Stony Brook University SUNY Korea

Fall 2022 Commencement Ceremony 5 Departments and 61 Graduating Students   The Fall 2022 Commencement Ceremony of SUNY Korea was celebrated on December 16th, 2022 in the IGC Auditorium. A total of 61 students from five different departments (Computer Science, Technology and Society, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, and Business Management) are graduating this year. Arthur H. Lee, the president of SUNY Korea, said in his message of congratulations to the graduating students, “I sincerely congratulate you on your graduation, and I am grateful to the family, professors, and staff for their support to SUNY Korea. Do not stop striving for self-development even after graduation - History Makers move forward and change the world.” Also, Dr. Imin Kao, Executive Director of SUNY Korea Academic Programs, SBU, said, “We are building a world-class university to help solve the great challenges we face in the world and we trust we are doing so by challenging you as alumni of Stony Brook, FIT, and SUNY Korea to go on and do great things - to take on great challenges and find the solutions necessary to improve the human conditions. And by doing so you'll follow in the footsteps of the many Stony Brook and FIT alumni. Graduates, you are to be recognized, celebrated and honored upon your graduation today!” SUNY Korea, established in Songdo International City, Incheon in 2012 and celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is the first American university established in Korea. Stony Brook University and the Fashion Institute of Technology attracts and operates excellent departments. All classes are conducted in the same way as the New York campus curriculum, and graduates will receive the same degrees from Stony Brook University and Fashion Institute of Technology, respectively. State University of New York Korea offers courses in Science and Engineering and Business Administration (Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Mechanical Engineering, Technology Management, and Business Administration) of Stony Brook University and Art Departments (Fashion Design and Fashion Management) of Fashion Institute of Technology. It is a STEAM convergence education university. All departments at Stony Brook University, except for the Department of Business Administration, offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs.

SUNY Korea Resumes Global Support Providing educational materials to rural elementary schools in Burkina Fasoㅇ          SUNY Korea donates educational equipment to Ecole A de Kougsin and Ecole B de Kougsin SUNY Korea has resumed its support for elementary schools that have been hit by COVID-19 in West Africa, to help people overcome it. SUNY Korea provided educational equipment to elementary schools located in rural areas of Burkina Faso in West Africa to overcome COVID-19 and promote education. In October, educational equipment and materials supported by SUNY Korea were delivered to Ecole A de Kougsin and Ecole B de Kougsin in Kougsin Village, located in the midwest of Burkina Faso. With this support, 581 students from Ecole A and B de Kougsin, who stopped studying due to the worsening economic and medical environment caused by COVID-19, were able to continue their studies with proper educational equipment such as textbooks and writing implements. Students from the school shared their gratitude for SUNY Korea for allowing them to take a step closer to their future dreams of becoming teachers and doctors (refer to the photos below). Ecole A de Kougsin opened in 1983 and now has 407 students and 11 teachers, and Ecole B de Kougsin opened in 2014 and has 174 students and 6 teachers. Student appreciates the donors  Arthur H. Lee, the President of SUNY Korea, said, “It is regrettable that members of SUNY Korea cannot visit and serve in person as we did before the pandemic; however, it is fortunate that students in Burkina Faso's Kougsin Village can continue their studies through this support. We will continue to devise various measures to spread the vision of SUNY Korea, Shared Prosperity, around the world, starting from developing countries." Okgon Hwang, the CEO of [더멋진세상] in Burkina Faso, Africa, said, "We appreciate the continued support of SUNY Korea even in the difficult situation of COVID-19. Next year, I hope to meet the members of SUNY Korea in person and carry out various volunteer activities." Since SUNY Korea’s opening in Korea, the university has been carrying out the ‘Global Village Hope Project’, a volunteer activity and exchange cooperation program. From October 2015 to September 2018, 'Burkina Faso's Sanogo Village Self-Reliance Support Project' helped the Burkina Faso community to grow continuously by remodeling schools, installing solar panels in homes and schools, and installing village communal mills. 7,400 people in 1,500 households benefited from this service, which was also broadcast in Korea through the ‘Finding My Friend’s House’ episode of KBS’ Documentary Sympathy in 2016. In 2019, family photo shoots, school construction and remodeling, and streetlight installation projects were promoted in the Guksaeng village of Burkina Faso with the international activity organization The Great World, receiving very good results and responses locally. SUNY Korea’s involvement this time was also decided based on this deep relationship with Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has a land area three times larger than Korea, its total population is 22.67 million and its Gross National Income (GNI) is $860. It was a French colony until the 1950s, and gained independence after that; however, most of the people are living in poverty due to unstable political and economic conditions. In particular, there is an absolute lack of underground resources, water, and food, and the overall living environment is very poor, including a lack of an educational environment and various infrastructures. According to the 2021-2022 Human Development Index (HDI) report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the level of advancement of Burkina Faso ranks 184 out of 191 countries, making it one of the poorest countries.    

