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- Interview - Prof. Ercos Valdivieso
- Recently, Sungkyunkwan University PR team interviewed with Professor Ercos Valdivieso. The following is the full interview. Hello! My name is Ercos Valdivieso. My hometown is Santiago, the capital and largest city of Chile. I received a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Engineering from the University of Chile and a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of British Columbia. 'Excellent' Life in Korea Professor Valdivieso came to Korea in 2017 as an assistant professor at SKK GSB, Sungkyunkwan University. "Briefly speaking, my decision to come to Korea was determined by my professional and personal interests. And now I see that I was not wrong. From the very beginning, having the experience to be an assistant professor at SKK GSB, Sungkyunkwan University, has allowed me to grow in several aspects of my life. For instance, it has been a perfect opportunity to become a member of the best business school in Asia and at the same time, learn more about this great nation! After two years living in Korea, I can say with much confidence that I made the right choice. Korea is a very special country. From its traditional culture to its modern developments across cities, I feel Korea can provide the perfect combination to anyone who is looking for a great place to live, work and grow professionally." Professor Valdivieso emphasized that Korea is full of surprises. "Whenever I think that I have become familiar with Korea, I encounter something new – especially when I get a chance to travel. I believe this is the most fascinating aspect of Korea. In particular, I cannot help marveling at its traditions, historical venues, unique tourism and hospitality. To be honest, I am certain that Korea will keep surprising me no matter how much time I spend here." Growth at SKKU "As an instructor, I always try to make sure my students focus on the forest instead of the trees. I believe that once the big picture becomes intuitive, the understanding of the details becomes not only straightforward but also more permanent. I feel very satisfied when I observe my students conveying their ideas in a coherent and intuitive way." Professor Valdivieso, who has an educational philosophy of "Focus on Forest”, said to us that he is honored that he had an opportunity to further advance as a scholar by working as an assistant professor of SKK GSB at Sungkyunkwan University. He lavished much praise on SKK GSB, emphasizing that it is indeed Asia's top Business school. We also inquired about his most memorable moment at SKKU. "The graduation ceremony at SKK GSB, Sungkyunkwan University, is certainly an unforgettable moment in my life. As a professor, I have the chance to see the academic growth of my students over their two years at the program. Then, seeing them at their graduation makes me overwhelmed by pride for their accomplishments. No doubt, graduation ceremonies at SKK GSB are genuinely heart-warming experiences." Then, Professor Valdivieso explained in detail his view about the Finance courses at SKK GSB. "As an assistant professor of Finance, I see the financial knowledge and the state-of-the-art financial methodology taught to our students at SKK GSB as key factors which will facilitate their future career development. Indeed, our courses will help our students to make accurate data-orientated decisions and increase their leadership in real-world situations." He also cited "Mergers and Acquisitions" as his most memorable module. "Last winter, I taught a subject called ‘Mergers and Acquisitions’ at SKK GSB. The course was very well-received by students. I believe that this module neatly captured the harmonious combination of conceptual knowledge and practical methods. According to the assessments of the students, the module helped them immensely in their job interviews. I personally think that it was a meaningful experience for me as well." PIPELINE for the Future "I currently have an important research pipeline that I aspire to execute over the following two to three years. This will be done in collaboration with numerous co-authors around the world. Undoubtedly, the future looks quite exciting on the research side. Currently, I find myself fascinated with the fast-growing and exciting intersection between finance and technology as well as social networks. Consequently, I believe a legit plan for the future would be to become a leading expert on these fields of study”. “Teaching-wise, I expect to continue improving as an effective educator. To me, teaching is like working-out. When I see results, I want to continue improving them”. “Any plans outside my profession? Of course, I hope I manage to spare more time travelling around Korea and Asia!" To Students of SKKU... "Always try to take a proactive role in your learning. At SKKU, you will have the opportunity to interact with experts in diverse fields who are willing to help you to explore your passions and skills. Embrace this opportunity and use every single course in your program to tailor your future career path."
