Stony Brook University SUNY Korea

New Freshman student at SUNY Korea’s Computer Science Department featured on Naeil Education     “Yearning for a more systematic curriculum after years of teaching myself, I found SUNY Korea to guide my Computer Science studies”   Kyung Kook Lee’s family had set his life for him: he would win the Korean Mathematical Olympiad in elementary school, attend a Science High School for the Talented, and enter the medical field to become a pharmacist. However, he fell in love with computer language from a young age and taught himself how to code for years. Although disappointed at first, his parents eventually decided it would be best for Kyung Kook to decide the field of study himself. As he continued with self-learning, he felt a great desire to officially learn computer science. He achieved his dream of wanting to study at an American university by entering the Stony Brook University (SBU) in SUNY Korea in September this year.         A fifth-grade kid who fell in love with coding after teaching himself   Because of the parents’ ambitious goals for the son, Kyung Kook had always returned home after 10PM everyday after Korean, English, math, science, violin, piano, and flute classes that he attended after school. He asked his mom to minimize these classes, which gave him more time to explore some of the computer languages, such as C-language, Java, and Python. “I became curious about the principles of score calculation while playing online games. I began to question the algorithm when I scored differently when punching with a fist and using a weapon,” he states. Kyung Kook was only allowed enroll himself in online classes and study groups because of his parents’ opposition for him to officially study computer science. However, this did not stop him as he continued studying computer science to deepen his knowledge.         Parents who wished their son to enter the medical field vs A kid who wishes to study computer science   Kyung Kook is a graduate from Songdo High School, a high school that highly emphasizes the study of the sciences. Although he was not part of the science-focus class, he was in a creative convergence class that puts math and science in the center of learning. From a young age, he was expected to inherit the pharmacy that his grandmother had been operating. He focused on studying math, chemistry, and life science to fulfill the expectations of his family members, but was not able to satisfy them with his relatively low grades for pharmacy school. No other subject was interesting to him as computer science. “I finally got permission to major in computer science as a senior in high school. So, I did not even apply to other Korean schools because my only goal was to attend SUNY Korea,” he remembers. “I believe SBU, SUNY Korea is the place where I can learn computer science best, and the Department of Computer Science will be a stepping stone to grow big in the future at the global level”         The path to study and work in the United States   Until the recent global pandemic, the original plan for Kyung Kook was to physically go study abroad in America, the center of IT industry. However, he thought it was better to stay in Korea for it offers the equivalent education as the home campus in New York and gives him the opportunity to study at the Stony Brook New York Campus for 2 semesters. Noting that graduates from SUNY Korea have received job offers from America in corporates such as Google and Amazon, and have gone to pursue further education by studying at prestigious graduate schools such as UC Berkeley and Columbia University, he decided SBU SUNY Korea would be the best choice for him. Reading about these alumni have given Kyung Kook a positive outlook to studying at SUNY Korea. He also found SUNY Korea advantageous over other universities for undergraduates also have the opportunity research with graduate students as well as receive education from professors who have served as Microsoft’s software engineer for over a decade, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology’s analyst for natural language and medical images, and Apple’s software developer.         An opportunity to pursue higher education   Because SUNY Korea reviews all documents holistically, Kyung Kook took this to his advantage. He states there wasn’t much extracurricular activities documented in his school records because the records primarily focus on activities that are centered around projects hosted by the school. Because Kyung Kook taught himself how to code, created his own computer coding club, and participated in drone competitions outside of school, none of these were recorded. However, he was able to freely discuss these activities in his personal essay in the SUNY Korea application. He also took the time to take an English proficiency test after the College Scholastic Ability Test and asked for a letter of recommendation from the teacher who knew him best. He took SUNY Korea’s holistically review process as an opportunity to show his passion towards computer science.     As Kyung Kook begins his undergrad studies as a Computer Science major this fall, he hopes to receive education from a well-established curriculum from a prestigious research university, Stony Brook University at SUNY Korea.           Read the full article: https://naeiledu.co.kr/29793    

