VOL. 9 ISSUE NO.

1 SPRING 2024

NEWSLETTER
UNDERWOOD INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE

COLLEGE NEWS - STUDENT NEWS - FACULTY NEWS - ALUMNI NEWS

COVER Dean Doowon Lee presented the degree to the student representative during the February 2024 Commencement Ceremony

A BI-ANNUAL COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER FOR UNDERWOOD INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE

uic.yonsei.ac.kr/newsletter
UIC, The Liberal Arts
For International Minds.
Underwood International College
May 2024

MISSION STATEMENT
The UIC Newsletter is committed to keeping our
community informed and connected, emphasizing
the diverse experiences of our students, alumni,
and faculty. We strive to provide essential news,
inspire engagement, and unite the UIC community
through our coverage of its achievements.
“The truth will set you
free” (John 8:32)
Underwood International College
Vol. 9, No. 1, Spring 2024

Explore the heart of our liberal arts residential

college through our newsletter, where we
highlight a rich tapestry of stories within our
community. As we invite prospective students to
join our vibrant academic environment, we aim
to authentically share the essence of life at our
campus and inspire enthusiasm for learning.
င A CORNER OF CAMPUS င

An overlooking view of Yonsei International

Campus at Songdo, with a focus on the
Underwood Memorial Library building.
Finished in 2014, Songdo Campus, home to
the College of Pharmacy and Global Institute
of Theology, offers a unique residential
college experience to all freshmen.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNDERWOOD INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
08 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

UNDERWOOD INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE

The official newsletter of
Yonsei University’s
English-based liberal arts college
A NEW ERA FOR UIC
MASTHEAD
Dear UIC Community Members,

Newsletter Staff
It is with great pleasure that I
address you today, celebrating the
publication of another insightful EDITOR-IN CHIEF EDITORS
issue of our college newsletter. Younah Kang Chaeun Kim
As we gather to reflect on the Natasha Elyssa Gadjali
DEAN OF UIC Pho Vu
achievements and aspirations
Doowon Lee
of our institution, I am honored WRITERS
to share some thoughts on our ASSOCIATE DEAN OF Chaeun Kim
journey and the path that lies ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Natasha Elyssa Gadjali
ahead. Hee-Seung Yang Pho Vu

ASSOCIATE DEAN OF DESIGNERS

First and foremost, I extend my PLANNING Saehyun Lee
deepest gratitude to each and Younah Kang Nicoline Dorothy
every one of you who contributes Pho Vu
tirelessly to the success of our
college. Whether you are a faculty
member, a staff member, a student, or an alumni, your dedication and Career & Alumni Relations
passion are the driving forces behind the excellence we strive for at UIC.
DIRECTOR OF
UIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER
In this issue, we have the privilege of featuring an interview with yours truly,
Hyunsang Kim
offering a glimpse into my motivations for returning to UIC after nearly
fifteen years and my vision for the future of our beloved college. Having DIRECTOR OF
been a part of the Yonsei family for three decades, my journey has been ALUMNI RELATIONS
intertwined with the growth and evolution of this institution. It is my firm Michael Kim
belief that UIC, as the pioneer of liberal arts education in Korea, holds a
unique position in shaping the minds and hearts of our future leaders.
SUBMIT A TIP
As we look ahead, it is essential to acknowledge the challenges that lie before
We want this newsletter to channel the
us. From the shortage of faculty members to the imperative need for greater
pioneering spirit of Horace Grant Underwood,
internationalization and inclusivity, we are confronted with tasks that whose legacy in Korea encompasses
demand our collective effort and commitment. However, I am confident contributions to medicine, education, and
that with the unwavering support of our community and the dedication of the human spirit. We encourage submissions
our faculty and staff, we will overcome these obstacles and emerge stronger that defines our institution. Whether you
than ever before. have stories to share, concerns to address,
or suggestions to offer, please connect with
One of my primary goals as dean is to foster a culture of collaboration and our dedicated Public Relations team at uicpr@
innovation, where interdisciplinary research thrives and our students are yonsei.ac.kr. Together, let’s continue to honor
equipped with the skills and knowledge to tackle the pressing issues of our our heritage and shape the future of UIC. Thank
time. Furthermore, I am deeply committed to nurturing a more inclusive you very much for being part of our journey!
and diverse environment within UIC, where every voice is valued and heard.
By fostering meaningful connections between students, faculty, and alumni,
we can harness the power of our collective experiences and perspectives to
drive positive change both locally and globally.

Looking ahead, I envision UIC as a beacon of excellence in liberal arts UIC NEWSLETTER is published two times a year,
education, renowned for its academic rigor and commitment to global with online editions updated on the UIC website
citizenship. Together, let us continue to strive for excellence and empower
accordingly.
the next generation of leaders who will shape a brighter future for our world.
PUBLISHERS: Underwood International College
EMAIL: uicpr@yonsei.ac.kr
TEL: 02-2123-3923
WEB: uicyonsei.ac.kr/newsletter

Printed in the Republic of Korea.

Doowon Lee
Dean of Underwood International College
 INSIDE THE ISSUE 09

Professor Lisa Son on IID Showcases Student Works New ISE Tumor
Unlearning Failures in Bi-Annual Exhibition Immunology Lab at
through Metacognition Songdo Campus

#FACULTY_NEWS #STUDENT_NEWS #COLLEGE_NEWS

CONTENTS
TABLE OF

FACULTY NEWS

12-13 Dialogue with the Dean: Professor Doowon Lee

14-15 Professor Jinyoung Kim’s Transition from UIC Student to Unyielding Scholar

16-17 An Interview with Professor Tony Qian, UIC’s New Asian Studies Faculty

18-19 QRM Professor Jeong Hoon Jang’s Vision for the Future of Risk Management & Data Integration

20-21 Professor Lisa Son on Unlearning Failures through Metacognition

22-23 CDM Professor Bokyung Lee’s Path to Designing User-Centered Innovation for Tomorrow

STUDENT NEWS

26-27 UIC’s Jungmin Kang Awarded Best Oralist at SUAD Youth COP

28-29 What UIC Singapore Global Career Tour Taught Me

30-31 UIC Students Learn Various Career Pathways from Global Career Tour Korea

32-33 IID Showcases Student Works in Bi-Annual Exhibition

34-35 Incoming Freshmen Enjoy WIC (Writing Intensive Clinic) & CC On:Line Program

36-37 Student Reflects on LearnUs Global Semester

COLLEGE NEWS

42-43 New ISE Tumor Immunology Lab at Songdo Campus

44-45 Exclusive Lecture Series Hosted by Asian Studies Major in Fall 2023

44-45 Asian Studies Holds Spring 2023 Senior Theses Presentations

44-45 The Politics of Christian Rescue in the Hŭngnam Evacuation of December 1950

