Gateway Letter from the United Nations
InsIde track United GSA Ushers in Change
ProfIleRolling Stone Gathers No Maass
Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies Newsletter I wiNter 2008 I VOl. 01
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Editor’s NoteJuhern Kim
Editor in Chief, December 2008
P anta rhei. Heraclitus’s aphorism tells us that we cannot step into the same rivers in which we stepped yesterday; everything is in a constant state of flux. We are living in times of great change. Barack Obama
made history in November’s election as the first African-American to take the highest office in the United States, as multinational billion dollar firms collapsed in the midst of a global financial crisis. Both of these events pro-vide powerful reflections of Heraclitus’s adage within the current state of the world. There are lessons to be learned and applied from such changes in the tide. We should not be discouraged by such hardships nor made complacent by such remarkable accomplishments. On all levels, whether it be interna-tional, domestic, or in our communities, and in all aspects of our lives, both professionally and academically, we must continue to look ahead.
The Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) maintains its position as one of the most globalized academic institutions in Asia. Despite this reputation, we must demand progress and advancement. In order to compete in the global arena we, the student body, must all cultivate our abilities, change our mindsets, and become more disciplined. We need to be passionate about this chapter of our lives and contribute both academically and practically to the community, both within our own school, and on an international scale. Yonsei GSIS welcomed a new Dean this fall; with his vi-sion and commitment, NOVAsia has drawn up its anchor and set its sails into motion, and GSIS continues to surge ahead.
I should take a moment to explain the name, NOVAsia. It represents a “new Asia,” an Asia that is embraced, challenged, and set into motion by the inter-
national community. This is reflected by GSIS’s activities outside of Korea, such as academic conferences in France, Singapore, and Thailand, attended by several graduate students among the programs at GSIS. These confer-ences served as an opportunity for in-depth study of international issues and provided a platform for academic discussion and debate. In NOVAsia, we deliver current news, discuss events, and present the diverse views of current students, alumni, and our professors. A section named “Gateway” will en-able us to explore the relationship between international organizations and Yonsei GSIS. In this edition, Kyle Ward, who has worked with the UN for over twenty years, shares his invaluable experiences with us. “Inside Track” introduces members of the GSIS community of students and will feature a selection of interviews in a profile section. NOVAsia also provides an opinion section in which students can raise their voices on current events and issues.
A good beginning is half the battle. I promise NOVAsia will continue to provide keen and insightful content. I would like to thank all those who took part in interviews or provided reviews; your contribution is greatly appreciated. We encourage active participation from you, the readers, and we welcome ideas and submissions for future editions. After all, making an internationally com-petitive culture wholly depends on everyone’s contribution. Last, but not the least, I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to our staff reporters and editors. NOVAsia would have not been published without their dedication.
Let us commence our maiden voyage of NOVAsia. May our collective efforts navigate the uncertain and challenging bends of the river that lie ahead. I hope you enjoy the journey. Panta Rhei.
O n October 12 in 2007, the Nobel Foundation opened a new door of human history: Al Gore and the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the
2007 Nobel Peace Prize. As Al Gore commented at the press con-ference on the winning day in Palo Alto, California, there is no doubt that global warming is “the greatest challenge we’ve ever faced.” Global warming is one of the most daunting challenges fac-ing humanity in the 21st century in that it poses a threat to global economy, international politics, and human life itself. Some regions of the world are already severely suffering from the ramifications of drastic climate change. The arctic is melting and some countries such as Tuvalu and the Maldives are doomed to disappear under rising sea levels, according to scientific opinion. Global warming is now a reality for all of us; it is not just remote science fiction. So to speak, it is not just a climate issue, but a political, economic, and moral one.
Yonsei GSIS students had the chance to gain a comprehensive un-derstanding of the intricacies of global warming and learn its up-to-date countermeasures. In particular, 35 students from seven insti-tutions, and many preeminent professors and some pundits within this field gathered together at Talloires, France to attend the 2008 Global Leadership Seminar, hosted by the Fletcher School of Tufts University. Seven Yonsei students and Professor Yul Sohn, Associate Professor of Japanese studies at Yonsei GSIS, were in attendance. The objective of this conference was to aid interaction between first class faculties and advanced graduate students from Europe, Asia, and North America. Such students have varied educational, social and cultural backgrounds which vastly contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of global governance regarding the issue of global warming. Substantive learning and social interaction were emphasized during the conference. The theme of the confer-ence was, “Developing international regimes for global warming: Meeting multiple challenges of political and legal possibilities, eco-nomics, science and technology.”
The seminar was well-organized and academically-oriented. In ad-vance of the seminar every participant was required to read selected up-to-date academic articles and produce a response paper. Profes-sors who participated in this seminar gave feedback to the thirty-five students and at the end of the seminar; later, students were divided into groups and prepared a final presentation overnight. After the final presentation, every participant including professors from each school agreed to formulate a Talloires Declaration (See below). Pro-fessor Yul Sohn said, “The Talloires seminar was a much-needed call for a reassessment of the climate change and recommendations for how to fix the mess we are in. It was both exciting and chal-lenging in its intellectual diversity. I am sure that our students were swept along by the carefully arranged panels.” The universities which participated in this seminar are listed as follows: The College of Europe, Bruges (Belgium) and Natolin (Poland); The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA; The Lee Kuan Yew School, National University of Singapore, Singapore; The Graduate School of International Studies, Yonsei University, Republic of Korea; and The Master of International Affairs Pro-gramme, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The seminar was sponsored by the Ecoscientia Foundation and the Holcim Group and local costs in Talloires were covered for all participants.
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1. Matt Meyers, 3rd semester PIC student takes a photo with Steven W. Bosworth, the former U.S. Ambassador to Korea during the Kim Dae Jung administration. 2. One of the many privileges of attending the Seminar in Talloires was the chance to dine with students from universities across the globe. Here Yonsei GSIS make lasting memories of their last night in Talloires, France. 3. Snapshot of the last night in Talloires. From left to right: Heinz Hauser, Professor at University of St. Gallen; Matt Meyers, 3rd semester PIC student; Sohn Yul, Associate Professor at Yonsei GSIS; Juhern Kim, 3rd semester PIC student; Deborah Kim, 1st semester PIC student; Christine Holmes, wife of Former Ambassador Bosworth; Steven W. Bosworth, former U.S. Ambassador to the R.O.K, and current Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University; Mina Huh, 2nd semester IMP student; Fang Fang, 2nd semester ITF student; and Ju-Im Lee, 3rd semester ITF student.
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GSIS Students Agree on THE TALLOIRES DECLARATION:
‘No More Carbon Dioxide, Stop Global Warming’
TALLOIRES DECLARATION >
tHe talloIres declaratIon
we, the presidents, rectors, and vice chancellors of universities from all regions of the world are deeply concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of environmental pollution and degradation, and the depletion of natural resources.
Local, regional, and global air and water pollution; accumulation and distribution of toxic wastes; destruction and depletion of forests, soil, and water; depletion of the ozone layer and emission of “green house” gases threaten the survival of humans and thousands of other living species, the integrity of the earth and its biodiversity, the security of nations, and the heritage of future gen-erations. these environmental changes are caused by inequitable and unsustainable production and consumption patterns that aggravate poverty in many regions of the world.
we believe that urgent actions are needed to address these fundamental problems and reverse the trends. stabilization of human population, adoption of environmentally sound industrial and agricultural technologies, reforestation, and ecological restoration are crucial elements in creat-ing an equitable and sustainable future for all humankind in harmony with nature.
Universities have a major role in the education, research, policy formation, and information ex-change necessary to make these goals possible. thus, university leaders must initiate and support mobilization of internal and external resources so that their institutions respond to this urgent challenge.
we, therefore, agree to take the following actions:
1. increase Awareness of environmentally sustainable DevelopmentUse every opportunity to raise public, government, industry, foundation, and university aware-ness by openly addressing the urgent need to move toward an environmentally sustainable future.
2. Create an institutional Culture of sustainabilityEncourage all universities to engage in education, research, policy formation, and information exchange on population, environment, and development to move toward global sustainability.
3. educate for environmentally responsible CitizenshipEstablish programs to produce expertise in environmental management, sustainable economic development, population, and related fields to ensure that all university graduates are environmen-tally literate and have the awareness and understanding to be ecologically responsible citizens.
4. Foster environmental literacy For AllCreate programs to develop the capability of university faculty to teach environmentally literacy to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
5. Practice institutional ecologyset an example of environmental responsibility by establishing institutional ecology policies and practices of resource conservation, recycling, waste reduction, and environmentally sound op-erations.
6. involve All stakeholdersEncourage involvement of government, foundations, and industry in supporting interdisciplinary research, education, policy formation, and information exchange in environmentally sustainable development. Expand work with community and nongovernmental organizations to assist in finding solutions to environmental problems.
7. Collaborate for interdisciplinary ApproachesConvene university faculty and administrators with environmental practitioners to develop inter-disciplinary approaches to curricula, research initiatives, operations, and outreach activities that support an environmentally sustainable future.
8. enhance Capacity of Primary and secondary schoolsEstablish partnerships with primary and secondary schools to help develop the capacity for inter-disciplinary teaching about population, environment, and sustainable development.
9. Broaden service and Outreach Nationally and internationallywork with national and international organizations to promote a worldwide university effort to-ward a sustainable future.
10. Maintain the MovementEstablish a secretariat and a steering committee to continue this momentum, and to inform and support each other’s effort in carrying out this declaration.