SUNY Korea Student Ambassador Inauguration Ceremony      SUNY Korea’s student ambassadors were officially inaugurated on Wednesday, November 23. As representatives of our university for the following year, the student ambassadors will participate in various university promotional content production activities, as well as being responsible for the university introduction, admission briefing, and student activities for visitors.  Arthur H. Lee, the president of SUNY Korea, said, “It is pleasant and reassuring to meet the student ambassadors who will be the face of the school for 2023. I hope all of you will actively promote the 10th year anniversary of SUNY Korea’s various achievements.”  Hayeoung Lee (Department of Technological Systems Management), who was selected as one of the new student ambassadors, expressed the following sentiment: “First of all, I thank the university for providing this great opportunity. I want to act as a student ambassador who can provide practical information to students who are interested in our university and want to enroll.”  Prior to this ceremony, SUNY Korea held an orientation on November 3rd to prepare these students for a better performance as student ambassadors of the university. The orientation was organized by the Student Services Team, Admissions Team, External Relations Team, and the Academic Affairs Team, with each department providing explanations and answers about the role of a student ambassador.     

FIT Professor Linda Kim Participates in the 2022 International Fashion Art Biennale                                                                                  SUNY Korea FIT Professor Linda Kim participated in the 2022 International Fashion Art Biennale in Busan, Korea that was hosted by the Korea Fashion & Culture Association.  82 fashion art designers from 12 countries and 21 artists from the fields of media, installation, painting, and photography participated in this exhibition. Among the artists, Professor Linda Kim said, “I hope more platforms for artistic exchanges are also happening around the campus. To add on, I hope that not only will the excellence of Korean fashion strive, but also Korean fashion will be able to lead the world of fashion through continuous opportunities like this.”   The International Fashion Art Biennale was held from October 20th to 30th at Museum One in Busan, Korea. The theme of this exhibition, “Technique of Healing”, was prepared with the aim of healing the difficult times caused by COVID-19 with fashion art and artworks.        

Myung Oh, Honorary President & Arthur H. Lee, President   Gave Congratulatory Remarks at the 10-year Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of IGC   “There are all kinds of thoughts running through my mind,” said Dr. Myung Oh, the Honorary President of SUNY Korea (former deputy Prime Minister) in his congratulatory speech for the 10-year anniversary of Incheon Global Campus (IGC) held on October 26th. Following on, Dr. Myung Oh emphasized the outstanding performance of IGC as he remarked that “the preparation stage for the establishment of IGC was definitely not smooth, but we were able to successfully attract and settle with 5 universities and a research center within IGC through the bold decisions and challenges for bigger goals.”   “We still need support and cooperation from many others for the bold decision of the establishment of IGC as the foundation for the development of South Korea,” requested Dr. Myung Oh.   As the first speaker of all 5 universities and a research center, SUNY Korea President Arthur H. Lee shared his impressions, saying that “SUNY Korea also celebrated its 10-year anniversary last June. I am filled with emotions as both IGC and SUNY Korea are celebrating their 10-year anniversaries together this year.”  President Lee further remarked, “We have achieved what once was believed to be impossible, and now looking back, the past years were a constant process of change and innovation. All of this was possible through close cooperation with IGC.”  As the year 2022 marks the 10-year anniversary of IGC, various events will be held from October 26th to 28th, including the Commemoration Ceremony, Panel Discussions regarding lifelong education in the IGC campus, and a Seminar on the Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation in IGC.

