic of interest from among the company proposals, continue communicating with the respective corporate mentors, and further refine their projects to produce final deliverables.      The seminar served as a meaningful platform for collaboration between industry and academia, aiming to foster future talent while addressing real-world challenges.   

The Power Behind 1.2 Million Subscribers: Geekble CEO Chanhoo Park's Content Strategy      The “2025 Spring Semester Entrepreneurship Academy: Lecture Series 5,” hosted by the Startup Research Institute at Korea University Business School, was held on Tuesday, June 10 in Room B307 (Kolon Lecture Hall), Hyundai Motor Hall. The special lecture featured Chanhoo Park, co-founder and CEO of the maker-based content startup Geekble, who delivered a talk titled “The Hidden Secrets of the Media Content Industry.”  Park began by sharing his personal journey—graduating from a science high school and studying computer engineering in college—along with the career-related uncertainties he faced. He recounted how his accidental participation in the Google News Lab during his undergraduate years sparked a deep interest in the content industry and new media.  Highlighting a graph that showed smartphone screen time surpassing TV viewing time—despite the latter remaining steady—he explained that this shift helped him realize that the total volume of content consumption was increasing, which ultimately inspired him to pursue entrepreneurship.      Founded in 2016, Geekble has become a leading media content company with over 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube. The company has expanded its business into a variety of fields, including engineering, education, and branded content.  Park shared, “We wanted to take on the role that traditional media outlets like National Geographic or BBC Science play—only on new media platforms.” He went on to explain that the name ‘Geekble’ reflects the philosophy that ‘Geeks are able’ (Geek + Able).  The lecture also highlighted several of Geekble’s bold and innovative content projects. These ranged from experimental videos that focus on the creative process—such as the “Failed Fish-Shaped Bread Automation Machine”—to more advanced creations like an AI-powered scent-mixing device developed in collaboration with Google.  This machine, which can blend up to eight out of 45 fragrance components to produce personalized scents, was even exhibited in Japan.      Beyond producing content, Geekble also serves as a media platform that shines a spotlight on engineers. “Just as artists and athletes receive attention and support, we want to create a stage where scientists and engineers can be recognized and celebrated,” said Park. He added that Geekble works in collaboration with schools and educational institutions to help nurture the next generation of engineers.  In the latter part of the lecture, a participatory session was held in which students analyzed and presented industry data. One student from the Department of Statistics presented a graph illustrating the growth of the web novel market alongside the steady state of the print book market. Park remarked that the trend was similar to the relationship between TV and smartphone usage, describing it as a noteworthy case.  To conclude, Park introduced Warren Buffett’s concept of a business “moat,” outlining its five key elements: network effects, cost structure, intangible assets, switching costs, and efficient scale. He emphasized that aspiring entrepreneurs should develop long-term vision and build structural competitiveness from the outset.      During the Q&A session that followed the lecture, Park revealed one of the “hidden secrets” of the media content industry. “Platforms design their algorithms based on viewer retention time,” he explained. “It’s not just about producing one good video—it’s about designing an experience that aligns with the user’s overall content consumption journey.” For instance, Geekble uses tagging strategies to increase the likelihood of algorithmic recommendations on YouTube—such as guiding viewers from a science documentary to a related movie review.  Through this special lecture, attendees gained valuable insights into the content industry and the startup ecosystem, and had a meaningful opportunity to experience firsthand the entrepreneurial spirit that embraces challenges and failures.      Meanwhile, the “Entrepreneurship Academy” is a startup education program organized by Korea University’s Startup Research Institute. It aims to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with practical insights through special lectures delivered by startup experts. 

SK·IBRE Award Recipients (March–May 2025)  The SK·IBRE Awards are presented to authors of research papers published in either top-tier international journals designated as “SK Award Journals” or high-quality international journals designated as “IBRE Award Journals” by the Business School. The list of recipients below reflects awards given during the period from March to May 2025.