[Inaugural Interview with Dean Eonsoo Kim] "Cultivate the Ability to Integrate Tech into Business Studies in the Age of AI and High Technology"

Professor Eonsoo Kim, specializing in Strategy, has been appointed the new Dean of Korea University Business School (KUBS). He was nominated for the position by President Dong-One Kim and elected through a voting process among KUBS faculty members. Dean Kim will lead KUBS from September 2024 to August 2026, serving a two-year term. In the article below, he shares his thoughts on his inauguration and outlines his plans for the school's management and development. 

- From Valedictorian of KUBS to Professor, and Now Dean at Alma Mater 

Q. Congratulations on your inauguration as Dean of KUBS. Could you share a few words about your feelings? 

A. When I began my deanship, I received both congratulations and condolences. This reflects the increasingly challenging nature of the university education environment. While I am honored to take on this role, I also feel the weight of responsibility. I've heard that other associate deans experienced sleepless nights after their appointments as well, and I believe many of us share similar feelings. 

Q. You graduated as valedictorian of KUBS. How would you describe yourself as a student during your college years? 

A. I would describe myself as a diligent student. The 1980s were a politically unstable time due to the military dictatorship, with frequent protests. However, KUBS professors generally held classes as scheduled whenever possible. During this period of rapid economic growth, I wasn't particularly worried about finding a job, so my studies felt less stressful compared to today. Things seemed more relaxed. Many of my friends would often skip classes after lunch and go across the street to play billiards instead. 

Although I spent a lot of time drinking and socializing with friends, I made it a point to refrain from alcohol starting a week before exams. During that time, I focused solely on studying and never missed a class, which made all the difference. If you visit the ‘KUBS Story’ exhibit (located in the History Museum of KUBS on the 1st floor of Hyundai Motor Hall), you'll find my notebooks from Personnel Management and Financial Management courses—those are my lecture notes (laughs). My friends used to copy them during exam season, jokingly saying, “Just looking at these notes guarantees a B.” If I had to share the secret to being valedictorian, I'd say: “I drank a lot and socialized well, but I never missed a class.” I still tell students today, “Never skip classes.” 

- Dean Eonsoo Kim’s Vision and Philosophy for KUBS 

Q. You have taken on the heavy responsibility of being Dean. As the leader of KUBS for the next two years, what vision and philosophy do you have? 

A. For several years before becoming Dean, I often told junior faculty members, "Significant changes will come in the next 5 to 10 years." These changes, I believe, are driven by factors such as declining birth rates, increased competition both within and outside universities, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). These shifts will greatly influence the value of university education and degrees, as well as the role and identity of professors. Until now, much of the focus has been on a school's brand, but I foresee many changes ahead. The ‘SKY (Abbreviation for the top three universities in Korea; Seoul National University ― Korea University ― Yonsei University)’ brand has long been emphasized, but I believe this will no longer be the case in the future. 

Of course, we have played the branding game up until now. In most Korean universities, professors are highly accomplished scholars who have earned their doctorates from prestigious overseas institutions. This is why we often say that university faculty in Korea are excellent. Historically, what has defined a ‘good university’ is its legacy, tradition, and brand. This strong reputation has attracted talented students and produced distinguished alumni. 

From a strategic perspective, if you do the same things as your competitors but just do them better, it is difficult to disrupt the existing hierarchy. Top-ranked institutions have more resources to invest, leading to a cycle where similar efforts yield similar results. So, the question becomes, "What should we do?" The answer lies in doing something different and excelling at it. This is captured in the phrase, ‘Doing Better by Being Different.’ Even if we were to become the top school in the SKY competition, people might still not refer to us as ‘KSY.’ Our goal is to remove the ‘K’ from SKY and forge our own unique path. We want to build an identity where people say, ‘Korea University is different’ and ‘Korea University students stand out.’ 

Specifically, I hope to make ‘3C, 4Tech’ the signature of Korea University Business School. I want to keep it simple: ‘3C and 4Tech,’ with no spaces or plurals. The goal is to cultivate talent capable of understanding and integrating these four tech areas based on the three C’s. This will enable them to tackle complex problems, communicate effectively with engineers and experts, and lead them. You might think there’s nothing new about this approach. 