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- 작성일 2019-11-22
- 조회수 7772
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- Alumni Homecoming Mixer
- On Thursday, October 31, a few alums paid a visit to SKK GSB for the inaugural Alumni Homecoming Mixer. With some help from the administration, Tyron Sabatta (Class of 2021, President) and Melina Bauer (Class of 2021, Vice-President) were able to organize this event for students. Their goal was to give students a chance to meet, network, and gain advice from alums who are now utilizing their degrees at businesses and corporations in Seoul. The alums present were Iksoo Hwang, Esme Fong, Eamon Byrne, Min Jae Kim, and John Nguyen. President Sabatta shared, “I wanted to give students the opportunity to meet some face to face. I felt that learning how to navigate the Korean job market from people who have the first-hand experience is invaluable and something we could have only gotten from that type of event.” The evening started with a panel discussion led by President Sabatta. He asked the alums many questions concerning their experience at SKK GSB, their job search and the application process, what they do in their respective jobs, and how SKK GSB prepared them for the rigors of entering the workforce. Each gave their response and also incorporated advice on what SKK GSB students should be taking away from the program and advice on how to secure jobs. The evening was then followed by a reception with light refreshments and beverages. During this time, students were able to connect with alums, ask more personal questions, and exchange business cards. “This is hopefully a network that can extend and build for decades to come and benefit not only our students but also the alumni,” President Sabbatta remarked. Overall, the event was a major success and gave students the opportunity to see the value of SKK GSB MBA and how it has led to the success of many alums.
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- 작성일 2019-11-19
- 조회수 7419
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- Talented SKK GSB Class of 2021 Keep Walking
- The class schedule for the Full-Time MBA class of 2021 was hectic with a full workload for the last 7 weeks and as soon as the MP1 finals wound up, all of the students ended up showing their different talents, like a rainbow in the universe. SKK GSB shares a common goal of nurturing young talent, believing that a positive message, collective efforts to build a harmonious environment and shared value can improve our health, happiness, and future success. The school spreads positive energy and harmony through all the education programs, with participation from executive directors to staff, from faculty to students, from students to students. Upon a quick review of the MP1, although the program is quite demanding and our new life is quite challenging and interesting, especially for the international students, the talented and knowledgeable classmates are here to help each other to sort everything out. The 33 family members of the Full-Time MBA class of 2021 are very diversified with students from 11 nationalities encompassing different backgrounds. Everyone has their own talent; spreading love and understanding. While experiencing the ultimate culinary experience in Seoul, learning analytical thinking about the business environment with a global vision and optimizing time management under pressure, the class of 2021 will finally achieve success in the MP1 program. Melina Bauer was very excited to share her scores as the role model of the class 2021. One step toward success did not make the Class of 2021 complacent, instead, all of the talented students never stopped and modestly took the great opportunity to listen and to keep learning from Robert C Merton, one of the greatest Nobel Prize winners in economics. It is worth mentioning that on Sep 4, 2019, the Class of 2021 voted for their own talented leaders: Tyron Sabatta, as President and Melina Bauer, Vice president of the Class of 2021. Both are excellent leaders and are committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance through diversified activities for students to get-together, even providing course assistance, celebrating classmates’ birthdays, organizing family-oriented parties, cultural excursion and class uniform design. On election day, the speech of Tyron Sabatta, the President of Class of 2021 demonstrated infinite positive energy through his quote from Steve Jobs: “Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” His speech encouraged everyone to pursue their own dreams to get self-satisfaction as well as take social responsibilities. He emphasized that innovation and entrepreneurship of today’s youth is key to a more diverse and sustainable economy. Talented class of 2021 keep walking! See more weekly updates. Yin Lin, SKK GSB PR Committee, Class of 2021
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- 작성일 2019-11-15
- 조회수 7692
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- SKK GSB Celebrates 15 Years of Success on Homecoming Day
- Last Monday, SKK GSB celebrated their annual Homecoming Day with a banquet. This year’s celebration highlighted a major milestone in SKK GSB history: the 15th anniversary of its inception. Students, faculty, administrators, and Alumni from all over the world came out to show their love and appreciation for SKK GSB. Dean Jae Ha Lee gave an invigorating speech about the history of SKK GSB and the road to how it became one of the most globalized MBA programs in the world. It is quite remarkable to think about all that the school has been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. It has climbed the rankings to become the top MBA program in Korea. Also, it is ranked 42nd out of over 2,000 MBA programs in the world. Dean Lee assured that these major accomplishments are only the beginning to more success in the future. The night was then followed by several exciting and entertaining