Anonymity  Written by Gerald Stokes There are even more complicated times ahead.           In this ever-expanding age of the internet in which it has become a necessity of life, there is a growing concern about the extent to which individuals’ privacy may be violated. There are certainly many ways privacy can be compromised. As I looked at the range of issues concerning privacy and privacy protection, it led me down a path to the consideration of anonymity in cyberspace. This is becoming another important issue in our highly connected world.       When we think of privacy, probably the most intense invasion of privacy is identity theft. This is a burglary of the most personal kind. People that have experienced feel violated and it takes considerable time and effort to recover. It happens in many ways and in varying degrees. It can range from taking over your identity and stealing your money, to assuming your work identity to steal from your employer. While the users of the internet may bear some responsibility for the theft of their personal data, leaks of personal information held by a third party are increasingly common. This may lead to individual identity theft or any number of other questionable activities. In most of the world, identity theft and the stealing of personal data are crimes – as they should be.       On the other hand, data mining by internet service providers is considered a legitimate business purpose. Providers, like Google, track our use of their browsers, email, news services, and other apps they may provide. They track not only our usage, but the content of that usage. They examine it and sell the results of their examination to advertisers or use it themselves. While these providers may end up knowing more about us than anyone who has stolen our identity, it is considered a fair trade for the free usage of their services. This data collection is largely information about us. Who we are specifically is less important than our attributes, our gender, our age, what our interests are, how much money we make, where we live and other demographic data. These attributes are connected to an “address” – a place to find us on the internet with ads, offers, or political promotions.       Individuals have evolved strategies to deal with this targeting. One is to use the time-honored tradition of choosing your “username”. Some of us prefer to make these usernames similar to our real name, while others choose more exotic aliases or “handles”. Some people will use different identities for different purposes – social media, email, online shopping – thereby compartmentalizing their identity.  Many people go beyond this approach and create elaborate sets of identities for their various social media accounts. These are rapidly evolving to graphical representations or avatars. These are what I would call a weak protection of “who I am”. A more complete protection of protecting “who I am” is to become anonymous. This comes in several layers. In literary circles authors sometimes have a “nom de plume”. The American author Samuel Clemens wrote as “Mark Twain”. Authors true identities may or may not be known. For example, here in Korea, who is, or who are, Djuna?       Increasingly, we see individuals, particularly in social media commentary simply becoming their alias, remaining anonymous. Anonymity is an extreme form of privacy. A person’s true identity remains private while their alias becomes a social commentor, a political gadfly, or a cultural critic. Most democracies protect people’s ability to speak – commonly called freedom of speech.  Generally, freedom of speech is a protection against the actions of the government targeting what we say. However, as we well know, freedom of speech does not protect individuals from “prosecution by the public” on social media. Protection of ones’ private self from this onslaught by using an alias, and remaining anonymous, seems certainly prudent in some cases. On the other hand, the same kind of anonymity can equally protect a bully or a purveyor of false news. Hiding behind their internet identity, individuals feel emboldened to act, believing that they will not be held accountable. This is complicated when one realizes that not all “identities” on the internet are human. The development of bots, artificial users of the internet is becoming commonplace. These can be very simple programs or more sophisticated AI based systems. They are used to amplify and spread messages. These bots never rest and have been used to influence political campaigns and spread false information about individuals, technologies like vaccines or other matters of public interest.       Facebook and other service providers are trying to understand their responsibility for these uses of their platforms. Increasingly around the world governments wonder what, if any regulation might be required. Other governments, or parts of governments, wonder how the same tools might be used to advance their national agenda – either by controlling content within their borders or launching cyber based campaigns in, even against other countries.       As a student of the relationship between technology and society, I have frequently shared ideas in this column that might address the issues I raise. I have suggested another “law” of robotics that requires more responsible human actions and the use of blockchain to ensure data fidelity in the face of fake news. I have no answer for the privacy and anonymity conundrum. A perfectly reasonable desire to protect “who I am” uses anonymity, but that same anonymity can be used as a cover for individuals who approach the world with malicious intent.   Some aspects of privacy concerns are being addressed. Two factor authentication is helping protect against some forms of identity theft. Similarly, there cases where individuals involved in election tampering have been charged with a crime. However, actions are few and the problem is growing.         More complicated times are indeed ahead …        Click here to read the original article     

