The 2024 AAPBS Academic Conference, hosted by Yonsei University from May 30 to June 1, has concluded successfully.
The Association of Asian Pacific Business Schools (AAPBS) is an association established in October 2004 with the goal of improving the quality of business education and business practices in the Asia-Pacific region. The association includes over 150 prominent business schools from the Asia-Pacific region, such as Waseda University in Japan, Tsinghua University in China, and the University of Sydney in Australia. Yonsei University's School of Business is one of the 22 core members (Council Member) and last year, it successfully attracted the AAPBS headquarters to its campus. This year is particularly special as it marks the 20th anniversary of AAPBS, with Yonsei University hosting the first-half Academic Conference.
Over the three-day conference, more than 100 representatives from business schools in 15 countries participated.
[Seongmoon Kim, Dean of Yonsei Business School]
On the first day, May 30, the Executive Meeting
and Council Meeting were held at the BMW European Management
Research Center, followed by a tour of the business school led
by Dean Sungmoon Kim and BizYON, the business school’s student
ambassadors. Participants then moved to the Grandballroom at
Baekyangnuri, Yonsei University, for the Welcome Reception.
Dean Kim delivered a welcome address, stating, “We are honored
to host the AAPBS 20th Anniversary Conference at Yonsei
University’s School of Business. We hope this conference will
be a time of learning and networking for business school
representatives from the Asia-Pacific region.” Founding
President of AAPBS, Professor Emeritus Sung-Joo Park of KAIST,
also gave a congratulatory speech, marking the beginning of
the three-day event and celebrating AAPBS’s 20th anniversary.
Participants enjoyed a buffet dinner while appreciating wind
and vocal performances by students from the Yonsei University
College of Music.
[Joohyung Lee, Corporate Executive Vice President, Head of
Language Intelligence Team, Samsung Electronics]
On the second day, Professor Yoo-Jung Jun from
the marketing department of the business school introduced
Joo-Hyung Lee, Vice President of Samsung Electronics’ DX
division, who delivered a keynote speech on "Innovation in
K-Technology." As the head of the AI Methodology Team at
Samsung Research, VP Lee discussed how AI has been integrated
into Samsung smartphones and the competitive edge it provides.
Conference attendees responded enthusiastically, engaging in a
lively Q&A session.
The following panel discussion featured Won-Jik Lee, CEO of Lotte Biologics; Soo-Jung Cho, Team Leader at Doosan Robotics; and Richard Lee, Leader at McKinsey, with Professor Seong-Soo Kim from Yonsei University as the moderator. The panelists discussed not only AI but also the superior technological capabilities of Korea in fields such as therapeutics, vaccines, next-generation energy, and machinery. They emphasized Korea’s strategic planning and technological prowess across various domains.
In the afternoon, participants visited LG Science Park in Magok, where Tae-Hong Park from LG Electronics gave a special lecture on the development of the Magok district and LG’s R&D vision for the future. Attendees expressed amazement at the transformation of the area from farmland in the 1990s to a thriving urban center, giving Park a warm round of applause for his lecture. This was followed by a tour of the LG Innovation Gallery, where participants experienced LG’s R&D capabilities and innovative technologies.
Returning to the university, participants attended a dinner at the President's Residence, hosted by Yonsei University President, Dong-Sup Yoon. They enjoyed a Nanta performance and a barbecue party. President Yoon remarked, “It is a great honor to have representatives from leading business schools in the Asia-Pacific region gathered here at Yonsei University. I hope this event provides a wonderful opportunity to network while enjoying a delicious meal.” Over 100 MBA students from Yonsei University also attended the dinner, making it a meaningful networking event.
[Sangwook Park, Executive Vice President, Global Brand
Group, CJ CheilJedang]
On the final day, June 1, the conference focused on "Trends in K-Culture." The day began with a congratulatory speech by PSY, a representative figure in K-POP. The keynote speech session featured Sang-Wook Park, Business Leader at CJ CheilJedang, who presented on ‘K-Foods’ Journey to Global Expansion.’ He discussed the rising popularity of Korean food in North America and Europe, noting how Korean restaurants are opening in New York and celebrities are posting about Korean food on social media. CJ CheilJedang is diversifying its export items to include Bibigo dumplings, seaweed, chicken, and kimbap, supplying dumplings to all Woolworths stores in Australia. Park’s keynote speech garnered significant interest, with many questions following the session.
In the panel discussion, moderated by guest professor Eun-Jin Kim from the Graduate School of Business, Jin-Pyo Lee, Vice President of Amorepacific; Felix Tan, Deputy Dean of International at UNSW; and Nam-Ki Park, Dean of Yonsei University’s Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communication, participated. The panel highlighted the rapid spread of Korean culture through expanded communication channels such as Instagram, TikTok, and X, contributing to the rising popularity of K-pop. They also noted the success of Korean content on OTT platforms like Netflix and the increasing popularity of Korean actors, which in turn boosts interest in Korean cosmetics, driving significant growth in Amorepacific’s North American business.
Lastly, AAPBS President Chong-en Bai from Tsinghua University introduced the upcoming Annual Meeting to be held at Tsinghua University in the fall and announced new member universities. AAPBS presented Dean Kim with a plaque of appreciation for successfully hosting the event, concluding the morning session of the final day.
Participants enjoyed a final networking lunch at the Atrium on the second floor of the business school, followed by a tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace, bringing the conference to a close. Attendees expressed that they found the keynote speeches, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and meal times highly valuable and enjoyable.
Through this conference, Yonsei University School of Business has strengthened and expanded its relationships with business schools in the Asia-Pacific region.
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