The first C is Curiosity. In our country, due to the exam-oriented education system, students have lost much of their curiosity and have been trained to quickly find answers. However, answers have become too easy to obtain. Companies are not looking for people who can simply find answers; they want individuals who can ask the right questions. There’s a saying: “To know how smart a person is, look at the answers they provide; to know how wise a person is, look at the questions they ask.” For a long time, I’ve structured my classes so that one-third of the semester is dedicated to question-and-answer sessions. I encourage students to formulate questions based on what they’ve learned and engage in dialogue around those questions. 

Questions can generally be categorized into three types. The first is ‘What.’ For example, “What is strategy?” This question is straightforward; you can look up the answer in a dictionary. The next level of inquiry is ‘How.’ For instance, “How do we formulate a good strategy?” This requires not only answering the ‘What’ but also exploring it more deeply. The highest level is ‘Why.’ “Why is strategy important?” Answering this question requires an understanding of both the What and How. In other words, ‘Why’ questions lead to a fundamental understanding. By asking ‘Why,’ students can explore different perspectives and avoid being one-sided. I want to help students rekindle their curiosity and start asking ‘Why.’ 

The second C is Collaboration. No one can achieve great things alone. The ability to collaborate, harmonize, and lead diverse individuals from different backgrounds will become increasingly important. This is also a traditional strength of Korea University, which we need to further develop. For example, within the university, KUBS needs to collaborate with other faculties. To effectively integrate AI into business education, we cannot do this in isolation. For technical aspects, we must work with the College of Engineering; for policy considerations, we should collaborate with the College of Political Science and Economics; and for legal and regulatory matters, we need to engage with the School of Law. There are also individuals studying AI in the College of Liberal Arts. We must first seek resources within the university, and if that’s not feasible, we need the capability to collaborate with external companies and freelancers. Additionally, in the future, humans and AI-equipped machines will work side by side, making collaboration skills in that context essential. 

The third C is Contribution. The mission of KUBS is ‘Business for Society - Inspiring Next Leaders.’ This has always been a cornerstone of our institution. We aim to clarify this further: we want to cultivate individuals who can actively contribute to society through relevant education and research. 

Now, regarding the 4Techs. The first tech is AI. While some may worry that AI will fade away like the metaverse trend, it has already become a significant reality. We need to integrate AI into our business studies to reflect this reality. 

The second tech is ‘AI-oriented Semiconductors.’ Rather than targeting the entire semiconductor industry, we should focus on semiconductors that drive AI. It’s well-known that NVIDIA’s GPUs, initially designed for graphics, have seen tremendous growth due to their application in AI. However, many products were originally developed for non-AI purposes, and now we are seeing semiconductors specifically designed for AI being developed. 

The third tech is ‘AI-embedded Robotics.’ Robots are no longer just designed for simple, repetitive tasks. Through deep learning, they are becoming capable of adapting to new situations rather than just repeating known tasks. 

Finally, the fourth tech is ‘Energy.’ With the advancement of AI, data centers are being established worldwide. This development leads to significant energy consumption, and without addressing energy issues, it will be difficult to effectively utilize AI. It’s crucial to generate the necessary electricity and develop technologies that can transmit it efficiently without requiring new infrastructure. That’s why I want to emphasize Energy as the final Tech. 

I aim to integrate these elements into our curriculum, develop educational programs, and create research projects. Capstone classes in our Global MBA and Business Analytics programs are already actively working with real data from companies to tackle pressing issues, and this is an initiative we plan to expand. For several years, I have assigned semiconductor projects for team assignments in my undergraduate classes. This semester, in my evening MBA class, we will cover case studies related to semiconductors and AI. Students will be divided into teams, assigned to specific AI-related companies, and engage in strategy battles to explore why their companies can succeed in the market and how they can achieve that success. KUBS graduates don’t need to know as much detail as engineers, but they should be capable of effectively communicating with and leading them. 

- Aiming for a Campus that Embraces Intelligence, Wildness, and Emotion 

Q. KUBS is the first college in the world to exhibit the work of artist Lee Ufan on its campus. 

A. Lee Ufan's work, Relatum - The Location, is displayed on the lawn in front of the KUBS main building. This installation was created during former Dean Johngseok Bae's tenure in 2022. We believe that while Korea University already excels in fostering intellectual growth and encouraging wildness, adding emotional depth to the environment will enhance the overall experience. 