Students’ Response
Juim lee (ItF, 3rd semester)
“The Global Warming Conference allowed me to think about these important problems on a different level and I realized that a lot of work needs to be done to make this world a better place. I now have a new attitude and perspective and plan to help make this change which first starts with my own lifestyle. Say YES to solar energy and hybrid cars!”
Fang Fang (ItF, 2nd)
“Global warming is one of the most urgent global issues of today. The seminar provided a wonderful international environment and personally the sem-inar was a precious opportunity for me to widen my eyesight.”
Benjamin Maddox (PIC, 3rd)
“The conference succeeding in providing students with much more than an education on the issue; it created a platform for students to engage one an-other and begin constructive dialogue and collab-orative action. As a result, participants were able to both learn from experts about the extent and complexity of global warming, as well as simulate the power and necessity of collective action. The conference events, participants, setting, and food were well beyond expectations.”
Deborah Kim (PIC, 1st)
“I am grateful for the wonderful opportunity pro-vided by the professors, the Dean, Yonsei GSIS, Tufts, College of Europe, St Gallen and NUS.”
Matt Meyers (PIC, 3rd)
“It was immensely educational for me to participate in this seminar. I now have an increased level of awareness of this issue and some possible avenues to a human solution. Most importantly I have been able to bring this education back to our university and share this with fellow classmates and professors. I think this trip was a winner all the way around!”
Min-a Huh (IMP, 2nd) “I was lucky to join this challenging but ultimately rewarding journey of Talloires as a representative of Yonsei University.”
Juhern Kim (PIC, 3rd)
“This seminar was an example of academic excel-lence, perfect organising, and an opportunity to engage in international intellectual networking.”
TALLOIRES DECLARATION >
O n November 5-11, four Yonsei GSIS stu-dents, along with Professor Chung Min Lee, attended two conferences in Singapore and
Thailand as part of a joint workshop on the topic of “Crisis Management: Comparative Assessment of Northeast Asian and Southeast Asian Approaches” and “Comparing South Korean and Thai Foreign Policy Approaches.” The students were selected from the Pro-gram in International Cooperation (PIC) and for Angie Jeeyung Ahn, Hyo Joon Chang, Gio In Seop Lee, and Hannah Chung, the joint conferences presented an op-portunity in which they could present their paper topics on “North Korean Nuclear Crisis Management,” “Ex-plaining Territorial Disputes between South Korea and Japan,” “The World Financial Crisis and the Prospect for an Asian Monetary Fund,” and “Proposal on Poli-cies to Manage National Disasters in Asia,” respectively. For many, this conference was the first time in which they could actively engage in the entire process of re-search, presentation and discussion. The first workshop took place at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University in Singa-pore, where students spent the day discussing various approaches to crisis management in the realm of Asian security as best suited to each region’s political trends. The second workshop took place at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, and focused on South Korea and Thailand’s domestic policies as affecting their foreign policy approaches.
“All in all, it was a successful conference. It was particu-larly interesting to see the issues we talk about in the classroom to be viewed in a different Asian perspective,” said Angie Ahn, a third semester PIC student. “I think a lot of people were very interested in Hannah Chung’s presentation, as natural disasters pose a very real threat to the security of Southeast Asia.” For student Hyo Joon Chang, who is interested in pursuing a doctoral degree upon graduation, this conference was another step forward in advancing his research. “In my case, I was particularly interested in the issue of Dokdo and how it is related to the Korean political climate. I really enjoyed my research as I tried to apply game theory to this issue. Even though the workshop was brief, I be-lieve that there is great meaning in the fact that we had the opportunity to begin the conversation between the host universities and the Korean participants. Looking back on it now, it was a privilege to not just hear each presenter’s paper topic, but how they interpreted and understood the material by the questions they asked. I could tell that my group members had paid quite a bit of attention to the discussion by their insightful ques-tions.” In addition to the representatives from Yonsei GSIS, Jung Min Kim from Seoul National University GSIS, and Professors Seok Soo Lee and Young Ho Kim from Korea National Defense University, as well as Professor Seung Chae Kim from Korea University, also presented at the conference.
1. Yonsei GSIS students prepare for their departure to the joint workshops.2 & 3. Professor Chung Min Lee listens attentively to the host university’s paper presentation.4. Students had the opportunity to swap names and sit side-by-side with a diverse group of scholars in the field of Asian security from all over the continent.
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Students Participate in
Crisis Management Workshop in Singapore and Thailand
SINgApORE AND ThAILAND >
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I n May of this year, I was invited by the Gov-ernment of South Korea to join colleagues from a number of United Nations organi-
zations taking part in a “UN Job Fair” at Yonsei University. This initiative was to enable us to meet with students in Seoul and discuss career opportu-nities within the United Nations system. My col-leagues and I were struck not only by the number of young people who participated in this event, but even more by their preparation and enthusiasm. The high calibre of their education, their knowl-edge of global issues and interest in pursuing an international career took us somewhat by surprise. Pleasantly so, of course, for here was a rich source of “new blood” that is so vital to keep the United Nations relevant and effective.
I think back to when I joined the United Nations, almost by accident and how unprepared I really was. Though I had studied Foreign Service at uni-versity, the United Nations was distant and larger than life, one of those entities that you knew was out there doing important work, but very far from daily reality. Perhaps it was the times - long before the internet and even CNN - but it never occurred to me that working there was even an option. After graduating, a series of spontaneous decisions led me to Thailand, to join a non-governmental orga-nization working with the United Nations to pro-vide assistance to refugees in Southeast Asia. Sud-denly the United Nations and its mission became for me something real and tangible: caring for Laotian hill tribes, Vietnamese “boat people” and Cambodians fleeing from the devastation and des-peration of their homelands. It was the community of nations working together to address situations that none alone could handle, expressing a shared vision and intent to tackle issues and do something that would improve the world in ways both big and small. In short, to make a difference.
Not long thereafter, I was able to join the United Nations myself, starting with the Border Relief Operation on the Thai-Cambodian border and later moving to the Department of Peace-keeping Operations in New York. In those functions, it was easy to see the impact on people’s lives the United Nations could bring and I was proud to be a part of that. Today, with the Office of the United Na-tions High Commissioner for Human Rights, I feel the same pride in knowing that our work is making a difference for people around the world, teach-ing them about their rights and duties and, where necessary, assisting them to get their rights upheld.
Throughout my career, I have been lucky to see firsthand the results of the work of the United Nations in which I have played a small part. It is
Correspondence from
the United Nations
not always glamorous work and it comes with as many frustrations as small victories, but it remains enormously rewarding to know that you are doing something with a higher purpose that can make a difference in this world.
The young people I was fortunate to meet and spend time with during my visit to Seoul seem to have this figured out already. They are of the twenty-first century, connected and tuned into the world around them and they understand that to be true global citizens they cannot focus only on themselves. The interconnected nature of today’s world means that local successes as well as failures can have an impact far away and vice versa. And thus the best way to ensure peace and prosperity at home is to seek to attain it everywhere else.
I am confident that this is a group that will have a big impact on the future, as they strive to make a difference of their own. I look forward to watching them succeed.
*Kyle Ward joined the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in June 2006 as Chief of Programme Support and Management Services, compris-ing of the Office’s finance and budget, human resources, information technology, general services and training sup-port functions. Mr. Ward previously served with the United Nations Compensation Commission, where he spent nearly nine years as Executive Officer and later, Head of Claims Payment, Administration and Information Systems. He has 20 years of experience in the United Nations, serving previ-ously in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the United Nations Border Relief Operation on the Thai-Cambodian border.
gATEWAY >
Kyle ward
A s the inaugural issue of NOVAsia goes to press, it is my hope that NOVAsia will ultimately emerge
as an avant-garde “magazine” of Yonsei University’s GSIS. The editorial board is comprised entirely of GSIS students with three simple mandates: exploring new fron-tiers, debating critical issues, and sharing news and developments at the GSIS with the broader international community.
NOVAsia is not a traditional newsletter. Rather, it is a sounding board for contrast-ing and even contending voices even as it highlights the school’s on-going achieve-ments and celebrating new milestones. I hope NOVAsia will become a pioneering stu-dent-run news magazine that accentuates regional perspectives but with a definitely global twist.
Professor Chung Min lee
Dean’s Message
I am extremely pleased to have this opportunity to share my internship experience as well as general information about the UNHCR (the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) internship with the GSIS community and wider readers. At the beginning of May 2008, I received a letter from the UNHCR Division of International Protection Services (DIPS) offering me an internship for the period 1st August 2008 to 31st December 2008. I eagerly accepted the position and therefore since August 2008 I have been fulfilling my new role as an intern in Geneva and now I have only one month remaining, time certainly flies.
My internship at UNHCRMy internship placement is within the Protec-tion Policy and Legal Advice Section (PPLAS) under DIPS, UNHCR. PPLAS is responsible for monitoring, interpreting and developing law and protection policy that is relevant to persons of concern to the UNHCR including refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless people. To support PPLAS staffs’ work, interns usually attend each country session of the UN Treaty-based body to monitor and study human rights1; report to UNHCR colleagues on issues of relevance to the work of the UNHCR. Finally interns work with UNHCR field officers to compile and edit confidential comments on coun-tries under review for submission to Treaty moni-toring body and the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review.
The Treaty monitoring body liaises with one intern from the PPLAS and I was appointed as this focal point due to the length of my time at the UNHCR. At the beginning, it was not easy to coordinate in-terns’ work, plus my own work. However, with my supervisor and other interns’ help, I was able to adjust myself to the new working circumstances gradually. This adaptation was eased due to the useful knowledge and research skills I learned from my education gained so far at Yonsei GSIS. In par-ticular, the courses in international law, internal relations, and international security were of par-ticular relevance to this internship because these courses have provided me with the fundamental knowledge and basic research skills in global issues and international relations.