presentations. There was an award presentation highlighting the achievements of several alumnus. Also, there was a video presentation that included students, alumnus, faculty members, and leaders from our partner schools. They all congratulated SKK GSB for their 15th anniversary and they also expressed their gratitude and pride for our thriving program. Following the presentations, dinner was served and the lively Nanta ensemble commenced. Nanta is a special Korean Drum production that incorporates dance and music. The stars of the show were actually some of our own MBA students from the Class of 2021. This exciting performance was the perfect way to end the evening. Overall, Homecoming Day was a tremendous success and an amazing way to bring in the 15th anniversary of SKK GSB. It was truly amazing to see everyone come together to celebrate such a momentous occasion. Until the next 15th anniversary, we wish our amazing institution continued growth and success. More photos: https://gsb.skku.edu/gsb/community/Gallery.do?mode=view&articleNo=87862
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- 작성일 2019-11-11
- 조회수 8005
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- Nobel Prize Winner Robert C. Merton Visits SKK GSB
- October 23, the auditorium in the International Hall was fully packed for a special lecture that would be delivered by Robert C. Merton. Every single in the room was filled. Professors, students from both the undergrad and business school, and special guests were all in attendance. This was a highly anticipated and popular event because of the speaker and the topic that would be discussed: financial innovations. Robert Merton is a famous American economist, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and a former Harvard School of business professor. He is responsible for making great strides and contributions to both finance and economics. Professor Merton is probably most well-known for winning the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1997 for creating the Black-Scholes model, which is a method to determine the value of derivatives. Professor Merton began the lecture by telling the audience some background information about his personal life, his accomplishments, and how he ended up where he is now. He then began to talk about the evolution of financial technology, which he referred to as FinTech. Fintech has been around for centuries and highlighted some of the major contributions that were the building blocks for the type of technology we see today. He discussed how innovations were spread out in the early years but now they are starting to occur at a more rapid speed. Professor Merton has been in the finance industry for almost five decades so he also explained some of the technology he has seen implemented over the years while working for financial institutions. Professor Merton concluded the lecture by reminding the audience that FinTech will continue to evolve and that we should be on the lookout for innovations in the near future. It was truly an honor to have such an icon like Professor Merton at SKK GSB.
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- 작성일 2019-11-05
- 조회수 7592
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- Nanta for One GSB 15th Anniversary Homecoming Day
- The much-anticipated SKK GSB Homecoming Day will be held at 7 PM on Monday, November 4, 2019 in Chobyungdoo Hall, 5th floor, 600th Anniversary Building. SKK GSB began recruiting volunteers on Oct 2, for Nanta—a special Korean Drum performance to celebrate the 15th anniversary of One GSB Homecoming Day. The Korean Drum performance has a long history. During the Joseon period, many types of drums were used for the royal court music, and nowadays it is commonly used in Korean music with its cheerful and powerful rhythm. It illustrates the spirit of the Korean people of creating happiness during their work. The Nanta Show in Korea, one of the most famous non-verbal performances, combines Korean traditional instruments and modern performances by incorporating western-style percussion with melodies played on traditional Korean musical instruments. The new SKK GSB volunteers of the team of Nanta—Korean Drum performance were chosen on Oct 9, 2019. The 6 volunteers are Kyeong Nam Kong from EMBA, Esther Lee from PMBA, Pranitha Divya Sri Gajula, Janice Gunawan, Yin Lin and Tyron Greg Sabatta from Full-time MBA. Under the professional guidance of Ms.Jisun Lee, the drum and dance instructor, starting with virtually zero experience, the entire team members, pull out all the stops for the Nanta—Korean Drum performance on Homecoming day - and for sure the results will be pretty incredible. Even though the show moves through a series of different songs and emotions, the underlying theme of the show centers on One GSB. Let’s look forward to meeting them on the 15th anniversary of One GSB Homecoming Day. Yin Lin, SKK GSB PR Committee, Class of 2021
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- 작성일 2019-11-04
- 조회수 7251
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- SKK GSB students’ work-life balance
