Stony Brook University SUNY Korea

  “The problems confronting the humankind are so complex and sometimes scary… and we, as young graduates, don’t know how to start or what to do about it. My goal is to keep taking positive actions and some steps in the direction I believe to be right and to not give in to the negativity.” Vasundhara Dehiya graduated from SUNY Korea with a master’s degree in Computer Science.After the graduation, she started working at a startup company called ‘Who’s Good’ as a data analyst. Vasundhara said her goal is to contribute to the betterment of society and that she wants to always take steps towards in making positive actions.  Vasundhara, who is always taking a foot step forward to make this world a better place, became the fourth interviewee for SUNY Korea’s Alumni interview series, History Makers.    I’m Vasundhara Dehiya, and I’m from India. I am a Seawolf and a History Maker, and I graduated from SUNY Korea with my master’s in Computer Science. Before that, I did my bachelor’s in Electronics Engineering from New Delhi, India.  How did you find out about SUNY Korea? I met SUNY Korea’s Ambassadors when they were visiting India, and they introduced me to SUNY Korea. I was lucky enough to find really amazing professors in the CS department. I met an extremely talented group of professors who were even more passionate about research than me. I learned from them, I learned with them, and I credit them for my success now.  What do you do now?  I work as a data analyst at a startup company called ‘Who’s Good.’ We provide ESG based corporate risk analysis using AI (Artificial Intelligence). Our goal is to support sustainable business practices to improve our world. My role is to develop the algorithms and AI tools to achieve this goal. What is your future goal?  My future and also current goal is to always contribute to make the world a better place. If you think about today’s world, the problems facing humankind are so complex and sometimes even scary. And we, as young graduates don’t really know how to start or what to do about it. So, my goal is to keep taking positive actions and some steps in this direction and to not give in to the negativity.  How did SUNY Korea help you to be who you are now?  SUNY Korea provided me an ideal balance between mentorship and freedom. Mentors I met at SUNY Korea enabled me to find my passion in life and led me to identify my true self both personally and professionally.  Suggestions for students My only suggestion would be that you should dare to believe in your dream. You may fail, it may seem hard at times, but someday it will all come together. So, you shouldn’t be afraid. SUNY Korea is … SUNY Korea, to me, is [Freedom]. Freedom from self-doubt, freedom to believe, freedom to not give up and keep persevering. So, SUNY Korea is [freedom].    To watch the interview, CLICK HERE

  "Four years ago, I came to Korea without knowing anyone, as a stranger. But through those years, I met so many great friends whom I share precious memories… they became my family." Sanju Rukshan, Class of 2017, graduated from the Technological Systems Management program at SUNY Korea. Sanju said he would have never experienced the things he had if he didn't come to SUNY Korea. After the graduation, Sanju started working at an IT company as an engineer, and he built an excellent reputation for being hard-working, responsible and considerate.  Sanju, who valued cultural experiences, music, nature, friends, and family, became the third interviewee for SUNY Korea's Alumni series, History Makers.    My name is Sanju Rukshan, I come from Sri Lanka, and I'm a proud graduate of SUNY Korea.  What do you do now?  Currently, I work at a software development company called "Monitoring 6", as a software engineer. We offer a wide spectrum of services, from embedded systems, IoT devices to Cloud monitoring systems. And we are a sister company of SUDO Premium Engineering.  How did SUNY Korea help you with the work you do now?   Yes. SUNY Korea helped me a lot in what I am doing right now. Especially, it helped me to find my passion. For example, for the Year-End project at SUNY Korea, I selected to develop a Vertical Garden in Lead-Lab. Through that, I started going more into the IoT technology, and I got to know and become familiar with the software development side of it.  SUNY Korea taught me how to be a fighter, to work hard at something, to be patient, and also to be persistent. What would have happened if you didn't come to SUNY Korea?   I would have never had such a global experience in doing various kinds of activities. I did volunteer activities, played basketball, and also got to know different languages as well… I became better at Korean and English.  Comments for university students who are preparing for a career   Make most out of it. Part of me thinks that I should have done more things during my university years. Now, because I'm a worker, I have to go to work every day. I cannot skip work. So, enjoy, as well as make many friends and participate in many activities, not only studies. Participating in different activities will give you an idea of how other things will work. And, be good at study. Putting on efforts are important as well.  SUNY Korea is…  One Word? Hmm… I wrote SUNY Korea is [family]. Because four years ago, I came to Korea without knowing anyone, as a stranger. But throughout these four years, I met so many friends, whom I shared so many precious moments, and they became brothers and sisters to me. And I met some professors whom I learned a lot from, and they also became my parents. I think SUNY Korea is like a big and high functioning community, which I always feel like I will belong.  So, SUNY Korea is [family].    To watch the interview, CLICK HERE