Internship at UNHCR Internships at the UNHCR are normally granted to graduate students specializing in a field relevant to the mission and work of UNHCR. Typically, in-terns are studying law, international relations, po-litical science or economic and social development. Internships will normally last no less than 2 months and no more than 6 months. Currently, there are
approximately 40 interns and 90 % of them are from Europe and North America. Unfortunately or fortunately, I am the only intern from Asia.
There are several ways to obtain an internship at the UNHCR. First of all, you can apply for an internship through the UNHCR official website. Alternatively some interns apply through relation-ships or acquaintances, this approach is clearly limited. The final approach, which I personally recommend, is to apply directly to persons or units. It will take your time and efforts to find contact information, but it is the first step to a successful internship application.
There are only a few weeks left of my internship and I am sad to leave so soon but I am confident that I have learned a great deal, and extended my knowledge and skills beyond the classroom. In gen-eral, internships are unpaid and there is no expec-tation of employment at the conclusion which may discourage some applicants. However I have had the opportunity to meet and network with a variety of people as well as gaining invaluable knowledge and experiences on foreign affairs and global is-sues. This internship has certainly been a way of opening doors to new opportunities for my future career.
*Yoon Hee Kim is MA candidate in Program in Interna-tional Cooperation, Yonsei GSIS. She previously worked as an Assistant Manager in Legal Affairs Department at POSCO E&C CO. Ltd., Seoul.
1 this includes the Human rights Committee; the Committee on Economic, social and Cultural rights; the Committee on the Elimination of racial Discrimi nation monitors; the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against women; the Committee Against torture; the Committee on the rights of the Child; and the Committee on Migrant workersy
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Letter from Yoon Hee Kim, Current PIC Student Interning at
UNHCR Geneva
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Yoon Hee Kim
1. Palais des Nations2. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees3. Lake Leman4. Palais Wilson@ Geneva, Switzerland
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W here would you find a place that enables you to develop your logical thinking, strengthen your public speaking and
showcase your advocacy skills? Well, here at Yonsei GSIS the stage is set. The school hosted its first an-nual ‘GSIS Debate Society’ November 19 and 26, at the New Millennium Hall. The idea of launching the debate society was the brainchild of GSIS Dean Lee Chung Min who emphasized that, “All of us are the debaters in our personal lives. So I want all of our students to have the ability to present their arguments more forcefully and logically.” Moti-vated to win with a variety of prizes made up of gift certificates up for grabs, four teams volunteered to take part in the debate. These four teams, each made up of students from a variety of countries, were divided into two competing groups and were assigned specific topics 48 hours in advance of the debate. The contest had a strict format held over two weeks, with the first round November 19, and the final one November 26. In the preliminaries, “The Word Bank” team was victorious against the “Brain Picker” team and team ‘de bait’ was victori-ous against team “No Pasaran.” Topics focused on the issue of women’s rights and immigration policy. The debate attracted 40 observers who listened to arguments for over two hours. Each match had three rounds, individual three minute statements and rebuttals, team questions, floor questions and closing speeches. The contest was judged by a panel comprising of Dean Lee, Professor Matthias Maass, and Professor Michael Kim.
The final round topics revolved around the univer-sality of human rights and government intervention in the economic market. The final debate attracted around 50 people showing their support and cheer-ing on their friends. The outcome was two very closely fought tests of wit and skill with “The Word Bank” grasped victory and gained one million won worth of gift-certificates. Although happy with the overall victory, first semester PIC student Pieter Stek, the leader of the winning “The Word Bank” team, was surprisingly honest about the outcome. “In the first debate, our team over-interpreted the topic because it was perhaps a little vague and too long. Moreover, the judges focused on the theoretical approach, but ours was a more technical approach. “As a graduate student, I feel that we all need to practice how to answer impromptu responses in every situation, because like politics, what is impor-tant is not the correct answer, but convincing the judges and your audience.” After the final, second semester PIC student Seo Ko Un said, “Usually I don’t have the chance to think about controversial issues whilst I am busy at school, but this debate has been so inspiring”, adding that “I really want to participate in the debate society next semester”.
GSIS Debate Society Sets the Stage
EVENTS >
1. Pieter Ellerd Stek, captain of the winning team, The Word Bank2. Winning team The Word Bank discusses their case after the first round3. Student audience is captivated by the arguments made by both sides during the final round. 4. Commemorative photo of all participating teams in the first GSIS Debate Society5. Mimi Ahn, first semester PIC student receives her award from the Dean after The Word Bank’s victory.
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I n response to growing calls for an organi-zation to address and discuss international issues in Korea, six graduate schools of in-
ternational studies joined together to form a na-tionwide union, the “Graduate School of Interna-tional Studies Union” (GSISU). The union’s first conference was held in November 14th at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS). HUFS Graduate School of International and Area Stud-ies (GSIAS) hosted the event. The purpose of es-tablishing the GSISU is to build a common venue for sharing and utilizing information by encourag-ing academic exchange and increased cooperation among GSIS. GSISU hosted this academic confer-ence in accordance with the purpose of its estab-lishment and the reality of current international situations under the banner of “Beyond Boundar-ies: Go Global.” In this conference, two hundred and thirty students raised awareness and interest in the global issues of the international commu-nity through direct and active participation. Eight speakers showed off their abundant knowledge on a wide range of international issues during five ses-sions. Ha German, the president of HUFS GSIAS, said, “I expect this conference to serve as a major gateway through which all graduate students of international studies can share information and build human networks among members.” In-Seop Gio Lee (Program in International Cooperation (PIC) 2nd Semester) from Yonsei University raised the issue of the need for establishing an Asian Monetary Fund (AMF) to tide over the worldwide financial crisis currently posing a threat to region-al economic stability. In the fifth session, entitled “Current Global Tensions”, Ji-Young Nam (PIC 4th Semester) embarked on a lively presentation arguing that, “…regarding the KORUS beef ne-gotiation, an asymmetric relationship between the executive and the congress in Korea resulted in an aggressive nationwide candlelight rally.” After the conference, at the Minerva Plaza in HUFS, participants enjoyed a barbeque party prepared by the host university. Yonsei GSIS students cel-ebrated the successful conference and wished the GSISU future success as an annual event among graduate students of international studies.
University of California, San Diego. In providing an opportunity to make a personal connection, stu-dents were able to inquire after their real concerns, such as tuition and funding, curriculum, and ad-missions requirements. Mimi Ahn, a first semester student in the International Cooperation Program (PIC) at Yonsei GSIS, was among the many stu-dents who found the fair informative and helpful. “I wanted to check out what options I had for my PhD,” said Ahn, “I was also interested in finding schools for [an] exchange program during [my time at GSIS].” Deemed a success by school rep-resentatives, alumni who currently reside in Seoul, and the admissions officer themselves, many were pleasantly surprised at the turnout and at how quickly their brochures, information packets, and business cards had disappeared at the end of the two hour session. “All the good results for the AP-SIA Forum in Seoul were possible due to the active cooperation of our staff, other related offices at Yonsei and partner university staff from the Unit-ed States,” said Mr. Paik, Ki-Boum, the Director of Administration for Yonsei GSIS. Throughout the evening, several representatives from partici-pating schools complimented the seamless coor-dination, many calling it the best event hosted by an APSIA member school thus far. For more information about the Association of Professional Schools in International Studies and an upcoming admissions fair near you, check out their website at http://www.apsia.org.
A s part of a three-city tour in Asia, the Association of Professional Schools in International Studies (APSIA) held an
admissions fair hosted by the Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) on November 12, in the Engineering Research Park on Yonsei University campus. Approximately 170 prospective students were eager to check out various programs from the fifteen of the thirty-four member schools in attendance, including the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University, the John F. Kennedy School of Gov-ernment from Harvard University, the Graduate Institute of International and Development Stud-ies from Geneva, and the Graduate School of In-ternational Relations and Pacific Studies from the y
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introduction for both Korean and international candidates. Admissions Officer Yun Jeong Choi was pleased with the large turnout. “In the past around 130 people have attended,” Choi said. “The economic crisis and the declined recruit-ing was one of the factors to make this 14th open house session successful.”
GSIS Dean Chung Min Lee welcomed partici-pants by introducing his strong ethos for the school, “If you want to change the world, you better start studying here because Yonsei’s goal is to make global leaders who can transform the world.” Dur-ing the event, faculty and staff were available to not only promote but provide advice and take part in question and answer sessions. Most Korean attend-ees learned about the Open House through Yon-sei’s website, while flyers and invitations were made available to international candidates. Nick Mar-ceau, a first semester Korean Studies student, also addressed the audience. Relating his experiences, he said, “At Yonsei every day there are new friends, a new atmosphere and new opportunities.”
A ttracting around 250 potential students from twenty-one countries including Ecuador, Myanmar, the Netherlands,
and Zimbabwe, Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) hosted its largest Open House event ever at the New Mil-lennium Hall on October 27, 2008. The event, hosted once a semester since 2002, serves as an
GSIS Participates in First Inter-GSIS
Academic Forum
APSIA Admissions Tour
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GSIS Opens Doors to Record Number of
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T he fall 2008 Graduate Students As-sociation, or the GSA, is well known for being the most active and vigor-
ous student group ever at GSIS. Bryan We, the president of GSA, says, “The purpose of the GSA is to represent and give a voice to all the graduate students [at GSIS].” To accomplish these goals, the GSA does several things. Ac-cording to We, when problems are identified the GSA “serves as a representative and advo-cates the point of view of the students to the administration, faculty, and other segments of the university community.” The GSA is diverse in membership, with about half of its eighteen member team registered as international stu-dents.