SUNY Korea Museum of Modern Costume is pleased to announce the opening of the “Blessing Blossoms” exhibition.   With flowers as the theme, the exhibition includes the works of designer Lie Sang Bong, La Sposa, Hun Jong Jung, Min-ja Kim, and Dongrim Jang. Also the pieces of FIT professors (Linda Kim, Goeun Cho) and FIT students (Iris Griffin, Youngwon Joo, Jiwon Park, Purevsuren Batdorj, Yuran Choi, Yoojin Lee) are displayed in the exhibition.   - Location: SUNY Korea Museum of Modern Costume, Academic A Bldg. AB101(Basement Floor) - Exhibition Duration: September 29th, 2021 (Wednesday) – end of the semester - Opening Hours: Monday – Friday (10:00am – 5:00pm) / Weekends and Holidays: closed (Visitors may freely enter the museum for viewing during the opening hours after check-in using the museum visitor's log.) *Inquiry: - Phone: 032-626-1356 - Email: academic.fit@sunykorea.ac.kr

The Department of Technology and Society (DTS) at SUNY Korea Stony Brook University equips students with the knowledge and skills needed for career success in the 21st century.     Identical to that at the Stony Brook main campus, the DTS program at SUNY Korea provides an education that unifies traditionally separate disciplines into an integrated unified whole to address problems in society. Applying concepts and tools drawn from natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences, the Department examines and enhances the relationship between technology and our society.     Are you curious to find out what SUNY Korea DTS graduates are up to after graduation?   Please check out the story of Yerin Cho, a DTS graduate of SUNY Korea, now working at Samsung Electronics.     Interview Questions:         1) Could you briefly introduce yourself?     Hello, this is Yerin Cho, a DTS graduate of SUNY Korea, currently working at Samsung Electronics. I am a person who gains energy from interacting with others as my MBTI is ESFP. My life goal is to share with others in need and contribute myself to make a better world through technology. I love traveling, exploring regional beverages at travel sites, and recording my memories in videos.     2) What is your current job responsibility at Samsung Electronics? Tell me about your career path after graduation.     I joined the Global Sales & Marketing Team at Samsung Networks, which is in charge of network business at Samsung Electronics. Since I have only been here two months, I have spent most of my days at new employee training. After the OJT, I will be assigned in one of the regional groups to work as a global sales person so that I can make a contract with global MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) to provide Samsung Networks’ telecommunication solutions like 5G devices and software.     After graduating from the DTS undergraduate program, I joined in the graduate program to research the DRR (disaster risk reduction) field. After graduating from the Master’s program, I worked for the ETHOS (Entrepreneurial Talents’ House of Opportunities and Supports) program operated by SUNY Korea and World Bank Group for a year. While working for this project supporting ICT start-ups in developing countries, I got interested in the private sector, especially in the telecommunication sector, which led me to apply for Samsung Networks.     3) What is the most memorable experience/achievement you had as an undergraduate student at SUNY Korea?     The most memorable achievement that I had as an undergraduate student was when I was selected as a recipient of the Academic Excellence Scholarship. It was special to me because it was the scholarship that I was awarded after my most challenging semester.     As a DTS student, I realized that the basis of every technology is CSE, and I wanted to challenge myself to overcome my weakness in programming. Even though I knew that I will not get a good GPA while taking a lot of CSE programming courses, I went for it to broaden my perspectives and cognitive thinking. Through this experience, I learned how to manage limited time and how to utilize the human resources around me who could help me to overcome my weakness. In addition, I was lucky to get good rewards from my effort, which kept me challenging myself for higher goals.     4) How do you think the SUNY Korea DTS program shaped you into the person you are right now?     The DTS program forcibly put me in a position to acquire both technical and managerial aspects when facing a problem. I could experience predicting and analyzing the interaction between the society and a variety of technology including AI, IoT, blockchain, and 5G, which broadened my perspective. I could see the big picture of every matter of fact, which made me decide to work in the telecommunication field, since I thought telecommunication technology is the fundamental technology which enables future industries such as UAM, metaverse, and remote healthcare.         5) Do you have any tips for students who are looking for job opportunities?     I recommend challenging yourself in studying and participating in different types of activities to find which industry or task fits you. In addition, I recommend constantly updating yourself with job boards so you can read as many job descriptions as possible. In this way, you may find a position that fits you even though you might not have made a precise decision on your career path. If you keep challenging yourself to learn a variety of subjects and participating in as many programs as you can, you will find the job which fits you.

