[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.