The three person executive team is directly responsible to administration, while program representatives are selected from each program so that there is balanced representation of the student body. Every semester the GSA is elect-ed after a popular vote by the students; teams campaign in groups of three, and the winning team subsequently receives scholarships for the following semester. The goal of the current GSA when it was elected was a ‘United GSIS’; thus the GSA organized language sessions for the first time in GSIS history. A mentoring program was also launched to facilitate con-versation between incoming students and their seniors. The GSA additionally hosted regular events such as the GSIS retreat, parties and the annual Yonsei-Korea University Athletic Meet (Yonkojeon).
“We tried to stick to our original plan, which was ‘low price, high quality,’” said Ryan Hane-ol Jang, one of the two vice presidents of GSA and a third semester ITF student. “The GSA’s dedication to this cause would not be possible without the fifteen program representatives.” We agrees, “When the GSA makes a decision, the representatives initiate the process of coor-dinating.”
The semester is coming to a close with just a few weeks left before the winter vacation, and the end of the semester banquet will be the cli-max of this semester’s foray of events. The role of the GSA executive is filled with demand-ing work, but as We explains it, “When I was elected as the president, I was really excited. I am always trying to serve the GSIS students and make them united just like the way I prom-ised at the beginning of the semester. Now I’m very happy to prepare for the election for the newcomers.”
United GSA Ushers in Change
INSIDE TRACK >
1. Bryan We raises important student concerns during the Dialogue with the Dean2. Proudly waving the flag of Yonsei GSIS during YonKoJeon, an annual athletic meet held between Yonsei and Korea University, Bryan We shows his school spirit.
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Yes “We” Can: An In-depth Interview with the President of GSA
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T here is no mistaking where this constant feeling of energy surrounding the GSIS student body is coming from this semes-
ter. While it would seem impossible to credit one single person for this surge in activity, it is fitting that this student’s name implies the plurality of his nature. At the heart of these changes is Bryan We (30), the President of the Graduate Student Association (GSA). At the special lecture by the CEO of Oracle Korea, We was there as an orga-nizer. At the Halloween party hosted by Yonsei GSA, We was out on the dance floor. Many of the positive reforms and changes that have been implemented this semester, the most notable being the new special lecture series showcasing presentations by leaders from a variety of sectors and the launch of the new GSIS Debate Soci-ety, were vigorously promoted by him. While his role as President has made him very well known to the GSIS public, there remains to be much more depth to observe in the man behind the We. Initially, Bryan was not keen to be involved in school activities namely because during his first semester he was working as an English instructor, something he has been doing for several years. However, in his third semester, he felt there need-ed to be a change in the level of inactivity in the student body.
“During my time at Yonsei GSIS, through my interactions with diverse friends and professors, I have grown up academically as well as person-ally.” And he added with a smile, “I felt that I owe a debt of gratitude and thus I wanted to do something for the school to re-pay this debt” Bry-an’s election campaign ran with the slogan “GSIS United.” Bryan explained, “This is the foremost
principle of GSA. I thought that we should grasp and enjoy the opportunity around us. For we are all studying together and we all from over 40 countries with various backgrounds, we can all develop and grow by being a close commu-nity, being true friends and being united. I be-lieve that the GSA should seize the initiative to make this happen.” When the NOVAsia decided to look back on Bryan’s presidency, we learned of many stories that illustrated his commitment to making things happen. For example, at the beginning of the semester he took it upon him-self to set a new standard for semester kick off parties, and so he walked around the Shinchon area for several hours searching for just the right place. Without him students would not have had the opportunity to enjoy a sushi and wine party with their professors. His passion and enthusiasm has brought new momentum and vigor into the student body.
There are times, We conceded, when bearing the responsibility of the presidency is taxing, es-pecially due to how time consuming the job is. But he credits his endurance to his faith, remark-ing that “My religion is, in fact, the real driving force not to stop. The grace to perform my duty is really crucial. The presidency is too big and too heavy to mistreat it, it is not just as a normal activity.” Regardless of the hardships that come with the job, We remains quick with a smile and even quicker with a joke. It is indisputable that he has breathed new life into the student body. Although he leaves the office, confident that the next administration is well-prepared to take the reins, most students would agree that it will be difficult to replace this one man We.
For we are all studying together and we all
from over 40 countries with various backgrounds,
we can all develop and grow by being a close
community, being true friends and being united.
“
”
good relationship with a professor.
Student H: Hey, you can officially quote me on this, but it’s a great honor to serve the professor, and I’m totally being serious.
Student I: A former TA called me and asked me to submit my CV, and after that I met the profes-
sor and he asked, “Are you good at English? Korean? Okay, you’re start-ing the next day.” That was it.
Moderator: First impressions. You first.
Student H: I was also contacted by the previous TA so I came down to the office and I don’t remember what he asked me...but he did say, “Why do you want this job?” I had the impression that he was very gentle and sweet...okay, that’s weird for me to say. But I really liked him a lot right off. During the interview we realized that our interests and major were the same.
Student D: He’s charismatic. You can’t really say no when he asks for something.
Student B: I thought, “It’s not going to be easy.”
Moderator: Why did you think that?
Student B: I applied because I really liked his class. If you have taken his class then you might know how he is. But he is different from his class personality and then when I met him in person, I thought he was quite strict. Whatever the work is, when he decides
the work has to be done then it has to be done at that time.
Student D: Machiavellian?
Student I: Isn’t that how it is for all the professors?
Student H: Not mine. I realized this a few weeks ago. [Laughter]
Moderator: Okay guys, what are the benefits?
All: References, thesis advice.
Student I: Getting close to the professor.
Student D: He buys you lobster.
Student A: They are concerned about what you want to do in your future.
Moderator: Do you have to stay there all the time?
Student A: Ideally, he wants us to stay there from 9-6. You can see how it can be a little time-constrain-ing. You have your own space. It’s like my own office.
Student C: Own coffeemaker. It’s a nice study environment.
Student A: You know they’re very personable when they’re around. You see a side of them that they probably don’t show in the classroom setting. When they have the time, they’re eager to help you out with any ques-tions you might have. They’re eager to be a part of your experience.
Moderator: What is the most difficult thing about being a TA?
All: The office hours.
Student D: You can’t wear shorts in the summer…or slippers.
Student A: Oh, he has my phone number. He calls me every once in a while. Sometimes he calls early in the morning because he needs something done before class. Short notice, but the benefits outweigh the difficulties.
Student H: I don’t have a difficult task.
Moderator: Why is it so easy?
Student H: Because he’s so gentle and kind. [Laughter]
Moderator: Any last words of wisdom for aspiring TA’s?
Student A: I didn’t get recom-mended. If you’re looking to meet professors on a personal level be proactive in seeking them out and following up on any opportunities that are available. There are times when I may seem like I’m unappre-ciative, and there is less time to do the things that I want. But it’s nice to know that there’s a professor that you can depend on sometimes.
Student C: I make course packets, coffee, clean his desk, and write letters. I also do translation, research and some other secretarial work.
Student A: Oooh, secretarial. I want to change my answer. I do secretarial work.
Student D: What I do is, he needs it – I got it. We’re in a relationship that we can’t get out of. I do everything from conducting research to taking care of student needs. You know...I advise him on domestic policy and at the same time give comfort and warmth when needed. [Laughter] It builds my character.
Student E: To be honest, my professor is like my mentor. He is always genuinely curious about what it is I want to do…I see it as experience for the future.
Student F: I only work on Fridays. I arrange his ap-pointments and
prepare for his class. I think I have a good relationship with the professor because he’s so lovely.
Student H: You want me to introduce myself ? Okay, I was born in Korea...
Student I: No, no, what you do for your professor.
Student H: Oh, you mean that kind of introduction. Well, every time my professor loses a file or some-thing happens to his computer, I’m expected to retrieve it. I’m also the gardener. I have four plants, three of which are unknown...and I make up excuses for students who want to see him. [Laughter]
Student H: No, I’m just kidding.
Moderator: So why did you de-cide to be a teaching assistant...and how did you get this job?
Student D: Under the condition of anonymity, I was called in by the former TA. The professor told me to come in, asked me what my name was and gave a short little interview. You know, it’s like a mu-tual system of guarantee...if I screw up, then my former TA will be held accountable, so in some way this ensures that only the brightest and smartest people will be in the office.
Student F: It wasn’t about the money for me. In fact, I didn’t know that I would get money, but I wanted a
I n a hallway with lingering smells of day-old coffee, faculty offices occupy both wings of the build-
ing, with modest placards humbly stating the name and title of the oc-cupants within. Interiors differ, with some professors choosing a more stately approach to their working environment, while others a more modern design. Should students ever wander up to the sixth floor, they will most likely encounter the gatekeepers to these mini sanctums of hustle and bustle. Teaching assistants range from all different educational backgrounds, sizes, makes and models: small, tall, spectacled, business casual, and the avid sweater vest connoisseur. Their talents tend to vary, but all are familiar with the task of juggling their school-work with on-the-spot requests from their respective professors.
Whatever the motive, nine teaching assistants under the condition of ano-nymity and free pizza gathered in an empty classroom for a friendly con-versation. NOVAsia should warn you that the following discussion is not a comprehensive guide on the merits of being a TA, nor does it divulge the secret art of networking that has ben-efited so many of their academic for-tunes. We hope that those readers will find it useful in its original purpose. If you discover what that is, then please let us know.
Moderator: First of all, thank you guys for coming. If you could go around and just say a little bit about what it is that you exactly do and introduce yourself.
