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[Korean Economic Daily] EMBA '21 SeokJin Han
Q) Could you tell us about yourself? A) My name is SeokJin Han, and I’m enrolled in the Indiana Kelley–SKK GSB Executive MBA program. I’ve been working at Microsoft as a technical specialist in cloud computing and artificial intelligence for eight years, and before that I worked as a data warehouse expert at LG CNS. Q) What were your reasons for deciding to do the MBA, and why did you choose SKK GSB? A) I believed career development should be driven by yourself, not others, and I was interested in aligning the personal vision and the company vision. I had two options—one was to study more about AI technologies, and the other was to learn business perspectives and capabilities. After a careful reflection, I decided to choose an MBA to gain both new perspectives and a network of distinguished people. Selecting the Indiana Kelley–SKK GSB Executive MBA was a rather easy decision because I thought the course had clear advantages. It is jointly run by the globally renowned Indiana University Kelley School of Business and SKK GSB, allowing me to learn from top-quality faculty. There were other advantages, too: the program’s high ranking and reputation, being able to obtain an Indiana Kelley MBA and an SKK GSB MBA simultaneously, 100% English classes, and the Indiana Kelley professors’ visiting Korea to lecture and communicate with the students. Unfortunately, some classes taught by the Indiana Kelley faculty ended up being online due to the pandemic, but thankfully Indiana Kelley has outstanding online education know-how—they’ve been ranked first or second every year for online MBA courses—so that allowed me to maximize my MBA experience despite the physical constraints. Q) Please share how what you have learned during your MBA course has contributed towards your actual work, and how you can utilize this in the future. A) The SKK GSB Executive MBA curriculum is composed of topics that all business leaders should know about. I could learn about these topics more deeply and efficiently through discussions with professors and colleagues who are experts in each field. The students from different backgrounds were organically connected to help each other under the professor's guidance, so we could all maximize the learning experience together . One example of the learnings from the MBA that I applied at work was DuPont Analysis. The concept originally came from the Corporate Finance class, and it is useful for looking at different aspects of financial performance. I realized we could apply this perspective to team management, and used it to suggest my team’s refreshed Objectives and Key Results (OKR). This helped the team to focus on differentiation while strengthening partnership with HQ to maximize impact. The exercise was recognized by the Asia and Global team as best practice, and the Global Team is now preparing to replicate this across regions. I think the key concepts learned from Business Strategy, Marketing Strategy, and Developing Innovation courses were extremely useful. We got to choose focal companies and applied various frameworks ourselves. The Applied Business Project was the highlight: I teamed up with colleagues to do market research, define customer jobs to be done, develop a business model, and set up and validate hypotheses. I also practiced leadership, problem approach, risk management, analytical frameworks, and communication skills, which I believe are great assets for business management. I work closely with various teams from the US headquarters at my work, and my development and growth through this program has helped me to be confident in presenting important perspectives, managing the white spaces among the teams, and systematically utilizing various techniques for problem solving. Q) What was the biggest challenge you encountered on the MBA course? A) The Indiana Kelley–SKK GSB Executive MBA program is broad and practical, and it also has depth, so students have to do a lot of reading and study. However, working with classmates and helping each other have been of great help. There were a lot of passionate students taking this course. When there was a change of schedule due to the pandemic, the students invited special lecturers, and we could continue learning despite the disruption. Since everyone actively stepped up to share and help in their area of expertise, we could engage in discussions more thoroughly in classes, and eventually reach the milestones together. Q)Please give a word of advice to prospective applicants who are considering an MBA. A) An MBA will require you to invest a lot of time and money, so I implore you to make your decision after careful consideration. Whichever MBA program you complete, the certificate you gain when you graduate is not in itself special. What is special is less tangible. Through the program, you can access a network of experts from various fields, gain broad and fresh perspectives, and master analysis frameworks and tools. Most of all, the effectiveness varies greatly depending on how much passion you put into the course. Take a careful look at the curriculum, and listen to those who have completed that program. If you decide that those are the skills and the network you need, please make the bold decision to start your MBA journey. Original Article in Korean: https://www.hankyung.com/society/article/2021041364521
[Maeil Business Newspaper] Jin Won Song, PMBA Class of 2020