46 UIC’s Asian Studies Major Spearheads Success in Yonsei-Indonesia Association Event

47 NIS Students Discover UIC Academic Offerings at Yonsei

50-51 ALUMNI NEWS

52-53 Four Alumni Triumph in Rigorous Government Examinations

10

FACULTY NEWS
PHOTO COURTESY OF PROFESSOR BOKYUNG LEE
11
12 F A C U LT Y N E W S
Thank you for
making the time
today. Before
we begin,
please introduce
yourself to our
readers!
I joined Yonsei
University in
1994 as a faculty
member of the
Economics
Department, and
this year marks
my 30th year as a
Yonsei professor.
My first
involvement with
UIC was in 2007 when I assumed the role of Associate Dean and
served for two and a half years during the early stages of the
college. Since then, I have held various administrative positions
within Yonsei, including Vice President for International Affairs
and Dean of College of Commerce and Economics.
You have returned to UIC in almost 15 years. I think the
readers would be curious about your motivations behind
taking the position of dean, as well as your decision to
return to UIC.
Initially, when the new President Yoon Dong-Sup offered me
this position in late January, I hesitated. It has been 15 years
since I left UIC, and I was aware of the significant growth and
complexity the institution had undergone over those years.
Taking on such a role seemed like an audacious idea. However,
the special attachment to UIC that I developed during my two
and a half years as Associate Dean motivated me to accept the
position. I was also curious to see the progress UIC had made
since my departure and assess the challenges it is currently
facing. Ultimately, I wanted to contribute to shaping the future
of the college.
To this day, UIC remains the top liberal arts college in Korea.
So how do you envision liberal arts education and education
at UIC both as a dean and one of the founding members of
UIC"
I believe that the core value of a liberal arts education is to
integrate humanities, arts, and various academic majors through
an interdisciplinary curriculum. That’s why at UIC, we emphasize
on our Common Curriculum (CC), which encompasses literature,
history, and philosophy—these are the basic courses students
have to take to understand human nature. On the foundation
of CC, we offer 16 diversified professional majors. This kind of
interdisciplinary study reflects the essence of what a leading
liberal arts college aims to achieve.
While UIC already possesses the basic structure of
interdisciplinary study, we still have progress to make.
I recognize that we are still trailing behind many prestigious
liberal colleges in the USA and Europe. Our primary challenges
include a severe shortage of faculty members and excessively
large class sizes in certain courses.
Alongside the shortage of faculty members, what do you
perceive as the current challenges that UIC is facing right
now, and how do you plan to address them"
My top priority is to increase the number of qualified faculty
members. As of this semester, we have 43 full-time faculty
members in UIC and we have nearly 3000 students. The student-
to-faculty ratio is simply incomparable to any other college within
Yonsei University. I’m actively drawing as much cooperation
as possible from the university headquarters to increase the
number of faculty members, and they also acknowledge this
problem very well. So I am sure that they will give us full support
DIALOGUE WITH
THE DEAN
Doowon Lee is a professor at the School of
Economics, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
Currently, he is also the Dean at Underwood
International College, Yonsei University. He
acquired his B.A. in business administration
from Yonsei University in 1987 and his Ph.D.
in economics from Northwestern University
in 1991.
but obviously, it’ll take some time. My goal is to recruit several new
faculty members by the end of this year, bringing our total to over 50,
and to continue this recruitment trajectory throughout my term until
January 2026.
We also need more collaboration between faculties, between
divisions, and between majors. For that purpose, I’m trying to arrange
more interdepartmental meetings among faculties, and of course,
more collaboration between faculty and students.
Another aspect I want to improve is internationalization. After all,
UIC is an international school but compared to other international
schools outside Korea, I think we have room for improvement. For
example, let’s talk about the number of students going to exchange
student programs. The UIC students’ number is slightly bigger than
other colleges in Yonsei but not substantially bigger. So I would like
to encourage more students to engage in some form of international
programs before they graduate.
Now that we’re touching upon the topic of the internationality of
UIC, I’m curious if there are any plans to enhance the inclusivity
and diversity within UIC because we’re seeing a much more
diverse student body compared to, say, 15 years ago.
Yes, I think we have many things to do in terms of inclusivity. When
I look at the statistics, we have students from nearly 70 different
countries, and non-Korean students comprise around 20 percent
of the entire student body—it’s a pretty big portion of students.
Only when you respect such diversity can you have an inclusive
relationship with other groups of students. That’s one of the reasons
I want to increase my interaction with the student body. Right now,
I’m planning to have a UIC luncheon event at the Yonsei Presidential
Residence. Of course, I cannot invite all 3000 students—I’m thinking
about inviting around 200 to 250 students, including student body
leaders. This is a very good opportunity for students to connect
with each other and pose tough questions to the President. We’ve
tentatively set the date for May 31st. A couple of details are still being
finalized, and we will announce it to the entire student body once
everything is confirmed.
Recently UIC has created a graduate school, the Department of
Innovation to be more precise, and we’re also excelling in research
—we recently had master’s graduates and we’re publishing
papers in international journals and conferences. Are there
any plans to further enhance UIC’s distinctive interdisciplinary
research capabilities"
I will ask my faculties, especially those on the tenure track, to
dedicate more time and effort to the research. As you might know,
they are already tied by a fairly big teaching burden. That’s why we
need more faculty members. Only when we recruit more and reduce
the heavy teaching burden of existing faculty members can they
spend more time on their research pursuits. Also, I will try to make
the decision-making process of hiring new faculties and promoting
existing faculties more transparent. This will allow them to focus more
on their research. When the promotion criteria are not transparent,
they can feel very insecure about their future.
Another priority is the establishment of experimental laboratory
facilities. Last year, in addition to the Department of Innovation, we
set up the Department of Innovative Science and Technology, an
extension of the ISE division that offers another master’s degree
program. While I anticipate the enrollment of our first students
 F A C U LT Y N E W S
next spring, [keep in mind that] this is a science and technology
program—we need new faculties and we need adequate lab
infrastructure as well. We will utilize the spaces in the International
Campus in Songdo to set up new labs.
After the COVID era, both international society and Korean
society are grappling with numerous challenging issues,
including conflicts among genders and generations, rapid
industrial changes driven by the introduction of AI, an aging
population, declining birth rates, and more. So, what do
you think UIC’s role as a college is, on a national scale and
international scale!
UIC definitely has the advantage of tackling these problems
powered by its international, interdisciplinary curriculum. With a
diverse composition of students already experienced in how to work
with others from different cultural backgrounds, we are in a very
good position.
However, one area that I want to contribute to in this regard is to
set up an alumni network. I was surprised to find that UIC currently
doesn’t have an active alumni network—we do not know where
our alumni are and we do not know their contact information.
Establishing such a connection is a very important asset for both
alumni and current students.
Moving on to more personal questions, how would you
describe your leadership style!
I want to be a leader who actually sets a good example—someone
who can encourage other people to do their job. A leader cannot do
everything alone—I believe that a good leader is someone who can
actually make things happen with the help of other people. To get
that kind of support, I strive to be more reliable and trustworthy. I’m
trying to give that kind of trust to people around me.
To do so, I am also trying to give more authority to my staff, individual
faculty members, major chairs, and division directors so that they
can do their job without unnecessary interference. Once they make
certain decisions, I make an effort to respect their judgment.
I
Dean Doowon Lee delivering the keynote address at the February 2024 commencement ceremony.
was surprised to find that UIC
currently doesn’t have an active
alumni network—we do not know
where our alumni are and we do
not know their contact information.
Establishing such a connection
is a very important asset for both
alumni and current students.
13
You joined Yonsei University as an undergraduate in 1983.
What do you think is the most memorable moment from your
undergraduate years!
At that time, Korean society was very dynamic—somewhat a little
bit chaotic—which I enjoyed. Politically speaking, that was a time of
democratization where I saw many big changes. At the same time,
economically speaking, we were in an era of fairly rapid economic
growth. We didn’t have to worry about our job market situation, and
we had more opportunities. Personally, I made very good friends
back then, and some of those friends are still with me these days
and helping my job as the dean of UIC. More personally, I got married
to my wife [who I met on campus], and we called ourselves a “CC”
or Campus Couple. Those kinds of things.
We still use the term CC" Looking back to those days, do you
have any regrets from that time!
What can I say! There are many, many of those small regrets. My
GPA was not bad, but it could have been better. I didn’t do any club
activities at the time, which is something I kind of regret now. I think
I was too busy drinking and hanging out with my friends. But despite
these small regrets, I’m pretty satisfied and happy with the campus
life I had.
That brings us to our final question. You’ve mentioned that
your term ends in January 2026. When that time arrives, how
would you like UIC, and what legacy would you hope to leave
behind as dean!
During my term, my focus will be on establishing a long-term vision
for UIC. I plan to assess the current situation of UIC and compare
it to prestigious liberal arts colleges in the States and benchmark
their system. Subsequently, I will outline a long-term timeline to
narrow that gap [between UIC and these institutions]. Of course,
I understand that achieving this goal will extend beyond my term,
but I would like to make steady but incremental progress towards it.
14 F A C U LT Y N E W S | F R E S H F A C U LT Y