  Professor Johng-Ihl Lee  Professor Johng-Ihl Lee of SUNY Korea (Professor of the Department of Technology Management and Dean of the Department of Strategic Planning & Relations) received the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Award at the 10th Anniversary ceremony of Incheon Global Campus held on October 26th, 2022. Prof. Johng-Ihl Lee received this award in recognition of his contribution to the development of the country and society by encouraging the activation of foreign education and research institutes in the Incheon Free Economic Zone.   Prof. Johng-Ihl Lee has served as the Chief Executive of the Korea Israel Industrial R&D Foundation, the President of the Korea Society for Innovation Management & Economics (KOSIME), and the Director of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). Also, in March 2022 he was appointed as the co-representative of the Incheon Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice (ICCEJ). He is actively working not only for the development of higher education, but also for the development of the local community.     

  SUNY Korea Museum of Modern Costume is pleased to present the opening of the “Alice in Wanderyarn” special exhibition.   Greeting From Director In celebration of the 10th anniversary of SUNY Korea and IGC, I am honored and happy to jointly hold the 'Special Exhibition: Alice in Wanderuarn' at The SUNY Korea Museum of Modern Costume. In the 1980s, as the standard of living improved due to economic growth, foreign fashions were quickly introduced to Korea, and the importance of knitwear, a new trendy style, was aslo highlighted. Rustic American President Jimmy Carter, who was from a rural area and often wore comfortable knitwear in 1977, and Britain's Princess Diana, who was famous for wearing an inverted triangle hourglass-style knit with large shoulders, both drew attention to, and also influenced, the trend of knitwear. We hope you enjoy this exhibition, where you can see knitwear, which was a representative fashion element of the 80s, through works of outstanding artistry. SUNY Korea Museum of Modern Costume Director Heisoon Shin   This exibition will open from October 26th, 2022 through March 31st, 2023. Also, this exhibition will be closed during the last two weeks of December.  The opening hours of the museum is: Monday – Friday (10:00am – 5:00pm) / Weekends and Holidays: closed  

      On October 12th, the first Fall 2022 Career Talk to You was held. Career Talks allow students to hear from real life experience and gain understanding on various occupations.  Ms. Jackie Jun, a certified CPA from the U.K. with an extensive career in the finance & auditing field, discussed her experiences as a former career seeker in the global job maker. 

The Career Development Center (CDC) has hosted the Fall 2022 Student Internship Panel Event on September 27th! For this event, four currently enrolled students from different majors of SUNY Korea were able to share their internship experiences at key major corporations in Korea. With this opportunity, students were able to learn about the internship application process, tips, and how they hope to use the experience as they embark on their own career development. The students' internship companies included 4STEC (Software Engineer Intern), Mobilio (Purchasing Intern), BMW Korea (Public Relations Intern), and Saltcake (Marketing Intern).        

  Kyungbae Min (double major in AMS and CS), Dukyoung Eom (CS), Hyerin Choi (double major in AMS and CS), and Sije Park (CS) were awarded the ‘Cleanest UI/UX’ in the SBU Hacks 2022, a hackathon competition.  Here is an interview with one of the team members.  Hello, I am Kyungbae Min. I’m a senior and majoring in AMS, also studying CS as a minor. I’m currently working as a front-end developer.   1. Why did you choose to study at SUNY Korea? The biggest advantage I thought was that I can experience an international environment and curriculum in Korea. For me, burdened with the desire to study abroad, I expected that high-quality lectures provided in English and the school's compulsory policy of sending students to the US in their senior year would provide me with a broader perspective, and I am currently experiencing that. 2. Briefly explain the competition you participated in, and what prize you were awarded.  ‘2022 SBU Hacks’ is a 48-hour hackathon held by SBU, MLH (Major League Hacking), and a lot of sponsors. It is a competition in which participants form a team of up to four people to independently create projects using any technology in the form of software or hardware for 48 hours. About 300 participants from all over the country, from undergraduates to graduate students, gathered to devise novel business models and projects using technology, and on the last day, they were evaluated by judges in each field through demos. Our team created ‘Plog-In’, a web app targeting mobile platforms under the topic of Plogging, and won the ‘Cleanest UI/UX’ category among about 60 projects.  