Student A: I’ve been working for three months as a TA, and so far the most exciting thing I’ve done is proctor an exam. I also research, clean, [do] administrative work, and odd jobs like preparing for his early morning classes.
I’ve always wondered how I would look in a
sweater vest.
to protect the innocent, we have substituted a photo of random GsIs students. sorry. Hey, they could be tA’s one day.
INSIDE TRACK >>>
“A paradox,” is how Oleg Pak, a third semester International Trade and Finance student from Ka-zakhstan, described his life here in South Korea.
In the early part of the 20th century, Pak’s great grandparents, like many others, left an economi-cally poor Korean peninsula in search of a better life. Yet a century later he finds himself living in the very country his forefathers left behind in an ef-fort to understand what he calls his “historic moth-erland.” “My parents, my grandparents have never come [to Korea], but I still feel that it is our historic motherland... I wanted to visit and live here. It was like... a call of blood,” Pak said, as if deliberately invoking the Korean saying that ‘blood is thicker than water.’
There are over five to six million Koreans over-seas, according to the Institute for International Economics’ report “The Korean Diaspora in the World Economy.” According to the fall semester student register list provided by the GSIS admis-sions office, 26 of the 134 international students registered this semester are living what Pak would call the ‘paradoxical life’ of an ethnic Korean raised overseas, defying the diasporas of their parents and coming back to Korea in search of a sense of identity. These students of Korean heri-tage are caught between the precipices of two cul-tural identities, that of their home country and of Korea. But rather than remaining at the edge of one culture or the other, many have come with the intention of bridging the cultural gap.
“My family is Korean,” answered first semester International Cooperation student Tamie Kanda when asked what motivated her to come. Kanda is originally from Japan. A third generation Japanese Korean, she and her family moved to live with Ko-rean relatives in the U.S. at age 12. When speak-ing in English, her speech is often peppered with Japanese words. After finishing her undergraduate degree in the States, Kanda spent a year trying to decide what to do next. She explained that it was ultimately her heritage that led her to cross back over the Pacific Ocean. “While there’s no one rea-son I’m here, coming to Korea was a way to get back to my roots,” she said. Kanda said she does not feel the paradox of her presence here like Pak, but others like first semester International Cooper-ation student Eric Han were able to relate to such circumstances with his own experiences.
“My parents were like, ‘Don’t go to Korea,’” said Han, who is from the U.S. but has been living here since 2005. “Considering the time they left [in the 1960s during the Park Chung Hee administra-tion], I don’t really blame them. But it’s sort of like
my heritage. It’s a culture that I really would like to know. Over the three years he has been here, Han said he has been able to reach a greater un-derstanding of his own identity. “In America I’ve always thought of myself as Korean. Pretty much the reason why I studied Korean history [as an un-dergraduate] was to learn more about the history and the culture, but after coming here I realized how American I am, how [un]aware [I was].” “In many ways, I’m still not totally immersed in [Ko-rean culture and life]. But coming here has helped me understand my Korean side much better. When
I was younger, my parents did a lot of things that I didn’t understand, and it was really frustrating. So for me it has helped me understand myself and my family and their values better.” Unlike those Ko-reans who were born in Korea and yet educated abroad, these heritage Koreans rely primarily on the culture they have learned through their pe-riphery to define what it is to be Korean. Their limited exposure to the culture, whether it be from their parents and relatives or trips, never seems to be enough. Han recalled celebrating Chuseok, a sort of Korean Thanksgiving for the autumn har-vest, in Korea. Being around so many relatives and helping out with the cooking and preparations, Han said he had felt, even if it was only for that moment, a sense of “completeness.” Still, regard-less of how close a bridge these students have built between their cultures, they still find it difficult to fully integrate into Korean life. As a result of being raised overseas, many of them specifically pointed out that one of the largest problems they run into is language. “I feel really foreign sometimes [in Ko-rea] and I think a lot of it has to do with the lan-y
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guage barrier, the honorifics around people,” Han said, which is a part of the reason why he came to Korea, so as not to be “dismissed as another for-eigner.”
Language ability is what also often determines how they are perceived by their Korean peers. “I enjoy being able to meet such a variety of people,” said Seon Hwa Moon, a third semester Area Studies student who was born and raised in Korea her entire life. “But it’s more comfortable for me to speak in Korean. I feel more of a sense of close-ness to the students who can speak [Korean] well.” It would be inaccurate, however, to conclude that every ethnic Korean’s presence in Korea is a mat-ter of seeking out their roots. Originally from the U.S. himself, Professor Michael Kim has interacted with many of the ethnic Koreans who have come to GSIS through his role as chair of the Korean Studies Program. Ethnic Koreans “themselves are very diverse and it’s hard to generalize their rea-sons for being here, especially having dealt with a lot of them,” said Kim, a professor of Korean his-tory. He insisted his own reasons for being here for the past nine years are purely for the sake of his own research on history. “Identity itself is a very complicated phenomenon. This is why some [eth-nic Koreans] come, and we welcome them. But there are other students who are here for so many different reasons” said Kim.
In spite of whatever reasons for which they may have come, the presence of ethnic Koreans is wel-comed by Korean students at GSIS. Being able to meet Koreans from countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and China provides another perspec-tive from which to view Korean history and cul-ture. “It’s fascinating to meet these students with Korean heritage. They look Korean, but they are so different from us. We usually just assume that ethnic Koreans are from the U.S. or Japan and they live prosperously. Yet these people from other countries have their own stories too,” said Moon. “When they learn Korean we can help them, and when we want to improve our English, we can go to them.” In this way, Moon said she thought the students can overcome any sort of paradox they might feel.
During their time in Korea, not all students may find the identity they thought they would. Sometimes the viscosity of blood may not be as thick as they once thought. But each student has their own unique culture that they have picked up with their personal experiences. “Living in Korea has been hard for me at times. I have a different mentality, I feel different,” Pak said. “But I am satisfied with having been able to experience the ‘Korean spirit.’”
Defying the Diaspora:
Overseas Koreans Return to the Motherland
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O n October 30, approximately ninety GSIS students, on the recommenda-tion of Professor Joonho Hahm, As-
sociate Dean, had an opportunity to listen to the critical addresses of world leaders, including fif-teen former heads of state and a number of aca-demics and professionals in their respective fields. The World Leaders Forum, at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, was hosted by the South Korean govern-ment in commemoration of its 60th founding an-niversary.
Under the theme of “The Republic of Korea: 60 and Beyond,” the forum revolved around three main topics: globalizing Korea, the global finan-cial crisis and green growth. Global leaders gen-erally reached consensus with the idea that South Korea should be a role model for countries hoping to follow in its footsteps of rapid democratization and economic growth, but that it should step up efforts to play a greater role in the international community. They urged South Korea to pursue closer cooperation with other nations in coping with deepening financial woes and bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula.
Francis Fukuyama, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and also the author of the controversial book, The End of History, suggested that Korea needed to be reborn as a “high-trust society,” to move forward from the achievements of the last 60 years. “To increase trust at an international level, Korea needs to work within the framework of and help to create new international institu-tions,” he added during the keynote speech to the World Leaders Forum.
Fang Fang, a second semester Chinese student majoring in International Trade and Finance (ITF), said, “It was a great opportunity for me to see so many preeminent global leaders at the same place, at the same time.” Ryan Haneol Jang, a third semester Korean student also majoring in ITF, aided students in their participation in this forum as a teaching assistant for Professor Hahm. He added, “Many students applied, more than expected, and I think this phenomenon reflects how Yonsei GSIS students are deeply interested in global issues.”
Key participants in the one-day forum included former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, former British Prime Minister John Major, for-mer Russian Prime Minister Evgeny Primakov, Singapore’s Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mo-hamad, and former Australian Prime Minister Robert J. Hawke.
HAHM Joon-ho
“Determinants and Con-sequences of Non-Interest Income Diversification of Commercial Banks in OECD Countries,” Journal of International Economic Stud-ies, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 3-32, June 2008.
lee Chung Min “The Emperor’s Famine,” Asia Policy, no. 5, (January 2008).
lee Heejin
S. Kim, H. Kim and H. Lee. An institutional analysis of an E-government system for anti-corruption: The case of OPEN. Government Informa-tion Quarterly. Accepted in 9 September 2008.
H. Lee and S. Oh. The political economy of stan-dards setting by newcomers: China’s WAPI and South Korea’s WIPI. Forthcoming. Telecommunications Policy.
H. Lee, S. Jang, K. Ko and Richard Heeks. Analysing South Korea’s ICT for De-velopment Aid Programme. The Electronic Journal of In-formation Systems in Developing Countries. Forthcoming (Vol. 35, 2008).
S. Yang, H. Lee and S. Kurnia. Mobile telecom-munications and business in Australia: Market overview and key emerging trends. In Trends in Mobile Technology and Business in the Asia-Pacific Region. Eds. Y. Yoo, J. Lee and C. Rowley. Chandos Publishing. (2008). 11-38.
MAAss, Matthias M.
“Bush Goes To Korea? George W. Bush Re-Elected and Security on the Ko-rean Peninsula”. In: M.P. Amineh (ed.). State, Society and International Relations in Asia. (=ICAS Publications Series / Edited Volumes 2.) Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, (forthcom-ing 2009).
