10 years of Cultivating International Human Resources
- The Graduate School of International Studies with the advantage of a multi-national student network

With the goal of fostering field professionals with a global prospective, the Graduate School of International Studies started off as the Center for Area Studies and has produced approximately 500 professionals in specialized majors including International Economic Relations, International Cooperation, and Korean Studies. Of those graduates, 96% of them are currently in charge of international relations in various areas including government, business, and international organizations. In particular, seven out of forty who were openly selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade this year, turned out to be graduates of this school. Moreover, the newly established Ph. D program (since 2005) is successfully satisfying the demands of those pursuing doctoral-level studies..

In order to revitalize the advance of graduates into international organizations, the Graduate School of International Studies is promoting the introduction of a Ph. D program in International Studies in which one can receive joint degrees from 4 schools-- the University of Tokyo (Japan), Beijing University (China), Singapore National University and Seoul National University-- after studying a semester at each.

Hyeonjung Jae, who began working at the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) after graduating from GSIS, spoke highly of the human network and the curriculum which is well-balanced between theory and practical affairs. It is needless to say that alumni from various countries, schools and workplaces play a great role within society when it comes to information exchange and cooperation. Haewon Kim, currently writing her master’s thesis, expressed that studying with students from all over the world has broadened her insight remarkably and dissolved the need for studying abroad. Foreign students make up about 20% of the total number of graduate students every year.

The Graduate School of International Studies offers not only its students but the whole SNU community precious opportunities to come into contact with international knowledge through the many lectures given by foreign scholars which take place there. ‘Asia and the World’, a special lecture series begun in 2004, has received much attention by inviting world renown speakers like George Soros, Francis Fukuyama, and Victor Cha, among many others.

Dec. 1, 2007
SNU PR Office