  “My name is MinJoon Kim; I’m one of the first graduates of SUNY Korea…  At SUNY Korea, I was able to learn how to embrace the differences through my friends from all over the world.” MinJoon Kim, Class of 2016, majoring in Technological Systems Management, is one of the first graduates of SUNY Korea. Right after graduation, he moved on to the next chapter of his life: career, marriage, and family. Now he works at Korean Air, representing SUNY Korea’s global mindset to the passengers from all over the world.  MinJoon said that a mentor that he met from SUNY Korea positively influenced him and helped him to plan out his future. He excitingly said that someday he also wants to become a mentor for someone else.  Living the life of a professional with global manners, MinJoon shared his story as the second interviewee for SUNY Korea’s Alumni series, History Makers.  My name is MinJoon Kim; I’m one of the first graduates of SUNY Korea.  One thing special about my university experience is that I met my wife at SUNY Korea.    Why did you choose SUNY Korea?  The reason why I chose this college is that it would be beneficial for me to study in Korea where family and friends are around me but take classes in English at the same time.  How was your university experience?  Overall, it was great and fantastic. I met great friends who came from other countries. By having daily casual conversations with my friends from all over the world, I was able to learn how to embrace the differences. What do you do now?  I work as a gate agent of Departure & Arrival team of Korean Air. I have to make sure that the flight departs at the right time and the passengers board on the right flight. I’m also studying visa and passport regulations of other nations to provide better quality service to Korean Air passengers.  How did SUNY Korea help?  When I was doing the job interview with Korean Air, they were looking for someone with a global manner, which I’ve learned from SUNY Korea. That’s how SUNY Korea helped me to work in this field.  What is your life goal?  One of the school counselors at SUNY Korea introduced me to a mentor. And through many talks I had with my mentor, he positively influenced me. So, someday I also want to become a mentor and influence other students. And of course, on top of that, I want to become a sweet husband and a father in a family.  SUNY Korea is…  I wrote SUNY Korea is a [paradise for dreamers.]  I believe, when you come to a university, you enter with a specific dream in your mind. Even if it’s not a dream, it’s okay. You still have something that you want to do in the university, right? SUNY Korea offers a lot of opportunities and chances. So, don’t be afraid, put yourself out there, and never settle for less. That’s why I wrote SUNY Korea is a [Paradise for dreamers]. 