“The Elusive Definition of the Small State.” Interna-tional Politics, vol. 46 (1) (forthcoming 2009).
rHYU sang-Young
“North Korea’s Strategy for Regime Survival and East Asian Regionalism”, Vinod K. Aggarwal (eds.), Northeast Asia; Ripe for Integration? (New York: Springer, 2008)
“Institutionalizing Property Rights in Korean Capital-ism: A Case Study on the Listing of the Samsung Life” Jongryn Mo and Da-vid Brady (eds.) The Rule of Law in South Korea (Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 2008, Forthcoming)
“The Political Dynamics of Informal Networks in South Korea: The Case of Parachute Appointment,” The Pacific Review, Vol.21, No.1 (March 2008) (with Lee Seung-joo)
GSIS Students Pay Visit to World Leaders
Forum Seoul
Professors’ 2008 Academic Publications
EVENTS > >>
G raduate students in Seoul took a well earned rest after their mid-term exams and organized an inter-GSIS Hallow-
een party to raise money for an orphanage, Isaac’s House. Hosted by the GSA on October 30 at ‘The Hole’ in Hongdae, the fundraising event was an enormous success with unprecedented numbers of students from various graduate schools of interna-tional studies in Seoul attending. A-young Jang, a second semester IMP student, explained how the event provided students with the chance to “help the orphanage while having a good time with friends.” The atmosphere later heated up with a human auction, contributing even further to the charity. As someone being auctioned off, Scott Walker, a first semester PIC student, said, “Stand-ing on the stage and waiting for someone to bid for me was kind of nerve racking, but I wanted to con-tribute to the party and importantly do something for the orphanage. It was a memorable time.”
As part of fundraising efforts for Isaac’s House, a local orphanage in Seoul, the GSA collaborated with several universities to host a Halloween Party on October 30.In efforts to raise support for the orphanage and get in the Halloween spirit, students dressed up in costumes for the party.
R ight before our scheduled interview with borrowed MacBook in tow, I look around the hallway while Professor
Maass is in conversation with a first semester stu-dent. My eyes are drawn to a comic strip on the front door of the office across the hall. The car-toon features a hostess making a reservation for what appears to be a rather popular restaurant. She asks the caller, “Is this a real medical doctor or just a PhD?” Oh, self-deprecating academic humor. How witty thou art.
I don’t have much time to ponder over the mean-ing of life now that Professor Maass is heading down to his office with such briskness that I stand at attention, my hands ready to flip open that lap-top and get down to business. After greeting me with a joke to see if I am still under the weather and doped up on strong Korean antibiotics, he unlocks his office door. Wishing I was more tal-ented in the fine art of multi-tasking, I observe Professor Maass as he moves around the office in an extremely efficient manner, and it is at this point I say something official like, “Thank you very much for agreeing to sit down with us” (Us? Who’s us?), and promise simple and easy ques-tions beginning with perhaps the most obvious, “What made you decide to come to GSIS?”
He throws me off guard with a deep chuckle, “You said that you were going to ask simple questions! These kinds of questions are rather difficult to an-swer because the answer is not that simple.” He sits down at his desk. “I would like to be based in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific…that whole slice of the world. I came to SNU before as a visiting professor and quite liked working at a Korean university and being in Korea.”
“Um, okay…why?”
“Pssh…well, I don’t know really. Why do you like your boyfriend?”
I was not expecting that question. I quietly admit that I am single, and make a mental note to give myself a pep talk later.
“Well, when you do get one,” he continues, “you’ll find that there are some things we…that we sort of like, with certain tastes. There is some sort of rational reason, though. South Korean education and scholarship have been flying un-der the radar screen for a while. I got in touch with the now dean when we were in Singapore and we started to talk and you get a feeling that this is a place that is moving forward. You put this all together and you think that this could be a
yonsei University - korea foundation korean
studies forum
Students interested in getting the buzz on some of the latest issues in Korean Studies did not have to look any further than this semester’s series of Korea Foundation Korean Studies Forum lectures. Inviting notable scholars from all over the world to Yonsei to discuss their research in the field, the Korea Foundation provided attendees with the opportunity to not only learn from these experts, but also to rub elbows and freely chat afterwards.
Forum organizer Professor Hyuk-Rae Kim, while pleased with this year’s audience turnout for each of the six lectures, expressed his ambitions to cre-ate appeal to a wider base in the future. “I’d like for students from outside the [Korean Studies Program] to also take advantage of this forum. We are providing a wonderful opportunity here at Yonsei with these seminars that show just how diverse Korean Studies is,” he said.
Speakers from this semester included Antonio Fiori from the University of Bologna, Italy, Sealing Cheng from Wellesley College, Columbia University’s Charles Armstrong, Jung Sun Park from California State Uni-versity, Dominguez Hills, and Yonsei’s Distinguished Visiting Professor Rajiv Narayan.
discussion at the U.s. embassy
Fifteen GSIS students at-tended a discussion session on American foreign policy at the U.S. Embassy in Namyoung-dong November 21st. Invited to observe the conference by the embassy’s Public Affairs Department, the students had the opportunity to listen to five experts weighing in on the lat-est issues in U.S. foreign policy. The meeting was highlighted by keynote speaker Dr. Mitchell B. Reiss, Dean of International Studies at The College of William and Mary, who was presiding over the talks through digital video live from the U.S.
GsIs Guest lectures
The Graduate Student As-sociation hosted several guest lectures this semester that fo-cused on providing an insight on life after GSIS to students. Professionals from various industries were invited to the New Millennium Hall to share their experiences. The three guest speakers this semester were Pyo Sam Soo Oracle Korea CEO, Patrick Joseph Linehan Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy, and Hyun Sook Hong Chief of Staff to IOC Member Dae Sung Moon.
“Basically the idea was that I wanted the students at GSIS to have the opportunity to listen to what these people had to say about careers and self-develop-ment,” said GSA President Bryan We, who organized the lectures. “It’s hard for students to get advice [about careers], so I wanted to create op-portunities for them to listen to successful and influential people and be inspired and be encouraged.”y
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Yonsei GSIS Halloween Party
Raises Funds for Seoul Orphanage
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Rolling Stone Gathers
No Maass
pROFILE >
NEWS AND NOTES FROm ThE NEW mILLENNIum hALL >
“So, this is also a part of your research interest?”
“There’s some major overlap. My major research interest is in small states. These are very critical states, and your margin of error is fairly small. So in that sense…there’s a significant overlap.”
“Small states? Can you clarify the definition of a small state?”
With a slight chuckle, he says, “Nobody can. You can come up with a definition for a particular proj-ect, but it depends on your profession. I just fin-ished writing a piece on ‘Why don’t we have a defi-nition of a small state?’ We hear that South Korea calls itself a small state but you’re emphasizing that this particular country is stuck in between giants. But if you plunge it in the Pacific or the Carib-bean, it would probably qualify as a very strong middle power. It doesn’t mean that South Korea is not a small state. At least not in this particular geographical context, but some people say you go by the population or the size of the economy or the technological gap.”
“All right then. To switch it up now, a fun question. Any hobbies?”
“Well, what qualifies as a hobby?”
I’ve always hated this question simply for the fear of sounding boring and people realizing that I, in fact, do not have any hobbies. So I make something up and say, “Something you do in your free time, you know…something you enjoy doing. Something you do out of your own volition.”
“As a GSIS professor you don’t get any free time.” He laughs at the sound of his own words. “Well, I like riding my motorcycle…which is still sitting in Singapore. Scuba diving. I’d like to go back to skiing. In many ways I’ve been very lucky to find some ways to convert hobbies into a profession. I like reading, but it doesn’t look like I’m playing around with my hobby…I’ve been very lucky to make my hobby into a profession.”
Perhaps I can make money off of surfing the web.
My class starts in fifteen minutes and so I begin to wrap up the conversation, “How can students get the most out of your class?”
I’ve stumped him. He genuinely looks as though this is the first time he’s heard this question. I sit at my borrowed laptop appreciating the time being put into this inquiry, and my eyes begin to wander over the furiously typed transcript. I real-ize one entire sentence half a page up needs to be deleted because I have somehow inadvertently placed my hands incorrectly on the keyboard and all the words look like this, “fph id gpomg yp yjr bryz.” Before I can stop myself from breathing an expletive, Professor Maass begins to speak.
“That’s an interesting question. Maybe it’s a sign of age but I do think I’m getting increasingly ir-ritated by students who think they can just show up and float a little smart comment here and there. I think you set the standards for yourself and you try to fulfill them. If you’re serious about this stuff then I have tons of respect for this person. Intel-lectually, I mean. I always found that there’s such fantastic feedback between teaching and research. There’s a constant mutual beneficial mechanism out there…so teaching is quite beneficial for your research…”
His voice trails off and so I offer the opportunity for “ any last words.” With a smile he responds, “Well, this has to be carefully said now, doesn’t it? Without appearing cheesy?” I smile and wait for the concluding remarks, which come a full minute later with arms folded and in carefully thought-out words, “A university shouldn’t be a sort of supermarket where you simply go and get stuff off the shelf. What I really want from the students is to be proactive, to see his or her graduate level education as something that he or she can and must create him or herself. It’s not a finished product you take home after a couple of years. It really needs active participating. Skills develop not by taking notes but by working on them. At the graduate level, that should really be the focus.”
I type the last sentence and thank Professor Maass, with the reassurance that his last words are indeed insightful and encouraging, and not in the least bordering on cheesy.
good environment and a good program, you like the city and the country the first time you were there, and they’re offering a good package.”
I’m curious as to what constitutes a “good pack-age” but feel that this topic lies in the category of strictly-none-of-my-business. I bring up his vari-ous faculty appointments and say that there surely must be some reason behind all this country-hop-ping: Singapore, Hawaii, France, and Vietnam.