Schol
#UD #LSBT
 F A C U LT YFACULTY
N E W S | NEWS
How was your experience returning to UIC as a
professor and adjusting to seeing former
professors as colleagues?
I never thought the opportunity would arise because
we already had such great professors like Associate
Professor of LSBT Jon Soderholm and Associate
Professor of LSBT Carroll Brooks. When I got the job, it
was mind-boggling because working was so different
lar
from being a student. For example, I am standing
where Professor Brooks stood and Professor
Soderholm is now my colleague. Thatʼs still pretty
tough for me because thereʼs that Korean hierarchy of
professors and students. Professor Bahn and
Professor Soderholm will forever be my superiors, no
matter how much they try to make me comfortable,
but all the professors have been accommodating.
Although I still donʼt call them by their first names,
theyʼve tried to incorporate me as a colleague and tell
me what things are like. Things like that make me
realize that Iʼm a professor now. Teaching is also a lot
of responsibility because I want my students to
succeed as they are my LSBT hubaes. Iʼm trying to
help them as much as possible because I know itʼs
such a small class, and theyʼre all intelligent. I try to
give them as many opportunities as possible. The
ultimate goal for college, I believe, is for them to learn
various fields and to foster that knowledge into what
they want to do next. Iʼm trying to set them up for that,
rather than focusing on retaining the information for
exams.
Could you tell us your research focus and current
projects?
Iʼm still working in Professor Bahnʼs lab where we
focus on pathogenic fungi called Cryptococcus
neoformans, which is known to cause
meningoencephalitis, an inflammation in the outer
covering of your brain. Almost 99% of people globally
have actually been exposed to Cryptococcus, which
is prevalent in animals, certain tree types, and pigeon
guano. Because weʼre so exposed to it, people who
arenʼt immunocompromised can fight against it. In
developing countries, if you are immunocompromised
because you contract something like HIV, then the
leading cause of death is actually Cryptococcus.
Thatʼs why we try to develop drugs and figure out
their signaling pathways. Weʼve published three
articles in Nature Communications about the kinases,
the phosphatases, and the transcription factors
involved in cryptococcal signaling. We want to
determine which specific factors are involved and
make Cryptococcus the ideal model for other fungal
pathogens. Weʼre still in the early stages, but weʼll
finish the paper within a year or so.
F R E S H F A C U LT Y 151 5
How do you envision developing the LSBT program
and attracting undecided students?
I want to teach LSBT students about experimental
techniques. As undergrads, we get information about
theoretical knowledge in life sciences, but itʼs hard to
understand how we gained this knowledge because we
donʼt talk much about the experimental portion. LSBT
doesnʼt offer a specific experimental course, so itʼs hard
for students. Iʼd like it if we were given more information
on what itʼs like to conduct an experiment. I was fortunate
to find the right lab and go on to my Ph.D. program
immediately, but students need to know that many
opportunities are available if they start to find them. I also
want to allow students to intern at more labs and to try to
see what itʼs like to be a graduate student. Also, itʼs
important to note that even though everyone in LSBT is
quite fluent in English, reading a research paper is a
different experience from other readings. They need to
become comfortable with the format and content of
these papers so that when they enter grad school, theyʼre
not overwhelmed by reading one paper a week.
As a UIC graduate, what would you say to UIC
students considering LSBT as a major?
Career-wise, LSBT will set you up for success as you can
enter many career fields. Because our major involves
biotechnology, it benefits you to go into pharmaceuticals
and food companies like CJ; if youʼre interested in
cosmetics, you can go into those companies. Some
people work in Ottogi, some in LG or Samsung in their
R&D field and are paid well; so there is that benefit of
w
working at a big, prestigious company.
I know the subject may be hard, but itʼs interesting.
Youʼll see that itʼs applicable as long as you get over
those basic science courses. When you take major
electives, theyʼre applicable and interesting to observe.
There is a lot of memorization, but understanding makes
it easier for you to memorize. I took a lot of economics
classes as my major elective as an undergrad, and as fun
as it was, economics isnʼt the best career path if you
arenʼt good at math. Whereas in LSBT, you just need to
know the basics of math and you will do fine.
16 F A C U LT Y N E W S | F R E S H F A C U LT Y
From Harvard to UIC:
An Interview with Professor Tony Qian,
UIC’s New AS Faculty
IN THE CROSSROADS OF LAWS & LETTERS
GET TO KNOW PROFESSOR TONY QIAN#
Hello, I’m Tony Qian. I grew up in New York and
moved to Boston for college, where I got my
B.A. in literature from Harvard College. Then,
I completed a J.D. at Harvard Law School and
a Ph.D. in comparative literature at Harvard
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. I came to
Korea about three years ago with my wife, Valerie,
and I have two young kids, Lydia and Margaret. We
came because I received a Fulbright scholarship,
which was a good opportunity for us to move to
Korea. We attend Galilee Baptist Church in the
Sinchon Area. We’re very involved in the ministry
there, and our faith is an important part of our
lives. In my free time, I chase after my two girls,
and I like to read, especially CS Lewis,
one of my favorite authors. I also
follow Yankees baseball since I
grew up in New York.
Did you have a clear career
goal at the start of your
undergraduate studies at
Harvard!
I actually applied to Harvard as a
biochem major because I attended
a science high school. I went to
Stuyvesant High School, best
known as the high school
next to the World
Trade Center. I was a
sophomore when 9/11
occurred, and it was
an influential period
of my life. When I
entered college, I
realized biochem
wasn’t what I wanted
to do. Science
wasn’t my strength
or my interest.
I had a vague
notion of going to
med school, but
it was more my
parents’ dream.
So, I decided to
concentrate on literature because I grew up loving to
read, especially Tang poetry. Although I loved it, I had
no idea what to do with it career-wise. I thought I could
attend law school with a humanities major, which was a
practical choice. So, I did my Bachelor’s in literature and
then applied to law school afterward. While applying,
I decided to go to grad school at the same time and
I was fortunately accepted into both. It was perfect
timing; Harvard had just started a joint program for a
Ph.D. and J.D., and they paid for most of my law school
tuition through this program.
I completed my law degree and internships but
realized I didn’t want to practice law. I still loved
academia and being a grad student. My advisor was
Prof. Stephen Owen, a Tang Scholar I’d known since my
undergrad days, and working with him reminded me of
my childhood, when I read Tang poetry. I did my Ph.D.
topic on law and literature. Prof. Owen recommended
that I look at the legal rulings from the Tang Dynasty,
so I compared them to Roman declamations as my
comparative literature dissertation. After that, I taught
at Tufts and Harvard as an adjunct, and then the
opportunity opened to come to Korea as a Fulbright
Scholar.
Could you tell us more about your research!
On the Roman side, students practicing for an eventual
career in law practiced giving speeches on hypothetical
legal cases. Many of these cases are quite far-fetched
and weren’t legally very plausible, but that was the
way for these students to practice their rhetorical
skills, speak, and argue different sides of an issue.
That genre was called declamations—comparing that
to the Tang side, you have these judgments written
in very polished and dense literary prose in response
to certain hypothetical legal scenarios. I compare the
different uses of rhetoric and ways to use narrative to
make a legal case.
My Fulbright research was an extension of the Tang
project. The legal judgment tradition began in the
Tang but continued into the late imperial period. When
I came to Korea, I wanted to compare that to Joseon
legal practice as well as Joseon magistrates, who were
also influenced by the same kind of literary culture
as Chinese magistrates. They had to learn the same
corpus of Confucian text and histories and I saw how
that affected their decision-making, which allowed
me to compare the differences between native legal
culture in China with more of an imported legal culture
and individualism.
Are you continuing that research or considering
going a different route!
I’m still working on the Fulbright Project. It’s my long-
term project as well as my book manuscript. I’ve
narrowed my focus to late imperial and Joseon marriage
 F A C U LT Y N E W S | F R E S H F A C U LT Y 17