  Charis Asante-Agyei, Class of 2017, majoring in Technological Systems Management, is a proud alumnus of SUNY Korea. He flew all the way from Ghana with his dream to give back to his people what he learned in Korea.  During his junior year, Charis and his friends from SUNY Korea went on the "African Mission 2016" to Burkina Faso. They planned and organized Science Camp with various fun activities for the children of Burkina Faso. During the camp, Charis said to the kids who were looking at him with such shining eyes:  "I have a lot of dreams. One of my dreams came true today, and my dream was to give you guys hope… I want you to know that you can do anything you want to do, and then my dream will come true. So, help me make my dream come true." With his dream of going back to his country and give value to the people, Charis began his graduate school at SUNY Korea after his graduation. Charis, who always puts his heart to his own country, became the first interviewee for SUNY Korea's Alumni series, History Makers.    My name is Charis Asante-Agyei. I'm from Ghana, and I am a graduate of SUNY Korea. Why did you choose to come to SUNY Korea? We got to know SUNY Korea through the Korean Embassy and KOTRA which is the trade association arm of the Korean Government. And my head master suggested that I apply.  How was your life in Korea in the beginning? It took just a little getting used to. Food, Transportation, communication… As soon as I got used to those things, it became really convenient, really comfortable, really enjoyable too.  What do you do now? I have an internship with a construction equipment manufacturing company, and I'm in the R&D department, which is research and development. So, we are working on new projects that they plan to roll out.  What's your favorite time of work? Lunch breaks, where, with my team members we go out, just take a walk, release some stress, and get to know each other better. How did your major help you? Research and Development has a lot to do with understanding humanities; so, economics, marketing, and also it has to do with the understanding technological side of things. And TSM (Technological Systems Management) is sort of a merger of the two. So, I had a unique advantage.  How did SUNY Korea affect your life?  In my team, I am the only foreigner; I'm the only international person… But because of my ability to interact with people, they also value that, so they actually want to have people with a global mindset, so to speak. So… And SUNY Korea is really, really instrumental in equipping students with that mindset. Did you achieve the goal you had before graduation?  I had about three, and this is one of them. So, in a way yes. After this internship, I'll be beginning graduate school, continuing in a sense. That's another plan. Long term, I want to go back to Ghana, where I'm from and give value to the people. In the past 40-50 years, Korea was beginning to pick up the pace, that is where I think Ghana is right now. So many of the things that Korea has put in place, we can also sort of copy and adjust to suit our own situation. So that's what I want to do. SUNY Korea is … SUNY Korea is a [bright light]. After coming to SUNY Korea, you begin to see things that you couldn't see before. You begin to see things about yourself that you didn't know before. And I used light, not just for direction, but also because it shows you what to do. A lot more than this… But I think this also captures a really huge component of SUNY Korea. So, SUNY Korea is a [bright light].   To watch the interview, CLICK HERE

  Zimpher Lauds Stony Brook-South Korea Project as ‘Model for Higher Education’ Worldwide  The newly opened SUNY Korea is the first American university with a physical presence within the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) and a US delegation led by SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher, SUNY Vice Chancellor Mitch Leventhal and Dennis N. Assanis, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY Stony Brook, were on hand to welcome the historic inaugural class.  The opening ceremony, held in Incheon on March 19, was greeted with tremendous enthusiasm from South Korean officials and local community members, as well as the Korean national and local press.  SUNY’s partnership with Songdo Global University in South Korea “serves as a model for higher education around the world," said Zimpher.  "Today's ceremony is the culmination of outstanding work by excellent faculty and staff at Stony Brook and Songdo. Together, we will create boundless new opportunities for cutting-edge research, business endeavors, and government affairs between our two nations," she said.  SUNY Korea currently offers master’s programs in technology and computer science, although an expansion of degree curricula is planned. The first class of SUNY Korea, a total of 34 Stony Brook students – all residents of Korea -- began classes in March.  The SUNY Board of Trustees authorized the development and implementation of educational programs and research collaborations in the IFEZ in a 2009 resolution. SUNY Korea was subsequently funded by the South Korean government through its Ministry of Knowledge Economy, the Incheon Free Economic Zone, and the Metropolitan City of Incheon.  While attendees at the ceremony spoke of the wider implications of the SUNY Korea partnership and the potential for cross-national learning, Stony Brook Provost Assanis directly addressed the importance of the collaboration to his school.  “Stony Brook University will benefit from this partnership because it places the University on a world stage, and further builds upon our reputation as an ‘internationally’ renowned institution of higher learning,” added Assanis.  “This joint venture strategically positions us to develop cutting-edge research that will contribute new knowledge and new technologies to our global community. With its educational mission and the leadership that we have put in place, SUNY Korea is destined to grow and prosper.” From SUNY Global Newsletter Spring 2012: https://system.suny.edu/global/news/