Q) Could you tell us about yourself briefly? A) I am Jin Won Song, the CEO of Trust One Consulting Group. I graduated from the SKK GSB Professional MBA Program at Sungkyunkwan University in 2020. I worked as a global human resources (HR) manager at a large company while I was studying for my MBA. I am currently the CEO of a career consulting group, offering 1:1 career consulting, labor law consulting, and talent recommendation services.. Q) What are the reasons behind choosing to do the MBA, and why did you choose SKK GSB in particular? A) Before I began the MBA program, as an HR Manager with five years’ experience, I contemplated whether I wanted a stable working life or the new challenge of starting my own business. I enrolled on the MBA course to identify how I would self-brand 'me' and my core abilities, and to acquire the expert knowledge required to operate my own business. From the various MBA programs that I could undertake as I continued my work, there were three reasons why why I chose SKK GSB: its differentiated brand power, carefully selected human networks, and global insights. First of all, SKK GSB has tangible brand power. SKK GSB has been ranked number one in Korea in the UK Financial Times (FT) MBA rankings every year, and it has shown unrivaled results in terms of employment rate, value for money, etc. Sungkyunkwan University boasts the highest employment rate in Korea, and I saw on LinkedIn how the alumni of SKK GSB are actively engaged in important positions. I paid close attention to such aspects since I was working as an HR manager. The second reason was its carefully selected human networks. SKK GSB classes are 100% in English, so they provide a rather challenging learning environment. I imagined that students who enroll on such a program would be seeking a challenge, would be equipped with a global mindset and outstanding linguistic abilities, and would have a strict sense of self-discipline. I witnessed many students being recognized for their outstanding achievements, and many worked overseas, so I wanted to acquire a solid network by interacting and creating synergy with such energetic people. In the end, I even ended up starting a business with the people I met on the MBA program. SKK GSB therefore served as a turning point in my life and career. Lastly, I thought that I could gain global insights. At SKK GSB, students can actively engage in discussions with foreign lecturers (who make up 70% of the faculty), foreign expats in Korea, and key personnel from multinational companies. The students can learn about global management trends, and acquire insights from such an environment. Being able to apply various global case studies I studied in class to actual work was an added bonus. This was all very beneficial to me as I was considering expanding my business overseas. Q) Please share how what you have learned during your MBA course has contributed towards your actual work or career. A) What I learned on the MBA program is twofold: in personal terms it helps me to define my self-branding, and in business terms it helps me to perform soundly. I learned in depth about creative problem-solving skills through the discussions I had with colleagues from various backgrounds. While I was working in the corporate HR team, applying what I’d learned on the MBA program, I identified the characteristics of other departments' business, and learned about labor laws overseas jurisdictions where we operate. I could then apply this to make numerous HR management plans. As a result, I received a positive review and was recognized as key personnel, so I then became involved in more important HR tasks. After starting my own business, as I offer HR management consultation and talent recommendation services, what I learned from the MBA program has been of great help in accurately analyzing and grasping the essence of various issues encountered in a real-life management environment. In this regard, I believe that the MBA course will continue to be of great help for my personal branding in the future as well. Q) What was the biggest challenge you encountered while completing the MBA course? A) While time managemt was a challenge, since I had to work and study simultaneously, I could overcome this because it was a choice I made myself. That is why I see self-motivation and strong will as important factors when choosing to undertake an MBA program. Although it was physically tiring to prepare for classes and complete assignments on weekends, I was able to finish my two years of studies thanks to the consideration of my family, coworkers and friends. I also found consistent exercise helpful. I could thus develop into a more mature person by overcoming such challenging times. Q) Please give a word of advice to prospective applicants who are considering an MBA. A) Finding the 'one best way' by defining one's core abilities and values is becoming increasingly important in managing one's individual career management these days. I believe that an MBA program is the best training place to explore one's career in all directions because it is individuals who choose how to manage their careers these days, not companies. The management environment is changing even faster in the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to identify hidden needs in markets, and to turn these into results purely based on one's ability and insight will be seen as more valuable than ever both within and outside organizations. By promoting simultaneous cultivation of soft and hard skills, I trust that an MBA program will allow individuals to define their self-branding and to yield solid results inside and outside businesses. Jin wong Song (PMBA 2020, Trustone Consulting , we@trustone-consulting.com) Original Article in Korean: https://www.mk.co.kr/news/special-edition/view/2021/04/406905/
[Maeil Business Newspaper] 'Good Professor, Good Lecture'-Professor Moeen Butt's 'Digital Marketing'