cases. I look at different types of storytellers of
marriage and how marriage is told in legal, literary,
and historical sources. My approach is looking at
marriage controversies in law. I just published an
article about late Imperial China, specifically looking
at the Ming dynasty’s legal collection and marriage
cases. I wanted to expand that and put that kind of
legal document in the context of the literati code.
Right now, I’m working on an article on the legal
judgments that King Jeongjo wrote. For that, I’m
looking at homicide cases and how the king ruled
and used rhetoric and narratives to make his rulings.
I also have other interests. One that extends beyond
law and literature is looking at translations. At the
turn of the 20th century, I want to examine how works
from the West, like historical romances, detective
fiction, and missionary novels, were translated into
Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The translation
process reveals this interaction between the various
cultures.
that still part of the psychology of the people living
here" I hope that students can see that value.
How has your transition to life and work in
Songdo at UIC been compared to your previous
experience in Korea!
The most challenging transition was when I first
moved to Korea amid the pandemic. It was difficult;
we barely went outdoors because of the restrictions.
We relied on our church friends, even finding an
apartment for us and helping us adjust. But now that
we’re basically out of the pandemic, my kids have
adjusted very well; they speak fluent Korean and
talk to each other in Korean. I’m looking forward to
learning Korean for my kids, and I look forward to
learning more about the Songdo Community, building
relationships, collaborating with my colleagues, and
learning more about students, especially in the Asian
studies program.

How has been your transition from Seoul #HASSD #AS

National University (SNU) to UIC!

I applied for an appointment as a visiting scholar

at the Seoul National University Asia Center, and
that’s how I got into the SNU community. I taught a
traditional Chinese literature course there for three
semesters. As I transition here, I also teach the same
courses. One focuses on the tales of the strange and
fantastic, and the other on outlaws. There’s a law
and literature element to how outlaws are depicted
in East Asian literature. There’s a mix of international
and Korean students at UIC and SNU. So that has
stayed the same.
I’ve been impressed by my UIC students here.
Some students are very committed and they read
carefully, are willing to participate, and have good
ideas. Some students comment on things that I’ve
never even thought of myself. The only difference is
that at SNU, I taught a much larger class. My class
here is much smaller; one has 17, and one has eight,
so it’s a much more intimate group. I can do more
when the class is smaller, have deeper discussions,
and get to know the students. I can have a roundtable
and have more discussion-oriented classes which
I’ve found to be much more rewarding.

Now that you are a faculty member for our Asian

Studies (AS) major, what is your vision for AS in
the future!

I’m trained as a pre-modernist, and I hope to bring

to the program a firm historical grounding for our
students so they can understand contemporary
East Asia. You can’t understand contemporary East
Asia without a substantial historical understanding
of traditional East Asia. For example, to understand
contemporary Korea, you need to understand the
whole history, Japan, and further back, Korea’s
relationship with China and how Korea imported
some Chinese culture and selectively used and
adapted it. I hope students will come into the
program knowing that there are many things going
on in this region, many opportunities for growth,
new directions, and exciting developments. How do
we make sense of that instead of being carried away
into a murky future" How do all these developments
arise out of the historical context and the profound
cultural memory of people for centuries, and how is
18 F A C U LT Y N E W S | F R E S H F A C U LT Y

#HASSD
#QRM
“I believe that my students possess
significant potential to become
adept quantitative risk managers.”

QRM PROFESSOR JEONG

HOON JANG’S VISION FOR THE
FUTURE OF RISK MANAGEMENT
AND DATA INTEGRATION
Can you please introduce yourself to our readers!

Hello, I’m Jeong Hoon Jang. I am a new incoming assistant professor affiliated with the Quantitative
Risk Management (QRM) major at the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) department of
Underwood International College.
I was born and raised in South Korea, and my academic journey began at Daewon Foreign Language
High School. After completing high school, I moved to the United States to pursue higher education
at New York University. Initially, I was inclined towards studying finance, but gradually, I found my
interest veering towards mathematical models and data handling. In the end, I decided to major in
mathematics, statistics, and operations management.
During my undergraduate studies, my advisor suggested I pursue a Ph.D in statistics, which
was growing at that time due to the increasing reliance on data in various fields. I took his advice
and enrolled in a statistics Ph.D program at Emory University. During the five years I spent there,
I conducted research in the field of statistics, and this experience further honed my skills and
knowledge on the subject.
After graduating from Emory University in 2019, I was offered a position as an assistant professor
at Indiana University School of Medicine. This teaching opportunity allowed me to venture into the
field of health studies and medicine while leveraging my expertise in statistics. Here I worked in the
Department of Biostatistics, and I had the chance to work with a variety of medical data generated
from hospitals, including image and electronic health data, which was a rewarding experience.
After working there for about two and a half years, I decided to return to my homeland, South
Korea, and joined Yonsei UIC as an assistant professor in the QRM program, where I have been
working for the past year and a half.

Can you tell us what you are currently working on in terms of your research!

In statistics, my research focuses on methodological and collaborative aspects. In methodological

research, I specialize in functional data analysis, a statistical field that addresses the challenge
of analyzing data represented as functions, like EEG or medical image data, within finite samples.
The goal is to develop efficient methods for drawing meaningful conclusions from these infinite-
dimensional functions. Collaborative research involves working across diverse fields, such as
infectious diseases and health policies, and applying statistical methods to various real-world
problems. My work at Indiana University centered on collaboration in infectious diseases, health
policies, and rehabilitation. While at Yonsei, I concentrate on data analysis for public health. My
publications mainly tackle complex data sets and contribute to statistical methods, particularly
in the area of functional data analysis. This interdisciplinary approach extends to collaborative
publications in medical fields, ranging from infectious diseases to kidney disease, and illustrates
the impact of statistical methodologies on diverse health challenges.

What do you think is unique about your research!

I often deal with a plethora of complex data which combines electronic health records and medical
image data from the same patients. Unlike traditional analyses focusing on one data type, my
approach integrates data from multiple sources for meaningful interpretations. In my methodological
work, I develop techniques, such as the “hybrid principal component analysis,” a unique dimension
reduction method that simultaneously handles image data, multivariate data, and tensor data. This
allows for a holistic analysis of heterogeneous data. As I continue to explore and expand, I want to
improve the integration of data from various modes and formulate methods that effortlessly handle
the complexity of diverse data forms for a more comprehensive understanding.
 F A C U LT Y N E W S | F R E S H F A C U LT Y 19

What are the real world implications of your research and how can you incorporate
the principles of your research into your teaching!

