The KDI School of Public Policy and Management, established in 1997 to educate and develop leaders in today’s globalizing economy, will have its 10^th academic year in 2007. The school’s ten-year voyage has created a unique and respected domestic MBA program in Korea, known for its innovative academic programs (all conducted in English), outstanding faculty, and a multi-national student body.

Recently, a new program launching has created an upsurge of attention both inside and outside of the school. The Master’s in Foreign Direct Investment (“MFDI”) inaugural academic year started in 2005. Following the momentum of that launch, the Master’s in Asset Management (MAM) was established in 2006.

The KDI School’s two new programs are catered to meet the high demand for financial professionals in Northeast Asia. Outlines of the programs and student interviews are provided to better illuminate the offerings and training provided by the programs at the KDI School.

Master’s in Foreign Direct Investment (MFDI)

Objective

The MFDI program is a unique, specialized degree program with a focus on foreign direct investment. It aims to develop world-class professionals and policy-makers in the strategic management of foreign direct investment.

Strengths

• Practical and interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizing real-world FDI issues and practices
• Financial support from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy (half-scholarship available)
• Rich learning and networking opportunities among FDI-interested people
• Flexible program structure – classes offered on Saturday and weekday evenings

Duration and Credits to graduate

• 5 years (4 semesters) and 36 credits

Core Courses

• Understanding Foreign Direct Investment
• Accounting & Finance
• Project Evaluation & Analysis
• FDI Marketing and Promotion
• Business Negotiation

Elective Course

• Strategic Leadership
• Infrastructure Project Analysis
• Foreign Investment and Deal-making
• International Trade Law and Policy
• FDI Related Laws and Taxation in Korea
• Projects Analysis and Investment Criteria
• Foreign Direct Investment: The Case of Korea

Interviews

Riestra Mendez, Luis Manuel (2005 MFDI)

Lead Consultant and CEO of Foreign Investment Consulting Company, Wise & Wealthy Ltd.

I want to point out how this program is so practical. MFDI is well-rounded with other events. For example, I participated in the 2005 APEC (Busan) Investors Relation week, where I learned and gathered information regarding investing in many other East Asian economies. After meeting with their investment promotion officers, I still have books and publicity from several countries. The trip and many others were partially or fully funded by the KDI School. Completing the MFDI program has fully and definitively defined my career path. I now promote investment in and out of Korea for a host of other countries and I currently seek to promote investment hand in hand with other investment promotion agencies and businesses. My company is growing and my network is increasing. Investment moves around the world all the time. You too can catch a lot of this excitement in your career as you develop an understanding of what matters most to investors, and what each country offers best, as well as what it fails to offer.

Park, Bong Kee (2006 MFDI)

Government officer at the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority (FEZ) in charge of investment promotion activity.

This course is designed to produce a project manager who can deal with foreign direct investment from A to Z, beginning with “Understanding FDI” and up to high-dimensional subjects like “Project Evaluation,” As most of my classmates are weekend students working and studying at the same time, we have been through tough times together. In my case, every weekend I commute to Seoul from Busan, my work place. I’m a big customer of the KTX train. I have two more semesters before finishing this course. My dream of becoming a professional FDI government officer who can offer investor-oriented administrative services will be realized soon. In the future, I wish to apply all my experiences in the private and government sector, as well as the knowledge acquired through the MFDI program, to my future career, which will be in  developing vast FDI projects as a leader of a project team.

Master’s in Asset Management

Objective

The MAM program trains specialists in Asian financial hubs with the profession skills for successful asset management strategies for securities, portfolios, and other investment management. The curriculum is based upon real world issues and puts equal emphasis on both theoretical and practical knowledge.

Strengths

• Classes offered by asset management specialists, professionals in the field, together with KDI School professors
• Class body composed of industry leaders and allow for comprehensive learning and networking opportunities
• Flexible program structure – classes offered on Saturday and weekday evenings

Duration and Credits to graduate

• 2 years (6 semesters) and 36 credits

Core Courses

• Introduction to Investment Management
• Financial Instruments & Markets
• Empirical Methods in Finance
• Financial Derivatives
• Fixed Income & FX Analysis
• Valuation & Credit Analysis
• Advanced Investment Management
• Pension & Personal Wealth Management
• Structured Products & Hedge Funds
• Investment Ethics & Governance

Elective Courses

• Mergers & Acquisitions
• International Business Law
• Industry & Firm Analysis
• Real Estate Investment Management
• Asset Securitization
• Project Evaluation & Analysis

Interviews

Kwak, Jung Hyun (2006 MAM)

General Manager and Lead Consultant at Accenture. Expertise on Business Process Innovation and ERP Solutions Implementation in Financial and Treasury modules.

When I was looking for a new education opportunity as a working professional, I found the KDI School’s MAM program with perfect timing and precision. Because my classmates and I are the very first students of the MAM program, and since working and studying at the same time is both physically and psychologically challenging, we went through difficult times together and the friendship among classmates is beyond my expectations.  I believe the old saying, “Every cloud has a silver lining!” I want to be a financial expert that is prepared with professional knowledge as well as with a connected social network for the upcoming North East Asian Financial Hub. Because of this, I know the MAM program is the right solution for me!

Hwang, Kyu Sung (2006 MAM)

IR (Investor Relationships) Manager in Woongjin Coway

In my company, I conduct research to find the intrinsic financial value that a company possesses. I also meet with foreign investors and participate in conferences for strategic investment decisions. I wanted to continuously improve and refine my knowledge so that so that I could be on the cutting edge in financial markets. Thus, the news of the MAM program launching at the KDI School was like long-awaited rain to me. I am fully satisfied with the program. All classes are very practical and conducted in English by great faculty. I will never forget my school life as a MAM student - exchanging market ideas in classes with classmates and professors who have real field experience in financial markets, staying up until dawn for project assignments with my group mates, going on picnics with classmates to the suburbs of Seoul, and many other pleasant memories. Do not just dream your dream, take actions to expedite it!

Tips from MFDI and MAM students to candidates!

• Don’t procrastinate on assignments and readings, they pile up very quickly.
• Participate in class; your ideas will create discussions others will learn from, including professors!
• Make friends with absolutely everyone in the program, each professor, TA, student and administrative staff. Try to know them personally, taking a genuine interest in their careers, jobs, and families. You will be amazed at the network of friends and the help that you can unleash.
• Seek professors after class and learn from their own careers and current businesses.
• When the classwork calls for creativity, give it all you can. Everyone enjoys variety and deviating from the rules can generate new ideas.
• Define your goal more precisely among possible career paths. For example, do you wish to be a professional in outbound or inbound FDI, real estate development, or the M&A field? This will show you a more clear direction to study. There is no time to play around. Focus and achieve more.
• Family and company understanding is essential. Be wise and turn them into your supporters.

For more information

* Please visit KDI School’s website : http://www.kdischool.ac.kr

Course descriptions for all programs are available for viewing. Note that some cross-program classes are available to accommodate those with varying interests.

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By Moon Jung Kim (2006 MBA)