The Student Body of the KDI School is quite special. As highly qualified applicants fill our ranks and the number of students continues to increase, we grow more and more varied and interesting each year.

International students in the MPP Program are from all over the world - Egypt, Malaysia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Greece just to name a few. We also now have representation from Taiwan, a place which we have never had students hail from before. Interested in Korea’s economic development, international students are almost from every public sector in each country. The students keep in line with one of the main roles of the school: to contribute to promote friendly relations between the nations.

In Korea, the interest and demand for MBA courses has increased. Pursuing an MBA has usually been the center of interest among those with careers in business and economics.  However, science and engineering professionals are now growing much more actively involved. The number of students in those fields went up from 10% to 26% of the total number students.

 

In the middle of last March, a new student body took office. We look forward to their plans and activities.

 

[The Student Body]

President: Si-Jung PARK (Industrial Bank of Korea)

MPP Representative: Dong-Ik SHIN (Korea Highway Corporation)

MBA Representative: Jong-Ryeol LEE (Bank of Korea)

E-MBA Representative: Yong-Joong John YOON (Nam & Nam Patent and Law Firm)

MFDI Representative: Luis Manuel RIESTRA MENDEZ (TEFL International Korea Co.)

GMP Representative: Dong-Ki KIM (Kyobo Life Insurance)

International Representative: Chansokheng VORNG (Office of the Council of Ministers, Cambodia)

General Secretary: InHyouk KOO (Samsung Securities Co., Ltd)

Planning Secretary: Yea Han Seok

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President Si-Jung PARK (2005 MBA, Industrial Bank of Korea)

We are now starting a march forward.

I am sure that the KDI School actively educates and trains promising individual students in various fields.

 

I have no doubt that the commitment to future that we all share will foster many achievements for the benefit of students and the World Community. I''d like remind you that development begins with each individual, and that it requires the courage to experience painful emotions and make responsible choices at the same time, among other things.

Above all, it requires the intentions to create harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for life.

It is my honor and joy to participate in the complex co-relationship of individual students. Believe that creating success among ourselves and all of life is the reason we exist.

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Unique Student Interview

The students are an important driving force and asset to the KDI School. We met two 2005 students who are in various fields with unique careers, and asked about their purpose for studying at the KDI School, as well as their plans for the future.

 

Cuong Sy Hoang heard about the KDI School before admission to the School last year. When the KDI School staff visited on a business trip looking for excellent international students, he played an important role as a liaison between Communist Party of Vietnam and the School.

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Cuong Sy Hoang (2005 MPP, CPV) helping out Hieu Thi Minh Vuong

I am an official of the Commission for External Relations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). I am the very first person from an organization like the CPV to receive a scholarship from the KDI School. To let you know, the Commission is a CPV advisory institution that is in charge of researching international situations and giving foreign affairs advice to CPV leaders. It is the body that directly deals with CPV''s foreign relations with outside partners.

 

Sometimes people ask me how I got here. From long ago, I had a good impression of Korea. I still remember the first black and white TV my family bought nearly twenty years ago. It was a Samsung with three vertical buttons and a red cover! We knew that it was a product of South Korea (instead of Hanguk as we both call it now).

 

Korea is known well in Vietnam thanks to its various products and the presence of a rather large number of Korean businessmen. We also have some Korean students who study Vietnamese language and culture. Since its establishment in 1992, the relations between the two countries have been growing increasingly in many aspects. The Republic of Korea ranks 4^th out of the biggest foreign investors in Vietnam, with a total investment capital of around $5 billion. Korean companies are among the most successful ones in my country. An important thing I want to say is that we two peoples share many cultural similarities. Long ago, a descendant of a king under the Vietnamese Ly dynasty, due to inherent historical disturbances, sailed to Korea in the 13th century and settled his family in this land. He was known for helping to make some remarkable contributions to Korean dynasties.

 

Korea, among Asian countries, has achieved a miracle, particularly in becoming a huge economy in the region and throughout the world. What Korea has gained is very impressive. And the Korea Development Institute, including the KDI School, are think-tanks that make significant contributions to Korea''s development, especially in this current climate of globalization. That is why I did not have any hesitation to apply for the opportunity to come here.

 

More than a month has gone by and I’ve had many interesting and challenging experience from campus life here. We students are truly living in an international environment with the spirit of community and great diversity. I now see that the students are given the most favorable conditions to benefit them as much as possible while at the School. I appreciate the enthusiastic help from the faculty and staff. I have a Korean roommate who is very nice and helpful to me, especially since this is my first time in Korea. I have also made friends with some wonderful Korean and international students. I want to explore more of Korea and Seoul but actually, I haven''t had much free time so far because the study program is highly intensive. Hopefully I will be able to enjoy more of the country in the coming times, particularly when I can speak some Korean

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This year’s class was also the first to have two doctors accepted into the School. We met Dr. Kim who is preparing for his future while working and studying at the same time. In lieu of his military duties, he practices his dentistry in a small village in the outskirts of Seoul.

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Dong Hyun KIM (2005 evening MBA, Dentist)

I work for Asan Public Health Center as dentist. My working place is not in the city but in a quaint, remote village. Sometimes, people imagine romantic stories as if I am in a soap opera. However, it is absolutely not a soap opera.  The average age of my patients is over 65 years old. I think there is a big gap between my patients and me. Do you agree? ^^

I''d like to talk about my good fortune, fortune that I give thanks to God for. I am living with another doctor in Asan city. We met at Non-san Army Training Center. My number was 77 and his number was 78. He is a doctor who also has a Master’s in economics.

As a career consultant, he introduced me to the KDI School. After hearing and thinking about it, I thought that the KDI was a perfect fit for me because of 5 main reasons.

The faculty of the KDI School has a remarkable reputation in terms of experience, academic achievement, and participation in devising public policy.

It is appealing to know that I can also attend classes like Applied Economics from the MPP program along with courses from the solid MBA program.

It is a large advantage in KDI to be able to study with international students and people who hold responsible positions in their governments, firms, and NGOs. I look forward to discussing current issues with fellow classmates and being exposed to a wide range of thoughts.

Furthermore, since the language used in class is English, I believe it will be a good opportunity for me to master the language that has become essential to be able to communicate in international society.

Another reason why I chose the KDI School is because the evening classes allow me to simultaneously work and study.

Many people around me wonder why I chose to study business. My answer is always simple. I''d like to study about business administration and the business mentality because it is very interesting to me. I was quite interested in economics when I was a university student and took some economic classes, but I opted for Management as my major for my Master''s degree. I define management as a process of resolving problems that arise while converting abstract thoughts into reality and that’s what I wanted to study. When I run my own dental clinic by myself in the future, I will make it a specialized one with an ordered system and with a target of patients to introduce my business strategy to.

My latest aim is to run a medical group that has a research center. I would like for professional hospitals to work to better give patients’ confidence toward hospitals and doctors.  My goal is to provide standard guidelines in medical treatment and facilitate patients in meeting talented doctors to be treated and cured.