“The future of a global economy depends on technological innovation and the people who lead it.”   SUNY Korea Professor Lee Jin Sang voiced his opinion that the development of technological innovation should be accelerated in this era of great transformation around the world. He was speaking at the '13th Good Growth Global Forum (2021 GGGF)', held at the international conference hall of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Junggu on September 9th.   He emphasized that “The future direction of the global economy will depend on this field. In order to lead technological innovation in the relevant field, it is necessary to invest in R&D and secure human resources.”

Computer Science Department Professor Jihoon Ryoo gave a lecture on “GPS” for the VR Metaverse Contest, sponsored by the Ministry of Science and ICT and Korea Radio Promotion Association (RAPA).      Provided in Korean, the lecture provides a general explanation of what GPS is and how it works, and also compares the Korean GPS system with those of other countries.*Check out the lecture in the link below:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJTzT5tjGNI          

Dear Students,    Are you curious about where our IGC graduates are? Or the work they do?  We are most pleased to announce to you the 2021 IGC Career Fair - Alumni Festival on Saturday, September 11 from 10 AM to 5PM.  On this day, we invite all IGC students to explore the IGC's first metaverse platform - Gather Town!     In this career fair event, you will spend a full day with sixteen of our brightest and most successful IGC alumni who are working professionally both in Korea and in the U.S, and in the nation's most renowned graduate schools. You will gain first-hand information and practical advice regarding various career paths, and a meaningful session networking with our proud IGC alumni base. What's more exciting? Through this event, you will enjoy an exclusive opportunity to have your resume and cover letter critiqued by one of five professional consultants + plus a chance to sit in at the information seminars by promising graduate schools!   You are cordially invited to a full day of inspiration and rapport-building with IGC alumni!  RSVP is necessary so register now, have your laptop and CV handy and join in for one-of-a-kind experiences. For complete speaker information, please refer to the poster and the attachment. • Event: 2021 IGC Career Fair - IGC Alumni Festival • Participants: All IGC students  • Date: Saturday, September 11  *Mark Time & Date on the Calendar Now!* • Time: 10-12pm / 1-5pm  • Venue: via Gather Town (Online Metaverse Platform)  •RSVP  Click Here to RSVP by (RSVP Deadline: Friday, September 10, 11:59pm) •Confirmed Alumni Speakers List         º Samsung Electro-Mechanics      º Abbott Diagnostics Korea (Demand Planning Analyst)      º Coupang (HR)      º AFY International (Fashion Graphic Designer)    º United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) (Administrative Assistant)      º Deloitte Anjin LLC (Business Analyst)    º SK Bio (Accountant)      º Phillips Korea (Marketing Intern)      º MediMab Bio (Researcher)      º Center for Medical Innovation Asia (Administrative Coordinator)      º GUGC Plant Biotechnology Research Center (Research Assistant)      º Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) (Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology                        Master's program)      º Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies (Master's program)      º KAIST Graduate School (Ph.D program: Management of Technology)      

