Embracing Challenge, Change, and Innovation: Korea University Business School is the “Entrepreneurship Spirit” 

[Interview with New Faculty Members for the 2023-1 Semester] Professor Lee Jaemin 

Korea University Business School (Dean. Kim Sangyong) appointed two new faculty members, Professor Lee Kyuhan (MIS) and Professor Lee Jaemin (Business Administration), starting in March 2023. The KUBS News presents an interview with the newly appointed faculty members, Professor Lee Kyuhan and Professor Lee Jaemin, to introduce their aspirations and more to the readers. 

Professor Lee Jaemin obtained his bachelor's degree in Business Administration and master's degree from Seoul National University and later earned his Ph.D. in Management and Entrepreneurship from INSEAD University in France. Since 2016, he has served as an assistant professor at Imperial College Business School in the United Kingdom, and in March 2023, he was appointed as a professor (Business Administration) at KUBS. 

Q. Could you introduce yourself, Professor Lee Jaemin? 

A. I am Lee Jaemin, newly appointed to the Business School for the 2023 academic year. This semester, I am teaching Venture Management, and in the second semester, I will be teaching "Organizational Design and Competitive Advantage." 

Q. Is there a reason why you chose to study business administration? 

A. Back when I was a student, there weren't many opportunities to choose a dual degree or a double major. So, the major I chose when I first entered university continued until graduation. Although there are excellent fields of study such as law and economics, I was attracted to the appeal of business administration. 

What I find attractive about business administration are its diversity and inclusiveness. Fundamentally, business administration solves problems unique to management using theories developed from economics, psychology, and sociology. Especially, the approach of resolving new corporate-related issues in society faster than anyone else is a characteristic of business administration. Because of these characteristics and the diversity and inclusiveness of business administration, I chose to study it. 

Q. Did you have a reason to pursue an academic path after your undergraduate studies? 

A. During my undergraduate and master's programs, I was involved in small-scale entrepreneurial activities. Through entrepreneurship, I had various curiosities, and I realized that I value "autonomy" more than I thought. It's not about the time spent on work, but about being able to think and live freely about the direction of any work. So entrepreneurship suited me, and I wanted to research topics I was interested in and determine the research methods myself. Of course, there are guidelines, but there is a lot of autonomy in making choices. I chose academia because it provides autonomy. 

Q. What motivated you to join Korea University Business School, and what do you find attractive about it? 

A. It has been over 10 years since I left Korea. During that time, I observed how prestigious business schools in Korea were evolving from a distance. In the case of Korea University Business School, it had sincerity, a strong desire for development, and a "challenging spirit" to embrace new things. It didn't fear change and progressed with a clear direction. 

I liked KUBS's proactive approach to constant improvement and challenges. I found it the most appealing, and I thought of returning to my home country and teaching students. At that moment, a good opportunity arose, and I was able to join the KUBS 

Q. Could you introduce the courses you are currently teaching? 

A. I teach "Venture Management" as an undergraduate course. When students bring in business ideas, I aim to identify any problems they may have and provide solutions to address those problems. I give feedback on whether the problems they identify are specific to their target audience or if they need to broaden or narrow their perspective. Instead of giving them the answers, I encourage them to conduct their own research and contemplate the solutions themselves. 

So although they may not be able to use it immediately, I hope that the content they learned in my class will come to mind and be helpful when they contemplate the direction they should take. That's why I try to focus on providing practical things as much as possible. I want to be a "reference book" that students can turn to first when they have concerns or questions related to entrepreneurship or my lectures. 

Q. As a professor at KUBS, what research achievements do you hope to demonstrate? 

A. Korea University Business School provides much support and encouragement to publish in reputable journals recognized worldwide. They have various systems in place to support this, and I want to publish as many papers as possible in leading journals with the name of Korea University on them. 

Q. What does KUBS mean to you? 

A. I would say "entrepreneurial spirit." I have been keeping an eye on Korea University Business School since my undergraduate days, and it is the first business school in Korea that has introduced advanced systems, and it is the best business school. It is a business school that truly deserves the title of "The First & The Best." The LG-POSCO Building, for example, was an extremely innovative building at the time. 

KUBS always has a clear vision of continually moving forward. I believe that generating goals and visions, finding directions, identifying problems, and solving them are very similar to the entrepreneurial spirit. Constantly challenging, changing, and adapting is the characteristic and identity of KUBS, so I would like to express it as an "entrepreneurial spirit." 

Q. What kind of professor do you want to be for your students or disciples? 

A. We must respect the diversity of individuals because everyone is different. So, I don't think it's my place to tell them "how to live." I want to be someone who delivers practical and substantial content that they can actually refer to when they come to a point of contemplating their career in the future. Even if they pursue different professions later on, the moment of contemplating whether to start a business or not is bound to come. 

When that moment comes and they start pondering with the faint memory of what I taught, I want to be remembered as a professor who can provide practical materials that they can look into first.