“Well, you either have curiosity or you don’t. I come from a graduate program where the expe-rience is all about being the international person and the whole part of reinventing yourself.” He then glances at me through the bottom half of his glasses, “I’m talking about Tufts here.” He continues, “All the professors have been abroad and they constantly travel. The professors and students are from all over the world. It’s not that you’re simply studying international mate-rial, but you are living it. Also…well, I felt that there’s a certain time in your life that you can do it. There are pros and cons, but you just sort of live with those.”
“That being said, your GSIS profile mentions you working in a bank before making the move to the academic field. Can you talk about that transi-tion?”
“I guess,” he says with a bit of reluctance. But I assume that’s because he’s been asked this ques-tion a million times. “Honestly, who wakes up in the morning and on their 12th birthday really knows what they will do for the rest of their lives and [then] actually does it? I said to myself, well, working in a bank is not the worst thing; interna-tionally it’s moving towards that model anyways where you switch [back and forth] between edu-cation and practical work. Halfway through your career…finding out what you [don’t] want to do is as helpful as finding out what you want to do. So I said, let’s go and find that out.”
When I was 12, I gave a presentation to my sixth grade class on how I wanted to become a lawyer, convinced that I would be married with three kids by the time I was 25. However, these days my 12 year old dreams seem laughable, and I can only imagine that I’ll look back ten years from now and say the exact same thing. My mind continues to race in this three second pause and since this interview is about a new GSIS faculty member living in Seoul, I ask, “Students are curious about what classes you’ll be teaching next semester. Do you know what you will be offering?”
“I’m on the book for teaching the international law class and an additional class on diplomacy, nego-tiation, and statecraft. You could probably just call it ‘just’ diplomacy,” he says. “But it’s too narrow because it implies only ambassadors and foreign ministers are involved. For example, espionage is not a part [of diplomacy] like we think of it but I think [it] is potentially an important part of how you survive internationally and how you what you want. What I’m trying to say is if you’re trying to analyze or understand what makes a summit a suc-cessful summit, you have to understand negotia-tion, diplomacy, and statecraft. These three items overlap in a fairly substantive way. That overlap is where I want to put my finger at.”
What I really want from the students is to be proactive, to see his or her graduate level education as
something that he or she can and must create
him or herself.
“
”
L uis Botella Sanchez (24) attended the Uni-versity of Malaga and graduated with a History Degree. He is in his first semes-
ter at Yonsei GSIS studying in the Korean Studies Program (KSP).
As Luis was nearing the completion of his Histo-ry degree he began to contemplate his next steps when his Professor happened to mention there was a three year scholarship to study in Korea. Three students raised their hands in eagerness to apply for the Scholarship and luckily for Luis his hand was chosen.
Luis arrived in Seoul in October 2007 and com-menced a one year Korean language course at KyungHee University. Whist undertaking this course he researched graduate schools in Seoul, through friends he discovered that Yonsei GSIS had a very good reputation and was a popular choice.
When Luis put up his hand in his undergraduate class in eagerness of travelling to Asia he did not
know too much about Korea, in fact his interest lay more with Japan. He had also at this stage studied Japanese during his undergraduate de-gree. His first time out of Europe brought him to a country which he thought would be similar to Japan, over time he has realised that this is not the case. Whilst in Korea Luis has found the most difficult aspect of living abroad is being the out-sider, the struggle to communicate and interact with Koreans. However this he feels is counter-balanced by a positive aspect to being here...not having to work 9-5pm.
Luis had also find amusement in daily events that happen when he is out and about in Seoul. He draws our attention to one such event that he wit-nessed on the subway. Whilst boarding the usually busy train an ajuma directly in front of him with evidently split second decision making and an ea-gle eye... took her bag in her hand, raised her arm and threw it...this throw of her bag was expertly executed and despite a slight collision with a fel-low passenger who was headed for the empty seat
I nside a coffee house on a rainy Sunday, Anna Tolstkikova (PIC 1st) teaches Russian to her French friend. She is the only Russian woman
studying at Yonsei Graduate School of Interna-tional Studies (GSIS). Two years have passed since she came to Korea and she would like to share her story. Anna studied at St. Petersburg State University, majoring in cultural anthropology and ethnic studies. In fact she recently attended a spe-cial lecture on ‘Korean culture and society’ held by the Research Center of Eastern and Western Societies, who originally recommended she apply for a Scholarship at the Korean Embassy. “One hour after my graduation exam, I received a call from the Korean Counsel informing me that I had
the bag landed on this said seat in the carriage...allowing the lady to take her time in reaching the seat and taking the weight off during her journey. Luis expresses how such incidents bring light re-lief to his days.
Studying abroad is not a decision to be taken lightly but choosing the right destination and a great course can bring about a profound change in your life and your perspective. However, Luis ex-plains that to study abroad one must contemplate the good times and the bad. There will be times when you are lonely and you will miss home, but good preparation and an understanding that this will pass is essential for survival in another coun-try. It takes time to acclimatise to a new country and build new friendship groups and networks but by persevering this challenge can turn into a great achievement. Motivation plays a part in everything we do and this is no different for Luis and his stud-ies in Seoul, he accredits his motivation to his Un-dergraduate Professor, who he feel he owes a debt of gratitude and thus he is eager to prove himself a success in Korea. He is also keen to leave those he meets with a good impression of Spaniards.
For Luis the next five years are mapped out with clear ambitions and goals, on completion of his Masters at Yonsei GSIS he hopes to study for a PhD preferably in London. His ultimate aim is to become a Professor at his University in Spain, working with his Undergraduate Professor. In the meantime Luis enjoys his life in Korea by work-ing hard, hanging out with friends, going to the movies. He describes himself as kind and open minded and for all those contemplating studying abroad he advises you that “life is hard – but it is also there to be enjoyed!”
been awarded a scholarship. Understandably I was really happy “Anna was accepted by two uni-versities, Korea University and Yonsei University. She decided to come to Yonsei because “It had a better program and a longer history than Korea University,” she said. “Moreover, Yonsei is a highly internationalized university, which has more op-portunity to be exposed to lectures by professors from different countries.”As her background was social science, she wanted to align her major to international studies as she is keen to work for an international company or organization after she graduates. Hence she decided to choose interna-tional relations as her M.A. major. “My ultimate goal is to work in the field of human rights or de-
velopment,” she said. For her future, she would like to focus her studies on U.N., Human Rights issues in East Asia and is eager to learn different ap-proaches to various international issues. However Anna did not mind admitting that at times she is very busy especially with so many readings for all her classes. “The only problem here is that I have so many things to try, but no time. In the beginning of semester, I was planning to join different student clubs, such as Hae-Gum or music band, but too many assignments don’t allow me to do that.” She added, however that she has learnt so many new things even though she is only in first semester. “I can really feel how I have improved myself over these first few months at Yonsei.” Anna said now her dream is to study for further qualifications at her previous school or work at a Korean company for one year. She also explains how she wants to enjoy her life both in Yonsei University and in Ko-rea. “Korea is a great place to travel around. It has no criminal compared to European countries and Russia. Also I found it comfortable because every-thing is organized, like transportation, festivals, libraries on a very high level.” Anna illustrated how diverse and interesting the students who are studying at Yonsei GSIS really are, she has big ambitions and great motivation. All the students at Yonsei GSIS hail from a variety of countries and backgrounds; such diversity creates an excellent environment to pursue post graduate study.y
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A Splash of Spanish Seoul
From Russia with Love:
An Interview with Anna Tolstkikova
pROFILE >>
>>>
Drawing the Line between Art and
Business: How the Financial
Crisis May Help the Art Industry
Can the Lee Administration Make
a Difference in Promoting North Korean Human
Rights?
Danbi Katye ChungHyo Joon Chang
OpINION > >>
J ust two years ago in September 2006, I sat in a packed room at Sotheby’s headquarters, tele-phone bidding with clients in Asia during the
auction house’s second sale of Contemporary Asian Art in New York. The art market was alive and well, reflected by the competitive bidding in the room. As the hammer went down on the last lot, buyers had spent $18.2 million on 198 Chinese, Japanese, and Korean works of art in the sale. By the end of that year, Sotheby’s had sold $60 million worth of con-temporary Asian art worldwide in a relatively new sector of the market that saw rapid growth and in-ternationalization. But even then, as we celebrated the success of the auction with champagne sent to us by our CEO, Bill Ruprecht, I couldn’t help but wonder: When will this bubble burst?
Fast forward to September 2008. Sotheby’s held its last U.S. sale of Contemporary Asian Art and an-nounced that it would be dismantling the Chinese Contemporary Art Department that oversaw these sales in New York. Going forward, auctions of art from this sector would be consolidated in twice-yearly sales in Hong Kong, in order to “better serve the worldwide collecting community,” according to Tobias Meyer, Sotheby’s Worldwide Head of Contemporary Art. Sure, that was the press release version of Sotheby’s decision. Meanwhile, I was re-ceiving panicked emails from my former colleagues: “Katye! XM (our former department head) has been fired! We’re all getting reshuffled! Aren’t you glad you got out?”
What a difference two years makes. In a relatively short period of time, the art market had seen a
T he issue of North Korean human rights has been a controversial one, causing bit-ter debates in South Korea. The previous
Roh administration, supported by the progressives, argued that building a peace system on the Korean Peninsula, enhancing inter-Korean economic co-operation, and providing humanitarian assistance are most helpful to improve human rights situations in North Korea. Concerns were prevailed within the administration that expressing North Korean human rights concerns would produce a severe backlash from Pyongyang, closing dialogue chan-nels with the regime and eventually impeding the peace process on the Korean Peninsula. From this perspective, the North Korean human rights issue was not a part of the Roh administration’s agenda during the inter-Korean negotiations.