Our goal is to encourage greater engagement with KUBS from a wider audience, rather than limiting interactions to just faculty, staff, and students. For example, we plan to open our campus to artists for seminars and forums. This initiative aims to facilitate collaboration with industry professionals and foster discussions that inspire innovative ideas in partnership with our students. 

- A College Confronting the Challenges of Declining Birth Rates and Aging Population 

Q. Korea is currently facing a serious demographic cliff. What solutions do you propose? 

A. After serving as Vice President for University Strategy at the headquarters, I took on the role of Dean. The president has already outlined strategies and analyses concerning the challenges of low birth rates and an aging population, and we plan to follow a similar path, with some adjustments specific to KUBS. 

I see three key strategies to address these demographic challenges. The first is a focus on ‘Global’ engagement. We must actively attract international students. Many countries are grappling with similar issues of low birth rates and aging populations, leading them to invest heavily in recruiting foreign students. This creates competition with top universities worldwide. Given the limited pool of international students, their choices will largely depend on the global reputation of institutions, making university rankings increasingly important. 

Although I’m not particularly fond of the term “ranking,” it reflects the current reality. People often perceive institutions through a mental hierarchy. Since Korea University is known for its elite education, the quality of our students is critical. To attract top students globally, we must enhance our rankings, as alumni and other stakeholders often respond more readily to clear, numerical rankings than to nuanced explanations. 

The second strategy is lifelong learning. Although the traditional school-age population is declining, there is growing demand for continuous learning. With rapidly evolving technology and business environments, the knowledge acquired during university can become outdated within a decade. Moreover, individuals need to continually build and develop their careers, making lifelong education essential. KUBS has already established tailored corporate programs through the Executive Education Center (EEC), but we must expand our lifelong learning offerings to make them more accessible to the general public. This initiative not only addresses the educational needs of the wider community but also plays a crucial role in the financial sustainability of the university. 

The third strategy is leveraging technology. As we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, advances in communication technology have created a hyper-connected world. For example, a student in Korea enrolled in a course using a renowned American professor's textbook can attend that professor's online lectures while taking exams locally. The world is becoming increasingly interconnected, breaking down cultural, technological, and linguistic barriers. 

A notable example is Flitto, a company founded by our alumnus Jeong Soo Lee, which provides AI-based simultaneous interpretation services. Users can access real-time translation in multiple languages simply by scanning a QR code, without even needing to download an app. We tested this technology at a recent school event, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. We must leverage such technological innovations to expand KUBS's reach, transcending time and space to connect with a broader audience. To achieve this, both the KUBS brand and the personal brands of our professors will play a crucial role. 

- A Message for Everyone Contributing to KUBS 

Q. What message would you like to convey to alumni for the development of KUBS? 

A. Korea University and KUBS cannot be fully understood without recognizing the vital role our alumni play. First, I want to stress to current students the importance of their alumni network. Upon graduation, they will join a distinguished group that is integral to the identity and success of Korea University. Many alumni have made significant contributions to the growth of KUBS, whether through donations, scholarships, or their active involvement. 

For example, the names of donors displayed in the business buildings and the numerous scholarships offered are a testament to this ongoing support. I hope our current students realize how crucial our alumni are and the pivotal roles they play. It’s important for them to understand that as they receive support now, they should, in turn, give back to future generations once they become alumni. 

We are part of a remarkable institution, and I encourage everyone to actively engage in alumni activities and consider contributing to the alumni association to continue this tradition of support. 

With the continued support of our alumni, I am confident that KUBS will achieve global recognition. My goal is for the phrase, “I graduated from Korea University Business School,” to be met with instant acknowledgment, with no need for further explanation. I want to ensure that KUBS is recognized as truly being on another level. 

Q. What message do you have for all the members of KUBS? 

A. We are facing challenging times, and it is likely that these challenges will intensify. However, with 120 years of development behind us, I firmly believe that if we unite our efforts and move in the same direction, we can position KUBS among the top 30 institutions in the world within just a few years. During my two-year tenure, I will work tirelessly to build the momentum needed to achieve this goal. Your trust, support, and guidance would be greatly appreciated.