When collaborating with medical professionals, they prefer data that can be represented in
simpler forms, but this becomes challenging with heterogeneous and high-dimensional data.
My developed methods handle this issue by reducing dimensionality and enables medical
professionals to visually understand disease classifications, which is vital for quick patient
group identification crucial in scenarios where rapid decisions impact outcomes significantly.
Currently, my focus in teaching is on regression analysis, specifically the foundational tools for
regression performance. In the realm of functional data analysis, our methods are extensions
of traditional approaches. They serve as the base for extending methods into more complex
scenarios. When working with complex data objects, such as functional data, it’s important to
have a strong understanding of traditional tools.
For QRM majors, I recognize the evolving industry landscape where professionals encounter
not only traditional data but also highly dimensional and diverse datasets. For example, in
industries like insurance, data spans various dimensions and working with such data requires
a strong foundation. Therefore, my goal is to teach my students step by step, starting with
traditional data objects and methods and then gradually introducing methods that can handle
complex data types, to ensure they have a comprehensive toolkit for real-world applications.

As our first full-time QRM faculty member, how do you find the program so far and
how do you plan on building up the program!

I believe that my students possess significant potential to become adept quantitative risk
managers. I would say four skills are key to being an effective quantitative risk manager. Firstly,
students need coding proficiency for effective data handling. Secondly, a solid foundation in
mathematics is essential to grasp the methodologies required for working with data. Thirdly,
communication skills are vital, as translating data analyses into understandable insights for
collaborators, such as clients, is integral. Lastly, a good understanding of the specific fields
being worked in, whether economics, finance, or public health, is necessary.
My vision is to design the curriculum for the major in a way that allows students to excel
in these four areas. I’ve taught a variety of courses and firmly believe that, with the right
resources and additional professors, we can introduce more contemporary and challenging
courses. Using this approach, we would focus on developing the essential skills required for
students to become proficient quantitative risk managers ready to navigate the complexities
of the real world. It’s necessary for students to understand the multidimensional nature of risk,
especially in the context of climate change and natural disasters. Real-world events greatly
highlight the need for statistical and quantitative analysis to model and address uncertainties
effectively.
I feel the study of QRM will become more and more popular as time goes on. As I mentioned,
the world is filled with uncertainties across various sectors such as business, insurance,
finance, marketing, engineering, and physics. The current trend in modern statistics and
science is geared towards systematically analyzing and predicting these uncertainties. Given
the increasing demand in multiple sectors for professionals who can manage risks, the major
is just going to become more and more popular.
20 F A C U LT Y N E W S

#SHINHAN_PROFESOR
Professor Lisa Son on Unlearning
Failures through Metacognition

Lisa Son is a Professor of Psychology at Barnard College, Columbia

University and 2023 Shinhan Visiting Professor at Underwood
International College, Yonsei University. She received a bachelor’s
degree in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a
Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University.

Q: Tell us about your academic Originally, I was accepted by an

background.
I’m Lisa, and I’m a Korean
American born in Los Angeles but
grew up mostly in a little town in
New Jersey. I was a Psychology
animal researcher, but I didn’t
want to work with rats, so I started
working with a chimp researcher. As
soon as I got there, I met Professor #im
of Psychology Janet Metcalfe—my po
s
advisor—who had just arrived. She

te
major at the University of and Arthur Shimomura had co-

Pennsylvania. I grew up loving
psychology and I already knew
different aspects of psychology.
As a minority, I directed my
interest to cultural psychology. I
liked linguistics. I was interested
in the brain—I was interested
in people experiencing mental
health challenges. We all have
our little illnesses and anxieties,
so I was interested in human
behavior.
I also worked as a work-study
student in a neuroscience
lab—I did the surgeries for the
rism
edited a book called Metacognition:
Knowing about Knowing. When
I visited Columbia as a college
senior, Arthur gave me that book
and said, “If you want to do human
research, try reading this book
because Janet Metcalf is coming to
Columbia at the same time you are.”
It was the spring of my senior year
when I started reading it, and it was
everything.
Q: Can you share with us some #mo
applicable key findings from nit
your metacognition

or
intracranial tubes, gave the research!

ing
anesthesia, and handled rats
really well. For all four years at Metacognition, as
Penn, I became really close with said in the preview
[the late] Robert Rescorla who of [Metcalfe and
was famous for the Rescorla- Shimomura’s] book,
Wagner model on learning in is about knowing
animals—particularly in relation thyself. In two parts,
to reinforcement schedules. I metacognition is
learned so much from him, but that you first have
I still didn’t know what research to monitor what
was. you know about
yourself to use it to
Q: Why did you decide to control subsequent
pursue an academic career behavior. For
and how did you become example, if I’m
interested in metacognition! sitting in class and
I don’t understand
When I was at Penn, I was having what the teacher
fun doing these surgeries and is saying, I just
didn’t really think about the future. monitor. Then,
I was a pre-med, but I didn’t think I’d raise my
about taking my MCATs to go to hand and tell the
medical school. My grades were teacher I don’t
okay, but medical school was too understand this.
expensive. When somebody told That’s control.
me about the loan forgiveness Slowly, I started
policy for Ph.D. holders, I decided to understand
to take my GREs. I applied for that both the
graduate schools, and eventually monitoring and the
began studying as a Ph.D. student control components
in Psychology at Columbia. are very difficult
 F A C U LT Y N E W S
for different reasons. Sometimes, you don’t know
what you don’t know—that’s one of the biggest
problems in metacognition. And there’s something
called overconfidence. All of these, over- or under-
confidence is a breakdown in monitoring.
At first, when I learned about metacognition, I was
really sad because I felt I didn’t know myself in the
way that I thought the majority of people did. Being
a minority was a big thing in my life, when I was not
saying what I thought, not saying things out loud, and
just being that obedient, quiet student. I certainly never
raised my hand in classes. Even in graduate school, I
was very quiet. And I loved this word “metacognition”
and the concept that you must know yourself.
In the beginning of my research, I focused on
monitoring and control—how accurate we are, and
when and why overconfidence occurs.
One experiment I did early on with a colleague was
featured on a KBS show while I was researching in
Korea as a Fulbright US scholar. We replicated the
experiment with high school students at Haneul
Academy. The research showed that, for example,
in the learning context, self-testing is
more beneficial for long-term learning
whereas for self-reading, you have the
illusion that you’re doing great and just
become overconfident.
Q: You have published two books.
How did you shift to being a book
author!
After that KBS special, people started
contacting me, saying, “Can you write
a book on this!” Obviously, I said “No, I
don’t write books.” I certainly didn’t put
myself out there. I just did my research
quietly and wrote papers. However, in
Korea, I saw a lot more under-confidence
during learning than overconfidence
that I had seen in America. During my
sabbatical here, I decided to write my
first book [in Korean] on metacognition, which came
out right at the peak of COVID. Many Korean parents
read it because they wanted to know how to help their
children learn how to learn. I was very happy because
people started to realize that it’s not about forcing
ourselves to remember information and more about
making errors.
My second book “Impostor” came out [in Korean]
at the beginning of 2022. For the record, I’m not a
writer and certainly not fluent in Korean. This was a
difficult task for me, but at the same time, I was using
metacognition to reach a goal with many previous
failures. Even writing one page involved failure, and I
had to keep editing and get a lot of help from others.
The reason I wrote “Impostor” so quickly was that after
I wrote “Metacognition,” everybody assumed that I had
great metacognition, which is not true. I’m still learning
it and trying to improve myself. Like many other
people, I have to hide my weaknesses, my failures, and
I pretend to be happy and perfect, and smart and cool
# co
with everything.
ntrol
Q: How did you become a UIC Shinhan Visiting
Professor!
I’ve always wanted to teach—even if it’s a sabbatical
when I have to do a lot of research.
The Fulbright office is in Mapo district, and I’ve taught
in different places that were very far away, so this time
I wanted to teach somewhere close by. I had a friend of
a friend who works at Yonsei. When this position came
through, I was so happy. I learned that UIC is a college
that offers English-speaking programs—which is more
comfortable for me.
21
I also wanted a smaller section, where I envisioned
getting more Korean students to talk and engage in a
real-time discussion. When I prepared my syllabus, I
called my seminar “Metacognitive Bias” and focused
on the two biases that I did most of my research on—
hindsight bias and impostor phenomenon.
Q: How has your experience been teaching the
“Shinhan Seminar” at Yonsei UIC!
I wanted to go through metacognitive bias in my
seminar. On the first day, I realized that there were
no psychology majors in my class—they didn’t know
certain basics of the brain. So I was like, “Oh, I have
to do a fast review,”—I did a review of psychology and
cognitive psychology before getting to metacognition.
It’s the teaching that I love. The students were
wonderful. I made them write a little paper because
I couldn’t really get the sense of how strong their
English was. Their writing pieces turned out to be
really creative and honest. Their English was perfect. It
showed me they were curious and open.
While teaching and research has been so important
in my life, as I get older and meet more students,
it’s really about mentoring. Students are a lot like us
when we were young. We have all the stressors, but
they have more stressors. It’s a different world—we
can’t help them in many ways. What’s so great about
metacognition because it’s not only about giving them
the solution but also about helping them think of the
solution. It’s the journey—whatever the solution
is, just give them the tools to know how to be
flexible.
“Students are a lot like us when
we were young. We have all
the stressors, but they have
more stressors. It’s a different
world—we can’t
help them in many
ways. What’s
so great about
metacognition
because it’s
not only
about
giving
them the
solution
but also
about
helping
them think of
the solution.”
 F A C U LT Y N E W S | F R E S H F A C U LT Y