- SKK GSB MBA program was founded in 2004 in partnership with MIT Sloan and with the sponsorship of the Samsung Foundation. Sungkyunkwan University SKK GSB’s program ranks No.1 in Korea, 9th in Asia and 42nd worldwide according to Financial Times. Besides its top education system, SKK GSB also values its students as one of the program’s most important assets and is committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance through diversified student-support activities. Team members’ physical and mental wellness is one of its top priorities, and it helps students learn about the benefits of stretching exercises to reduce muscle discomfort and stress and stimulate blood circulation. SKK GSB encourages its students to exercise more outdoors and frequently rolls out sporting activities to stimulate team bonding. Sep 27, 2019 -- The “SKK GSB Finance Team Seoul City Wall Hiking Day” saw a great number of participants with Professor Raunaq Pungaliya, Professor Andrew Yi, Professor Yanbo Wang, Professor Chengwei Wang, Professor Ercos Valdivieso and Professor Terence Lim as well as the whole finance team members of the Class of 2021. After a warm-up exercise and group photos, the team start their hiking at the Sungkyunkwan Univ. back gate to Baegangmaru Summit, and get off at Changuimun. The Baegak Trail runs from Changuimun to Hyehwamun, and crosses Baegak (Bugaksan, 342m), the main mountain and the highest mountain of Seoul’s four inner mountains in old Seoul. Standing here, you can see the cityscape of Seoul, including Korea’s Blue House. The city wall was laid in 1396 and since 1968, was limited to public access for about forty years; it was reopened to the public in 2007. After the hiking, students with professors had lunch together at Jaha Sonmandu restaurant. Sukrit Vongsri, a student from Thailand of the class of 2021, said, “I thank SKK GSB for hosting this activity for us, a truly educational and inspiring experience that has brought the participants closer to each other. This way, we also learnt from all the professors out of classroom.” With a view to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, SKK GSB will continue to organize different recreational and sporting activities for its students to help them relax and study more efficiently. Yin Lin, SKK GSB PR Committee, Class of 2021
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- 작성일 2019-10-22
- 조회수 7835
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- Meet our New SKK GSB PR Committee team members
- Ms. Whitley Pannell and Ms. Yin Lin are the new SKK GSB PR Committee team members. Both are students of the SKK GSB Full-Time MBA class of 2021. The SKK GSB PR Committee was formed in 2013 to highlight the lives of students and their activities, promote SKK GSB’s MBA program and showcase Korean education culture worldwide. Committee members serve a one-year term and represent SKK GSB to build public awareness of the MBA program, the lives of students, and social activities throughout Seoul. Ms. Whitley Pannell is a Juris Doctorate and an SKK GSB Master’s student in Business Administration from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in the U.S. She said: “I’m so excited to join SKK GSB’s PR Committee, I want bring in more than 500 Instagram followers before Feb 2020 to let the world know about this fantastic school and highlight some great things going on during the time I am in Korea.” Ms. Yin Lin is an SKK GSB MBA candidate from China, holding a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, with a cross industry background in finance, marketing, media, operations and consulting. She is very thankful and honored for this responsibility and shared her job motivation: “I am proud of this opportunity to help spread the word to improve my school’s reputation and to share our university’s unique and strong program, and our unparalleled value to the world.” Sungkyunkwan University always advocates humanistic care, respect for the individual differences of people, attention to diverse individual needs, and in addition, stimulates students’ creativity and promotes all-round development of people. SKK GSB students’ PR Committee program has also given the students countless opportunities to network and build relationships with alumni, students from other programs, professors, and staff. Students are able to tap into the wealth of knowledge of senior-level executives and learn from them, as well as to improve their writing, speaking, and organizational skills. Yin Lin, SKK GSB PR Committee, Class of 2021
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- 작성일 2019-10-22
- 조회수 8033
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- Korean language course for foreign students
- One of the unique classes that SKK GSB offers is a Korean language course. During the first semester, students are able to choose if they would like to take the course at a beginner level or an intermediate level. By the time the beginner students are finished, they will be on the upper intermediate level and by the time the intermediate students are finished, they will be on the proficient level. Learning the language can help students communicate and explore Seoul more easily. It will help them have a better understanding the Korean culture and traditions. Also, it can help them expand their network outside of the business school. This can prove to be a useful tool for students because it will help them stand out to employers. They will be able to say that they received an MBA from a top Korean business school and they were able to learn Korean while doing it. Many students expressed interest in finding corporate jobs in Seoul after receiving their MBAs. Knowing both English and Korean will make them very valuable to the company, especially if the company has English-speaking clients. The class is a six-credit course that meets twice a week. During those two days, students learn a great amount and work very hard to meet the targeted goal set by Professor Anna Subok Kim. But it’s not just about work all of the time. The students also do fun activities outside of class where they are able to practice Korean and have a good time. On October 2nd, Professor Anna took her beginner students out for bowling and barbeque. During the outing, she only communicated with students in Korean. She also taught them how to say certain words by giving them the Korean pronunciation for an object she picked up or an item on the menu. The Korean language course is truly a great program at SKK GSB. It is an asset to students because they are able to expand their knowledge and make themselves more marketable for career opportunities. Also, it gives students an opportunity to have while learning. If you would like to see more pictures from their activity days, follow their Instagram account @skk_gsb_korean_class.