2021 Intensive English Teacher Program (commissioned by East Asia Global Education Institute of Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education) successfully ended on August 20. The teachers shared what they achieved, and all the participants celebrated the successful completion of their training on the last day.       Throughout the program, the teachers and the mentors worked very hard to achieve educational values of community-based learning (CBL) including communication, partnership, collaboration, decision-making, and school culture in their lesson development.   *CBL aims to connect what is learnt in classrooms to communities including local institutions, history, heritage, cultures, languages, and natural environments.         The program was the very first official training opportunity for teachers since the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education introduced a new curriculum called Village-Resource Linked Education as part of East Asian Citizenship Education.

“I really encourage you to be curious students to be curious to learn new things and also kind of go out of your comfort zone sometimes I think that's where we're really going to learn the most. Read anything good.” - Professor Sira Maliphol Are you looking for meaningful ways to spend time as COVID-19 is ongoing? SUNY Korea DTS Department Professor Sira Maliphol shared three favorite books on his shelf.       *Click here to watch to video

Master’s Program in Statistics The Dept. of Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS) at the State University of New York, Korea (SUNY Korea) invites applications for the MS program in Statistics.     Programs BS/MS Accelerated Program - BS and MS degrees in five years     MS Program - MS degree in one and a half or two years     Funding We are committed to making your graduate education affordable. We offer scholarships and assistantships (e.g., tuition waiver, stipend) to most of our students.     More details http://ams.sunykorea.ac.kr/graduate/graduate-program     Contact Prof. Myoungshic Jhun (Dept. Chair) - myoungshic.jhun@stonybrook.edu     Ms. YounJu Baek (Coordinator) - younju.baek@sunykorea.ac.kr      

SUNY Korea FIT was referred to in the Japanese Magazine, Ginza as an institution that provides new options for students studying fashion in Asia. Students studying at SUNY Korea can experience Korean culture, while learning fashion through the FIT programs. After graduation, there are also opportunities for students to study in New York and Italy.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,   I hope you are all safe and healthy as we approach the latter part of the semester.   We still remain at Government Social Distance level 4. Taking various important factors into consideration, we have decided to continue the current mode of instruction for the remainder of the semester.   All of our current Covid-19 restrictions on campus gatherings remain the same. Any changes will be announced when available. Our buildings are open for students to use for individual or small group study sessions. Please follow best practices to protect against Covid-19 as you use the spaces.   As we continue with online classes, please try to maximize your learning experience by interacting with your instructors and teaching assistants through their office hours. The university offices (advising, counseling, academic affairs, student affairs, etc.) are all open as usual, so try to get help as you need it.   We all hope to have 100% in-person classes in Spring 2022 at the latest. Getting vaccinations will help us get there.  So, I encourage you to get vaccinated when you get a chance.   Please stay well and enjoy the rest of the semester.   Sincerely, Arthur H. Lee Provost  