#HASSD #CDM
w
24

STUDENT NEWS
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNDERWOOD INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
25
2 626 S TSTUDENT
UDENT N EWS
NEWS

Jungmin Kang (ECON ’22)

Awarded Best Oralist at
SUAD Youth COP
#UD

Three Yonsei University students, Jungmin

Kang (ECON '22) from UIC, alongside Alland
Dharmawan and Sophia Merkel from the
Graduate School of International Studies,
represented South Korea at the Sorbonne
University Abu Dhabi Youth Conference of the
Parties (SUAD Youth COP). Hosted by
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi in collaboration
with the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of
Education, SUAD Youth COP simulated the
United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change negotiations and empowered
youth to advocate for impactful climate actions.
 SSTUDENT
T U D E N T NEWS
NEWS 27
27

In their role as the Canadian delegation, the trio

participated in debates on energy transition, oceans,
and losses and damages. Thanks to their diplomacy
and innovative policy solutions that effectively
addressed these pressing global challenges, the
team won the Best Delegation award. Additionally,
Kang’s outstanding contributions were recognized
with the Best Oralist honor. Her achievement
brought highlights to UIC's commitment to
nurturing future leaders in addressing climate
change and other global issues.

Their success at the SUAD Youth COP also secured

the students the opportunity to participate in
COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai.
2 8 28 S TSTUDENT
UDENT N EWS
NEWS

Inside the Corporate World:

What UIC Singapore
Global Career Tour
Taught Me
By Joanna
By JoannaKalkschmidt
Kalkschmidt(IS,
(IS, ’21)
’21)

Last summer, I got the chance to explore the bustling

spiritsummer,
Last of Singapore through
I got the chance thetoGlobal
exploreCareer
the Tour
with fellow
bustling spiritUIC-ers. Our through
of Singapore itinerarytheincluded
Global visits
to Apple,
Career Tour Google,
with fellowGrab, Hyundai
UIC-ers. Our Motors
itinerary Group,
Deloitte,visits
included and the United
to Apple, Overseas
Google, Grab,Bank, where we
Hyundai
talked toGroup,
Motors Yonsei Deloitte,
alumni and andworking professionals
the United
and absorbed
Overseas their shared
Bank, where we talked experiences
to Yonsei while
posing countless
alumni and working questions. While eachand
professionals visit was
absorbed their shared experiences while left a
enlightening in its own right, two experiences
lasting countless
posing impressionquestions.
on me. While each visit
was enlightening in its own right, two
experiences left a lasting impression on me.

II was
was most
most looking
looking forward
forward to
to visiting
visiting Google.
Google. During
our tour, we learned about the company’s
During our tour, we learned about the unique
work culture,
company’s uniqueincluding their 10x
work culture, thinking
including theirprocess
which
10x propels
thinking innovation
process whichbypropels
tenfold,innovation
and their annual
Objectives
by andtheir
tenfold, and Keyannual
Results planning.
Objectives Additionally,
and Key
we learned
Results aboutAdditionally,
planning. Google’s commitment
we learned to its
employees’
about Google’swell-being.
commitmentThetosynergy of a diverse
its employees’
and driven The
well-being. community
synergytogether,
of a diversealong
andwith a fun and
driven
engaging work
community environment,
together, created
along with an atmosphere
a fun and
unlike any other.
engaging work environment, created an
atmosphere unlike any other.
 SSTUDENT
T U D E N TNEWS
NEWS 29
29

OurOur visit at at
visit Deloitte
Deloitteturned
turnedout out to be aa pleasant
to be pleasant
surprise. Initially unsure of how my ownmy
surprise. Initially unsure of how interests
own
aligned with aligned
interests the company’s
with the goals, I approached
company’s goals, I
the approached
visit with an theopenvisit mind.
with Listening
an open to the
mind.
stories of career
Listening to the paths of established
stories of career pathspartners
of
andestablished
their guiding values,and
partners as well
theiras havingvalues,
guiding casual
conversations
as well as with having junior employees
casual about with
conversations what
brought
junior them to Deloitte,
employees I learned
about what howthem
brought people
to
of Deloitte,
differentI learned
backgrounds,
how people experiences, and
of different
interests came together
backgrounds, experiences,to fulfill variouscame
and interests roles
within the company. As I shared my own
together to fulfill various roles within the interests
and academic focus, they depicted ways I could
company. As I shared my own interests and
fit into different roles. Overall it was a thought-
academic focus, they depicted ways I could fit
provoking conversation that challenged my biases
into different roles. Overall it was a
and broadened my mind of possibilities of a career
thought-provoking conversation
that beyond borders and expectations. that
challenged my biases and broadened my mind
of possibilities of a career that beyond borders
and expectations.

By the end of the tour, I had learned about the

By the end
visions of the
of the tour, companies
different I had learned andabout
what the
visions of the different companies
should go on a resume, how to write cover and what should
go on a resume, how to write cover
letters, and all things related to the hiring letters, and all
things related to the hiring process. However, I had
process. However, I had always had difficulties
always had difficulties envisioning what came after
envisioning what came after all that. The trip
all that. The trip opened my eyes to the vastness
opened my eyes to the vastness of the
of the professional landscape, demonstrating the
professional landscape, demonstrating the
power of diverse perspectives, and the importance
power
of aligning of mydiverse
skills perspectives,
and passions and the
in practice.
importanceengaging
Ultimately, of aligning myindividuals
with skills and passions
who actively
in practice.
shaped innovation,Ultimately,
strategy, andengaging with
daily operations
truly humanized
individuals the corporate
who actively shaped experience
innovation, for
me. I was
strategy, andleft with
daily a new perspective
operations truly humanized on the
collective
the corporateefforts and human
experience stories
for me. I wasofleft
passionate
with
professionals
a new perspective thatonhighlight the efforts
the collective drivingandforce
behind
human these
storiesglobal companies.
of passionate professionals that
highlight the driving force behind these global
companies.
 The Global Career Tour
30 STUDENT NEWS | ACTIVITIES (GCT) in Korea serves as a
transformative experience
for students at the University
UIC STUDENTS of Illinois at Chicago (UIC),
offering a firsthand glimpse
LEARN VARIOUS CAREER into various industries

PATHWAYS FROM
and providing networking
opportunities with alumni

GLOBAL CAREER TOUR and professionals. In this

interview, we sit down with
three UIC students who

[KOREA]
participated in the GCT to
hear about their experiences,
insights gained, and advice for
future participants.