  Last Wednesday on September 21, the Fall 2022 Career Design School was held on campus. The Career Design School is created for Freshmen and Sophomores to explore their career paths and discover their passion. Mr. David Choi was the guest speaker and he is the Blockchain Leader at OGQ, a social platform where creators from all over the world can easily work in various fields. He shared several tips on how to live a meaningful college life, preparing for your career.    

            The Fall 2022 IGC Career Festival was held in person on September 3rd from 10 AM to 5 PM. In collaboration with all four IGC universities, SUNY Korea CDC (Career Development Center) have put together the most inspiring and practical programs for the student's career advancement.  The Fall 2022 IGC Career Festival helped offer the students real world experience from successful alumni professionals through IGC Alumni Career Talk, finding their strength and career with the MBTI test, English & Korean mock interviews with professional career coaches, and English resume 101 lecture and an individual resume clinic. The students also had the opportunity to meet with other university students and take tours of all four universities on IGC Campus. Also, after this event there was an evaluation from the students about this Fall 2022 IGC Career Festival, and the results showed that 100% of attended students rated the Fall 2022 IGC Career Festival to be “Very Helpful” for Career Preparation. In the evaluation, one student said, "I learned that finding 'my stories' during the four years of university is the most important thing I need to do. Also, I found that balancing the activities and studying is significant as both of them are required for reaching my dream. Further, I felt the MBTI consultation was also very meaningful as I not only learned the detailed description of MBTI and how MBTI actually links with my personality."    

“I feel like I am more myself when I wear the look or the outfit I imagined, I feel an incredible sense of joy and pride when I create clothes. I love the sense of accomplishment, as I navigate through tough processes, while it's all coming together," said Lee. Yoojin Lee, one of FIT AAS degree program alumni, won 2nd place in the Wilson Competition in New York. Wilson has teamed up with IHG Hotels & Resorts and FIT to create student-designed ball gowns in celebration of this year’s US Open Tournament. The US Open is a tennis tournament held annually in New York. Each gown was designed with, and inspired by, Wilson’s official US Open tennis ball. ​ To read more, check out the articles in the links below. Click Here

Finally, the world is slowly coming back to normal after the long two years of an online generation. This past week the new students were able to come to school to learn the important information for classes and what life would be like on campus. The students were able to experience this through the different workshops prepared for them including placement exams, orientations, a variety of workshops, and the main Convocation event. During these five days of the New Student Welcome Week they were able to make connections with their fellow students, staff, and faculty. Check out the video in our YouTube: https://youtu.be/fQTAbrkDpr0                                

The Fall 2022 Convocation was held today at the IGC Auditorium. We were finally able to welcome our new SBU and FIT students in person. After the long pandemic, we greeted students, parents, and faculty with big smiles. Arthur H. Lee, president of SUNY Korea, Dr. Dawn Medley, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at Stony Brook University NY, Mark Evan Blackman, Chair of Fashion Design Department at SUNY Korea all gave special remarks in today's convocation to encourage students A total of 211 students have joined us this semester: 114 students in SBU and 96 students in FIT. Starting from this fall, a new major will join SUNY Korea SBU . The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) program, one of the foundational disciplines of engineering, will start with 26 students and will continue to grow with the other majors at our school. We welcome you Class of 2024 & 2026. See you on Monday!