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- 작성일 2019-10-18
- 조회수 7235
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- [Maeil Business News] 'Good Professor, Good Lecture'
- Maeil Business Newspaper 'Good Professor, Good Lecture' Prof. Kim Claes at SKK GSB Sungkyunkwan University Last May, a five-day intensive Blockchain class was given at SKK GSB. During this unique experience, students also met six key industry leaders among which the investment manager of Unblock (the blockchain subsidiary of Naver Line), the co-founder of Proof Suite (blockchain-based asset management platform), an anchor for CNBC's cryptocurrency channel, and a lawyer specialized in international transactions. The speakers delivered heated lectures on blockchain, focusing on the latest technologies and practical business applications. Students also engaged in group discussions with them about what Blockchain could contribute strategically to business and society. This blockchain course provided students with a clear understanding of the key concepts, economic principles, and basic technological aspects underlying cryptocurrencies and blockchain. This enabled them to understand both current and future blockchain related topics of importance for their career and organization(s), as well as some of the possibilities and limitations of the technology. During this course students were particularly pushed to think in a systematic fashion about how to take advantage of blockchain technologies for their organization, how these could contribute to the organization’s competitive advantage or value proposition. Students also had to opportunity to analyze the disruptive aspect of the technology for certain industries given how blockchain fundamentally challenges established notions of trust, efficiency, organizing, and autonomy."Through this lecture, I wanted to create an opportunity for students not only to understand blockchain technology but also to think about and see some of its uses and applications. This was necessary given the current (and hopefully future) growth in blockchain related businesses,” Prof. Kim Claes said. "We definitely recommend this course to students interested in entrepreneurship, consulting, strategy, venture capital and private equity and who want to know how blockchain might be changing industries." Indonesian student Galih R., Full-Time MBA student – Class of 2021, said "I got to enjoy hands on experience from the professor not only about blockchain but also about the cryptographic principles underlying the technology. Also, the real-world examples and business insights from industry experts benefited me greatly, not only by giving me deeper knowledge but also by providing some network in the industry”. He gave it a thumbs-up by calling it "the best lecture, only available at top MBA schools." Dr. Claes joined SKK Graduate School of Business as a Professor of Management in 2015. His research focuses on the social construction of prices and sustenance of markets in industries such as Blockchain, emerging markets Venture Capital, or the luxury watch manufacturing and fashion industries. Dr. Claes’ papers have won several academic recognitions, including the SMS Best Conference Paper Award nominee, the AOM OMT Entrepreneurship Best Paper Award nominee, and the JIMH Omega Best Paper Award. His work has been published in top tier journals in management and was also presented at many academic and business meetings around the world as well as covered by various media including the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review and the Gulf Times. Dr. Claes teaches competitive strategy, blockchain technologies, group decision making, and power and politics to and full time and professional MBAs and undergrads. He received a Ph.D. in management from INSEAD, a master's degree in actuarial sciences and a bachelor's degree in theoretical physics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and has worked in capital markets for several years before starting his Ph.D. In July, his paper “Does Social Similarity Pay Off? Homophily and Venture Capitalists’ Deal Valuation, Downside Risk Protection and Financial Returns in India” was just accepted by Organization Science, a top tier academic journal in the field. Link to the original article(Korean): https://www.mk.co.kr/news/special-edition/view/2019/09/762983/
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- 작성일 2019-10-07
- 조회수 7710