1 Junhyeong Park, NSE (AI Concentration) ‘20

“In my experience during the Global Career Tour, I found that
exploring Lunit Inc. offered me a profound understanding
of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) with biological
research. Lunit developed the AI method to predict the
possibility of cancer disease. As I’m actively engaged
in AI and Deep Learning (DL) research, witnessing their
innovative AI methodologies was fascinating. It made me
set the research vision that I should deal with integration
into real life during my research.”

2 Yeohwan Ryou, NSE ‘20

“During the Global Career Tour in Korea, I visited various
global companies and learned about each company’s
characteristics, values, and jobs. Honestly, it is hard to
meet the alumni who are working in the field. But, this
GCT allowed me to communicate with them. For future
participants, I recommend investigating the company,
job descriptions, and the relation to your major in
advance. If you participate in the tour considering what
values the company pursues and your interests, you will
have a more valuable experience.”

3 Kang Kim, LSBT & STP ‘21.5

“Overall, I really enjoyed the Global Career Tour. I believe it
was an invaluable experience to look at different companies
in Korea, as well as the science field, and to learn more about
the opportunities that are available to us as UIC students.
For future participants, my advice would be to learn about
the companies beforehand because it makes the experience
more exciting and enables you to make the most out of the
experience by asking thoughtful questions to our alumni.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PARTICIPATING STUDENTS

 STUDENT NEWS | ACTIVITIES 31

THE TOUR...

Fostered connections between

academia and industry for UIC
students.

Helped students gain insights

into top companies and trends
in the Korean market.

Provided students with

opportunities for professional
growth and development.

Motivated students to
aim higher and pursue
ambitious career goals.
32 STUDENT NEWS | ACADEMIA
#HASSD #IID
IID Showcases
Student Works in
Bi-Annual Exhibition
The Information Interaction Design
(IID) major’s bi-annual exhibition
was held in the International
Campus, Veritas B lobby from the
11th to 15th of December. The
opening ceremony, held on the 11th,
included professors, IID students,
and guests.
Students taking IID major courses,
which focus on project-based
learning, created diverse design
outcomes throughout the semester.
The bi-annual exhibition is a
chance to showcase these works
to the Yonsei community, as well
as visitors to our campus. The
exhibition also serves as a chance
By Soonho Kwon (CLC & IID ’17)
for IID students to network among
themselves, with freshmen and
sophomore students connecting
with upper-class students about
their work. The exhibition is also
often visited by professionals from
diverse fields.
This semester, 71 students from 6
different courses (Introduction to
Information and Interaction Design,
Basic Drawing 2, Color Design, Visual
Systems, User Experience Research
Methods, and Social Digital
Innovation Projects) exhibited
diverse pieces including User
Experience (UX) design projects,
visual design projects, drawings, and
digital prototypes.
STUDENT NEWS | ACADEMIA 33
w
 42

COLLEGE NEWS
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNDERWOOD INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE

#ISED
With state-of-the-art facilities and a
team of dedicated researchers, Shin’s
lab, led by Professor Jae Hun Shin,
Catalyzing Cancer
inquires into the intricate interactions
between tumor and immune cells with a
purpose of unraveling the mysteries of
Cure: Inauguration
cancer metastasis and immune evasion.
Beyond fundamental discoveries, their
work holds promise for developing
of ISE’s Tumor
novel therapeutic interventions not only
for cancer but also for inflammatory
diseases, embodying a steadfast
Immunology Lab at
commitment to scientific excellence
and innovation in the pursuit of
improved patient outcomes.
Songdo Campus
 COLLEGE NEWS 43

New ISE Tumor

Immunology Lab Opens
at Songdo Campus to
Advance Collaborative
Cancer Research
UIC Assistant Professor and Chair of Bio-Convergence, Jae Hun
Shin, recipient of a prestigious laboratory grant from the National
Research Foundation (NRF) of South Korea, has propelled forward
the development of tumor immunology with a significant infusion of
resources. With the NRF grant totaling 100 million won, Professor
Shin has acquired a cutting-edge flow cytometry instrument equipped
with a 96-well plate loader, facilitating high throughput screening and
analysis of cellular dynamics at the single-cell level.

The lab has opened at Veritas B439 and B440, with a cell culture room
at B401 at the International Songdo Campus as of 2023. Professor
Shin noted that this is the first biology laboratory in the division of
Integrated Science and Engineering in UIC. Under Professor Shin’s
guidance, the lab currently hosts a cohort of 2 graduate students
and 8 undergraduate students. Their research focuses on the cell-
to-cell interactions between tumor cells and immune cells to discover
the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of metastasis
and immune evasion in cancer cells. Based on new findings in
basic research, the research team also aims to develop therapeutic
applications for not only cancers but also other inflammatory diseases.
Together, Professor Shin hopes the lab will be “an educational niche
for scientific endeavor and creativity.”
w
46 COLLEGE NEWS

UIC’s Asian Studies Major

Spearheads Success in
Yonsei-Indonesia
Association Event
On October
On October 7, 2023,
7, 2023, Yonsei
Yonsei University
University hosted hosted students
The event, from 28 countries,
supported in part by alongside
the Asian
the international
the international event,event, “Riding
“Riding the Waves
the Waves of of diplomats,
Studies (AS)industry
Major leaders,
at UIC, andattracted
investment an
Change:Change: Fostering
Fostering ASEAN-ROK
ASEAN-ROK Reciprocal
Reciprocal specialists. array
impressive The of AS over Major’s backing,
100 international
Exchange
Exchange and itsandImplications
its Implications
for thefor Youth,”
the Youth,” especially from
students financial 28support and organizational
countries, along with
highlighting
highlighting strengthening
strengthening bondsbonds betweenbetween assistance industry
diplomats, from Professor
leaders,Hope,
and was crucial
investment
ASEAN countries and Korea.
ASEAN countries and Korea. This significant This significant in facilitating the vibrant discussions
specialists. The AS Major's support, notably among
initiative
initiative was a was a collective
collective endeavor endeavor
led by the led by participants.
through financing and organizational assistance
Yonsei-Indonesia Association (YIA), the Vietnam the
the Yonsei-Indonesia Association (YIA), from Chair Michael Hope, was crucial in
Vietnam Studentand Association Discussions at the event centered around
Student Association, the UIC at Yonsei, and
Philippine facilitating the vibrant discussions that took
the UIC Philippines Student Association in deepening ASEAN-Korea ties, examining
Student Association in partnership with the place.
shifts Participants
in Korea’s delved into vibrant
demographics, and
partnership with the Asian Studies (AS) Major.
Asian Studies (AS) Major. Guided by the AS discussions about deepening
identifying avenues to enhance ASEAN ASEAN-Korea
Chair,Guided by AS
Michael Hope, whoChair Professor
not only played a key Michael student
ties, engagement
exploring through
shifts in Korea's practical
demographics,
role inHope, whose
organizing leadership
the event but alsowas instrumental
delivered an opportunities.
and identifying ways The toresounding
enhance ASEAN success of
student
in organizing
insightful the event
keynote speech on and delivering an
ASEAN-Korea “Riding the Waves
engagement throughof Change”
practicalfeatured UIC as
opportunities.
insightful
relations, the eventkeynote
stood speech on ASEAN-Korea
as a testament to the a role
The modelof
success for“Riding
how a the
liberal arts of
Waves institution
Change”
relations,
remarkable the occasion
efforts served
of students in asfostering
a testament can cultivate
showcased a supportive
the pivotal environment
role of UIC in fosteringfor
an
to the exceptional
international dialogue. This effortscollaboration
of faculty and student-led initiatives,
environment conducive with to itsstudent-led
students
between these student organizations anddialogue.
students in promoting international UIC driving these
initiatives, withimpressive
passionate endeavors.
UIC students driving
With support
showcased from the leadership
the impactful Asian Studies and (AS) these impactful endeavors.
department
academic at
commitment UIC, the
to initiative
enhancing an
drew
impressive gathering of over 100 international
intercultural communication and understanding.
 CCOLLEGE
O L L E G E NEWS
NEWS 45 4 7