In contrast, the current Lee Myung-bak administra-tion has a similar perspective on this issue with the conservatives. Regarding the Kim Jung-il dictator-ship as a root cause of human rights abuses in North Korea, the conservatives argue that the regime should be reformed or changed by external pres-sures in order to improve the human rights situa-tions. President Lee also indicated that his approach would be based on a principle that links human rights to security and economy, and an internation-alist approach to North Korean human rights. First, the administration is expected to correlate human rights to security and economic cooperation, which some refer to as a Korean version of ‘the Helsinki Process.’ It implies that economic cooperation will be discussed under the conditions of denucleariza-tion and improvement of human rights situations.
Moreover, the Lee administration will cooperate with neighboring countries, International Organi-zations (IOs) and International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs) with the notion that the hu-man rights problem in North Korea should be per-ceived as a violation of the universal human rights.
Despite signaling these different attitudes towards North Korean human rights, the Lee administra-tion is facing some challenges in pursuing the an-nounced approach. To begin with, the association of human rights and security raises a question of whether President Lee can simultaneously deal with both the nuclear and human rights issue. Moreover the Lee administration should have an answer of how the internationalist approach can result in the improvement of human rights in North Korea since the international human rights regime cannot en-force the world’s most reclusive state to voluntarily change its policies on the issue.
In order to make a real difference in promoting North Korean human rights, I suggest that the Lee administration develop both a consistent prin-ciple in dealing with North Korean human rights. Despite positive aspects of enhancement of the inter-Korean relationship during the Roh adminis-tration, one of the key points of criticism was that the governmental approach appeared to be igno-rant towards universal characteristics of human rights, only focusing on ‘North Korea’ rather than ‘people suffering from human rights infringements.’ Therefore the Lee administration’s emphasis on the universality of these rights would be important and helpful to avoid domestic political-entrapment, and to signal Pyongyang that the South is not using the issue as a coercive measure for regime change.
Under the consistent principle, the Lee administra-tion should develop specified strategies. First it is important for the administration to have mid- and long-term guidelines so that different human rights issues in different stages can be discussed with Pyongyang in tangent with building a peace system. This means that the administration needs to make a clear distinction between humanitarian and internal North Korean human rights issues and first focus on the humanitarian aspects, such as war abductees and separated North-South families. This strategy will help avoid severe suspicions from Pyongyang and draw domestic support in the South. Additionally, it is well-advised for the administration to participate in UN actions and promote cooperative and coor-dinative networks with IOs and INGOs since they have in-field expertise and neutral characteristics.
With these suggestions, it is significantly important for the administration to bear in mind that neither cooperating with the international community, nor providing economic incentives, can be sufficient to resolve the issue. A pragmatic roadmap with consis-tent principles and specified strategies, fully capital-izing on both international and domestic leverages will be required to make a real difference. If the ad-ministration fails to deal with the issue in this way, it could face a deteriorated relationship with Pyong-yang and more controversy in the South.
* This is a short version of published article. The full-text is available in Korea Policy Review Vol. III, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University 2008* Hyo Joon Chang is a MA candidate in Program in Inter-national Cooperation, Yonsei GSIS.
gSIS gLImpSES > STAFF BOx >
DONATION FROm pROFESSOR INSEON KIm >
huge inflation of prices, where contemporary art costs increased by 250 percent. The newly emer-gent Asian (mostly Chinese) contemporary market was also swept up within this gross overpricing; Chinese artists that were selling their works pri-vately for thousands of dollars a few years ago were suddenly breaking the million dollar mark in the international auction arena. The most expensive work in our September 2006 sale, Chen Danqing’s Street Theatre, 1991, sold for $1.472 million (the current record for Chinese contemporary art be-longs to Zeng Fanzhi’s Mask Series 1996 No. 6, sold at Christie’s for $9.7 million). But just as this market really started to gather momentum and at-tract global attention for the prices being set, the economic crisis intervened.
It comes as no surprise that the art market is not im-mune from the current global financial crisis. Mon-ey is money. And American, Chinese, and Russian billionaires are currently not spending it as liberally on extravagances such as contemporary art. This is indeed bad news for auction houses such as Sothe-by’s, Christie’s, and Phillips de Pury & Company, all of which saw disastrous auctions in October and November of this year (Sotheby’s lost $40 million in guarantees on its November Evening Contem-porary sale alone). But the global financial crisis is a much-needed preemptive tonic for the field of Asian contemporary art. A lot of Korean, Chinese, and Japanese contemporary art is historically pro-vocative and stylistically innovative. But while the market was as inflated as it was in 2006, not only did auction houses and sellers win, bad art won as well. We used to have a running joke in my depart-ment about which works of art we would include in our auction: “If it has a Mao jacket, put it in the sale! The Chinese collectors will go crazy for it!” Many decisions about what was pumped into the market were made in this way, to satisfy the buy-ers and the demand, which seemed to insist on art that was often derivative, historically exploitative, that was so contemporary it was often sent to me unstretched because the paint was not yet quite dry. I did not support all of our decisions about what went into our auctions and ultimately, this senti-ment forced me to leave my position at Sotheby’s to work in a more critical (or so I thought) museum en-vironment. But auction houses are businesses and we had to strike while the market was hot.
Marketability does not equal good art, but it does influence who and what is ultimately remembered and contextualized within the art historical canon. In this sense, the financial crisis came at just the right time for Asian art. I am excited to see what happens in upcoming contemporary Asian art auc-tions, works that are more carefully edited and ac-cessibly priced, so that not only private buyers but museums and public institutions can build quality collections that reflect the ongoing trends of global-ization that are extant even within the art world.
*Danbi Katye is MA candidate in Korean Studies Program, Yonsei GSIS. She received her B.A. from Princeton University, with a degree in Art and Archaeology, in the Program in the History of Art. She previously worked as a Junior Special-ist in the Chinese Contemporary Art Department at Sotheby’s New York, where she was recruited into the Specialist Training Program, working on eight auctions across several departments. Prior to pursuing her graduate degree, Danbi also worked as Cataloguer of New Acquisitions in the Permanent Collection at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York
“Min Kyungwook’s Radio Morning Show” Moderator, “Live Show, Midnight Debate”
Q: What does Yonsei GSIS mean to you?A: Yonsei GSIS helped me to mature and enabled me to develop clear and concise career aspirations.
Q: Could you describe what you are doing at KBS ?A: As the anchor of KBS, I am a host of the KBS 1 Radio pro-gram “Min Kyungwook’s Radio Morning Show.” from 6:25am to 8am every morning. Plus, every Saturday night I am in charge of moderating the “Live Show, Midnight Debate.” I am commu-nicating with people throughout my working week and I love to do it even though there are often tense times.”
Q: Comments to Yonsei GSIS students.A: Always keep dreaming. Even suffering, depression and ambigu-ities are very valuable in the time of your youth. Love any desire and desperation that comes from your heart. Only dreamers con-quer the world. Dreams do come true, believe me. Park Ji-Sing, who is a famous soccer player currently signed to Manchester United is not the only proof of this, I too am living proof.
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Haksung Kim American studies 1998, senior Manager, Korea Export Insurance Corporation
Q: What does Yonsei GSIS mean to you?A: I entered Yonsei GSIS in 1998 right after the 1997 finan-cial crisis in Asia; at this time nothing was easy. However, I was blessed with to get a chance to learn more about the world while most of my friends were unfortu-nately experiencing a hard time with job security.
Q: Could you describe what you are doing at “Korea Export Insurance Corporation”?A: I am in charge of setting up a new information-oriented system of Korea export insurance. My major at undergraduate school was public administration and my subsequent major at Yonsei GSIS was American Studies. This combination has helped me a lot to do my job.
Q: Comments to Yonsei GSIS students.A: Time in Yonsei GSIS is the perfect time to figure out what your real talent is. If you have no idea about it so far, be proactive. Just ask your seniors and professors, do internship in various area. Once you find out your talent, explore it in depth. I recommend exchange and dual-degree program provided by school, because it is great chance to be a competitive and adaptive person in any place.
Kyungwook Min Public Administration 1989Anchor, KBs
Yonsei GSIS Adjunct Professor Inseon Kim has donated 70 million Korean Won as part of her 2002 pledge of 100
million Korean Won to set up the Ki-Hyun Korean Studies Scholarship at Yonsei GSIS. In recognition of her support and on behalf of a very grateful faculty and staff, Dean Chung Min Lee awarded her with a Certificate of Appreciation for her generous donations to the Korean Studies Program at Yonsei GSIS. The scholarship will be used to further enhance Korean studies at Yonsei GSIS.
PUBLIsHErChung Min lee (Dean)
ExECUtIvE DIrECtor Joon-Ho Hahm (Associate Dean)
DIrECtor Ki-Boum Paik
AssIstANt DIrECtor Yun Jeong Choi
DEsIGNEr eul Bong Yee
stUDENt AssIstANt Bryan Junsung we (GsA)
stAFF rEPortEr Dokyung Kim (PIC 2nd, [email protected])eugene lee (PIC 1st, [email protected])
stAFF EDItor Justin Ahn (KSP 1st, [email protected])Kimberely Hall (KSP 2nd, [email protected])Jennifer Frost (PIC 2nd, [email protected])
EDItor IN CHIEF Juhern Kim (PIC 3rd, [email protected])
2008 Copyright / Yonsei Graduate school of International studies
address262 Seongsanno, Seodaemungu,
Seoul 120-749, Korea
telePHone82-2-2123-3291~3
HomePaGehttp://gsis.yonsei.ac.kr/