"Overcoming consumer resistance to digital advertising determines success or failure." Professor Moeen Butt's 'Digital Marketing' Today, most marketing occurs on digital channels: search advertisements, social media advertisements, mobile advertisements, and influencer marketing have seen exponential growth over recent years. Companies are increasingly relying on online and mobile sales in the COVID-19 era, and this trend will continue in the post-pandemic age. Digital marketing has therefore become more critical than ever. SKK GSB’s Professor Moeen Nasser Butt delivers a Digital Marketing course in all MBA programs at SKK GSB. This course is important because the knowledge, understanding, and strategic application of digital marketing are essential for all MBA graduates today. Professor Butt teaches MBA students to understand and apply various concepts of digital marketing. His lectures cover a variety of digital marketing methods, from outbound marketing such as search engine marketing, display advertisements, and email marketing, to inbound marketing, including on-site search engine optimization (SEO) and off-site SEO. In particular, social media marketing (e.g., social marketing planning and analysis, influencer marketing, and social selling) is increasingly popular nowadays, so this is studied in greater depth. Students can immediately apply what they learn, and check the results through social media marketing simulations that run concurrently with the lectures. Professor Butt is confident that students who have completed the Digital Marketing course will play an important role in helping companies make more effective business decisions using digital, social, and mobile media. Many students consider the Digital Marketing course very interesting and informative. Sung Hoo Hong (PMBA Class of 2020) said: "I had heard a lot about digital marketing before, but I only had a vague understanding of it. However, through this course, I could get an accurate understanding. In particular, I learned to adjust various variables such as target settings, operation hours, and advertising messages, and to analyze the results such as profits, followers, and influence, all in real-time." This course is also of great help to students who work as marketers. Students can directly compare and analyze various strategies in this course, and become experts by learning relevant theories related to their work. Professor Butt says that digital marketing is becoming a great challenge to companies as its popularity grows. First, given that digital marketing is dynamic, companies must keep abreast of the latest technologies and trends. Second, an increasing number of consumers tend to avoid digital advertisements as they feel those advertisements disrupt their browsing experience. Executing digital advertising while avoiding such interference is the key to increasing return on investment. Lastly, since digital marketing runs via multiple channels, performance measurement and analysis are complex. Notwithstanding the performance evaluation methods provided by digital media, it is not easy to measure the entire 'customer journey' when a single brand invests in multiple channels. Professor Butt emphasizes that "overcoming consumer resistance to digital advertising is the key to determining digital marketing success." Through his classes, students investigate specific targeting, selecting media with high relevance and methods that induce consumer participation without interfering with their search, leading to consumers’ actively embracing digital marketing. As students highly evaluate his class, Professor Butt has received SKK GSB’s Teaching Excellence Award every year since 2020. Original article in Korean: 성균관대 SKK GSB, FT평가 10년연속 국내1위…AI·비즈니스 애널리틱스 과정 신설
[Maeil Business Newspaper] Sungkyunkwan University SKK GSB’s MBA, Ranked No.1 in Korea for 10 Consecutive Years, is Achi
Sungkyunkwan University’s SKK GSB (Graduate School of Business) has set an all-time record, ranking 1st in Korea for 10 consecutive years, 35th in the world, and 7th in Asia in the UK’s Financial Times (FT) 2021 Global MBA Ranking. This is the result of SKK GSB’s continuous effort in globalization and career development since its establishment in 2004. The rankings reveal further remarkable achievements, such as ranking 5th in the world for job satisfaction thanks to its career development services, 16th for value for money, 17th for international faculty ratio (68%), and 39th for the ratio of international students (58%). All of these factors have contributed towards the school’s increasingly dominant position. SKK GSB's competitiveness is largely supported by its globalized character. Over 70% of faculty and 50% of Full-Time MBA students are international. For example, at SKK GSB, it is typical that a group of students from Korea, India and France, under the guidance of an American professor, work together to analyze financial statements and sales data from global companies, and discuss overseas market strategies with other students from Chile and the Netherlands. In the business world, where international boundaries are becoming less significant, SKK GSB’s global environment is advancing students’ business competence. Mads Gronli (FMBA, Class of 2021), completed his studies this year, and has started working as an analyst at a multinational corporation in his home country, Norway. As he reports, “I was able to gain global business insight in a truly global environment and through a challenging curriculum. This has helped me to improve my competitive edge in employment.” SKK GSB constantly updates its curricula in response to the ever-changing demands of the business market. In 2020, the school launched a new AI MBA and a Business Analytics program, and it offers related classes such as AI, Machine Learning, Blockchain, and Analytics Programming alongside existing curricula. Dean Eric Shih says: “In order for companies to dominate the market in the AI era, it is critical to secure experts who have a deep understanding of fast-changing technologies and businesses. Our focus is on fostering MBA graduates with such abilities.” SKK GSB offers six programs: Full-Time MBA (18 months, daytime classes), Professional MBA (2 years, evenings), Indiana University Kelley–SKK GSB Executive MBA (18 months, weekends), AI MBA (2 years, weekends) Master of Science in Business Analytics (18 months, weekends), Master in Management Studies (2 years, daytime). Original article in Korean: 성균관대 SKK GSB, FT평가 10년연속 국내1위…AI·비즈니스 애널리틱스 과정 신설
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