Diverse Advice from Students to Students… Business School X E-MBA Mentoring Day 

On May 16, the Business School (Dean=Sangyong Kim) hosted the ‘Business School X E-MBA Mentoring Day’ (hereafter referred to as Mentoring Day) at the LG-POSCO Building. This event, organized by the E-MBA student council, was designed to provide KUBS students with insights from E-MBA students who are currently working as accountants, entrepreneurs, executives, and CEOs in large and international companies. The mentors and hosts for the Mentoring Day were as follows: ▶ Sangbeom Kim, CEO of Entro Co., Ltd. (Host) ▶Yongjin Shin, Deputy Manager at Industrial Bank of Korea ▶Jungwook Sim, CEO of Greenwich Private Equity ▶Joonyoung Kim, Country Director at Nium ▶Hyungseok Han, CEO of Vegistar Co., Ltd. ▶Yong Kang, CEO of DaeRook Co., Ltd. ▶Sungil Hwang, HR Manager at Samsung. 

First, Taejin Kim, the president of the 21st E-MBA cohort, took the stage on behalf of the E-MBA students. He stated, “We have been contemplating how we, as senior members of society, can contribute to the students.” He explained that by providing insights into entrepreneurship, career paths, and corporate culture, they hoped to assist students in making informed career choices and building valuable relationships. He also mentioned that it was a great opportunity for the E-MBA students to gain energy from the younger generation and learn about the needs of the MZ generation as CEOs. He expressed his hope that the strong network between undergraduate and E-MBA students would continue. 

Next, Professor Daeki Kim, the academic advisor of the 21st E-MBA cohort, represented the Business School on stage. He expressed his pride in the E-MBA students for organizing such a meaningful event, noting that there had never been an instance in Korea University’s history where students mentored fellow students in this way. He remarked, “It is truly commendable and heartwarming to hear about the networking between our proud Business School students,” and added that May 16, 2024, would be remembered as a significant day. Finally, he thanked Associate Dean Seongwoo Kwon for recommending the student council and everyone who supported this first step, hoping for continued support to open new chapters. 

The main Mentoring Day session followed. Led by host Sangbeom Kim, the session involved answering pre-submitted questions from Business School students. Questions were written on post-it notes, and answers were provided, with additional questions taken from the audience during the session. 

Addressing the fear of entrepreneurial failure, mentor Hyungseok Han stated, “I was less afraid and overwhelmed because I ventured into entrepreneurship without knowing much about it. Nowadays, there is a lot of support from the government and other sources, so if you are interested in starting a business, it is easier to do so.” He also advised that even small-scale startups would keep one busy enough to not have time for fear. 

After the first part, students and mentors moved to Ahn Young-Il Hall for a networking session, marking the successful conclusion of the Mentoring Day. Additionally, the E-MBA students demonstrated their strong network by donating a 2 million won scholarship to the Business School student council.