Inspiring Futures:
NIS Students Discover UIC's
Academic Offerings at Yonsei
By Dariya Askarkyzy (LSBT, ’21.5)

On November 2, 2023, Underwood International

Here, the students’ experiences were enriched to
College (UIC) arranged a special information
the fullest with special lectures from UIC
session for students from the Nazarbayev
professors, including LSBT Professor Jinyoung
Intellectual Schools (NIS) in Kazakhstan. As a
Kim, BC Professor Jae Hun Shin, and EESE
network of highly competitive schools, NIS
Professor Woosun Jang.
campuses are scattered across Kazakhstan to
educate admitted students based on results of
As the session drew to a close, SAM took the
competitive entrance examinations.
students on a campus tour for an opportunity to
immerse themselves in the serene scenery of the
Acknowledging the value of a high-quality
Sinchon campus.
education, approximately 200 NIS students
visited UIC for an information session and a
Together, these activities introduced NIS
campus tour. UIC Student Ambassadors (SAM),
students to the benefits of pursuing education at
including students from Kazakhstan, welcomed
UIC, while meticulously outlining the institution's
the group of visiting students at Daewoo Hall
admissions process.
with warm hospitality. During the orientation, NIS
students received UIC tote bags and college
materials, as they prepared for the main session.

Within the hallowed halls of academia, the

students were greeted by UIC Dean Helen Lee
and admission officers, who provided a
comprehensive glimpse into the academic
dynamics at Yonsei and UIC.
 DO YOU KNOW?
UIC Yonsei is approaching its 20th anniversary in 2025! Join us in celebrating
two decades of academic excellence and innovation as we look forward to a
year of special events and reflections on our remarkable journey.
50

ALUMNI NEWS
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNDERWOOD INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
51
52 ALUMNI NEWS

#UD
UIC Yonsei Scholars Shine Bright: Four Alumni
Triumph in Rigorous Government Examinations
Our College proudly congratulates alumni Yeni Gam (PSIR, ’19),
Ryangwon Kim (ECON, ’20), and Soomin Oh (PSIR, ’17) on passing
the Foreign Service Candidate Selection Exam, alongside Hyuntae
Jang (ECON, ’18) for acing the Open Competitive Exam for Grade 5.

INTERVIEW COURTESY OF CC PROFESSOR HELEN LEE & CC PROFESSOR HOWARD KAHM

 ALUMNI NEWS 53

“Yeni Gam PSIR, ‘19

[What’s good about UIC?]
Yonsei UIC is a liberal arts college so you get to do
whatever you want and decide what whatever is
going to be good for you. Even if your parents tell
you to be a civil servant or a diplomat, even when
you start earlier, if you don’t have the motivation, you

won’t be able to move on when you’re stuck and you
might not be able to make decisions on your own.
I think, through UIC experiences, you get to decide
whatever is going to be good for you, whatever job
you will take. Just try out everything you can have.
There’s UIC Career Center, so just go ask about how
to get internships from there.
Another thing I really liked about UIC when I was
studying for the exam were actually the seminars and
CCs. I think your UIC experiences can be cherished
through seminars. I took all the history-related or
gender studies with Professor Seunghei Hong.
Those experience helped me think about different
perspectives of history and how we view the current
situation. So I would say take as many seminars as
possible while you can.
“ talk even a word and that was like our everyday life,
A Close-up Interview
“
Soomin Oh PSIR, ‘17
[How did you overcome the challenging exam
preparation months?]
The biggest difficulty was that this was an entire
lonely process. I felt like I was left on an island alone.
And I had no one—no seniors, no peers, no friends in
where I studied. I had no one to ask about this exam.
I had no one to give me advice, and that’s the biggest
hardship for me. There were some days that I didn’t
so I think that was the biggest challenge for me. But
during those hard days, my parents encouraged me
and my friends gave me a lot of support. And that
was a big help for me to undergo those periods.

with the Eagles [How did the time spent at UIC help you achieve

“
Hyuntae Jang ECON, ‘18
[Advice for future exam takers]
There’s a high chance I wouldn’t be able to make
it even if I had tried my best because all the other
students are very hardworking. Even if I had put in
three, five, seven years, there’s a very high chance
that I wouldn’t be able to get this job that I want.
There’s honestly no perfect remedy for this. II kept
going on because I had the belief that this job that
would be satisfying—it will let me do the things that
I want in life.
your dream of becoming a diplomat?]
The fact that there are many chances to interact
with foreign students in UIC is a big advantage as
an international student who does not have a foreign
experience like me. We can have more interactions
with foreign students, especially through team
projects or even in dormitory experiences. I think
those kinds of experiences gave me a lot of
motivation to actually dream a dream of working as
a diplomat, and that was a big advantage for me as
a UIC student.
“

What I want to say to students who wish to study

for this exam is that, it’s better to have a very high
level of motivation and before studying for the exam,
and it can take a long time. I started after my military
service, so I had no idea of trying to study for the
exam before that. There are some students who start
from their freshman years, and that is also a good
strategy—in terms of trying to finish an exam early in
life. Having a high level of motivation would be very
helpful for this kind of exam. “
Sun
 CONGRATULATIONS,
FEB 2024 GRADUATES!

PHOTO COURTESY OF YONSEI UNIVERSITY

In February 2024, 280 UIC graduates from 16 majors gathered at Daewood Annex Hall in Sinchon
Campus for their graduation. Once again, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the great
Class of February 2024. To our graduating Eagles, you’ve worked so hard.
Now, it’s time to spread your wings and soar!
Underwood International College, Yonsei University BETWEEN US
Seoul Campus: 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, This newsletter serves as a platform to celebrate
03722 Republic of Korea achievements and contributions to UIC community.
Tel: 02-2123-3942
Your input matters to us. If you have any feedback or
International Campus: 85 Songdogwahak-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, suggestions for the newsletter content, please reach out to
21983, Republic of Korea the UIC PR Office at uicpr@yonsei.ac.kr.
Tel: 032-749-3708 Thank you for being part of our journey!

-UIC Newsletter Team

Join us at the
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNDERWOOD INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
Republic of Korea | March 2025

“The truth will set you free.” - John 8:32

Cognoscetis Veritatem et Veritas Liberabit Vos

uicpr@yonsei.ac.kr Underwood International College @uicyonsei uicyonsei