Mathematics serve a significant role in our daily lives. National Institute for Mathematical Sciences (NIMS 국가수리과학연구소) its goal of conducting strategic Research & Development, including industrial mathematics and medical mathematics, finding and solving mathematical problems in industry and the public sector. NIMS continuously endeavors to improve mathematical problem-solving ability in all fields, and to expand the role of mathematics for the public. (Source: NIMS) In Korea, many students who study in this field want to work at NIMS, so the acceptance rate to get this position is very low. Even though NIMS hires only 8 interns a year, two SUNY Korea students were selected this year. Interviewers spoke with Suhyun Chun and Hyerin Choi, undergraduate students of Stony Brook University (SBU) who are working at NIMS, to discuss their preparation and some tips to get the internships. Let’s listen to their stories of their new journey at NIMS!   Interview Questions:   1)  Please introduce yourself briefly   Suhyun: I am Suhyun Chun, and I am majoring in Computer Science (CS) at SUNY Korea.   Hyerin: Hello, this is Hyerin Choi and I am a Junior majoring in CS and Applied Mathematics & Statistics (AMS). You guys may have seen me on campus because I tend to have some strange colors in my hair :) 2)  What is your current role and responsibility in NIMS?   Suhyun: They regularly hold seminars in which they share new knowledge or technology. And I also prepare and do seminars on what I studied every week. Last week, I did a seminar about the way to manage geospatial data in python, which is not a familiar topic to them.   Hyerin: I was recruited as an Industrial Mathematics Undergraduate Trainee at NIMS. It stands for National Institute of Mathematics and Science, and it has three branches, in Daejeon, Gwanggyo, and Busan. Each branch is slightly different in what they mainly deal with, but the Daejeon branch, where I am at, is mainly about Industrial Mathematics. Hence, some companies or organizations bring up a problem, and NIMS tries to solve it by building codes or algorithms.   3)  How did you prepare for the internship?   Suhyun: I just started to prepare for an internship, and this is my first chance to experience the workplace. What I did is that I actively participated in school activities such as a coding contest, Teacher Assistant (TA) works, and so on. These are good experiences to show my active attitude towards challenges.   Hyerin: NIMS only had one step during the application: resume and cover letter. The interview took place after I got the job, unlike other internships or trainee programs. For the cover letter and resume, Career Development Center (CDC) helped me a lot through it.   4)  What challenges did you face while preparing for the internship? Suhyun: They require a recommendation paper from a professor. I had only finished my second semester and did not have a chance to get close with professors at SUNY Korea. So, I was so worried that I wouldn't get a recommendation letter in time. Fortunately, I met a nice Applied Mathematics & Statistics (AMS) professor last semester, and he was willing to help me.  Hyerin: The application due date was 21st June, whereas my finals ended on the 17th. So the time was the main challenge for me. Also, the second challenge was that the information about the program was hard to find. This program is for 4~8 people each year, so there have not been many people who participated in this program.   5)  I heard that the acceptance rate to get this position is really low. What makes you stand out from other applicants?   Suhyun: I think my major, Computer Science, makes me stand out from other applicants. They highly focus on mathematics to solve problems. And they think they need a person who has new perspectives on the same problems because it would be helpful to learn and experience new fields. Hyerin: I have participated in a research program with Professor Suil O regarding graph theory, and also in Artificial Intelligence Winter School (AIWS) held by SUNY and Ghent last winter. With Professor Suil O, the research program was basically making algorithms for each graph solving method. AIWS dealt with the basis of Machine Learning and furthermore, provided enough practical hands-on experiences to join the ongoing research with graduate students and professors. I combined these two experiences to show I am qualified mathematically and technically.    6)  What is the most exciting part of your job?   Suhyun: As I already mentioned in the above answer, seminars are the most exciting part of my job. I can learn new technology and knowledge by joining others’ seminars. Also, I can see how they research new topics and work on them.   Hyerin: I love the part where I am participating in what can be used in the real field. I am dealing with a Battery Management System which is predicting the state of charge for each battery, and a Machine Learning program to count the number of birds in a picture. The former is crucial to prevent battery explosion, and the latter is to detect the degree of global warming progress. Likewise, what I research and study as being practical in some fields is the most exciting part.   7)  What skills are needed to work at NIMS?      Suhyun: They work based on mathematics, so if you have high-level mathematics knowledge, it would   be easier to follow up.   Hyerin: As Industrial Mathematics does not include hard proving, most of the people majored in Mathematics, but some majored in Mechanical Engineering (ME) and CS. As NIMS is working with other companies, skills to model the problem mathematically will matter rather than your major. This is not like solving problems in the exams nor textbooks; you should find out the problems yourself and systemize them by using the given information.   8)  What help did you get from the SUNY Korea CDC?   Suhyun: I got a lot of help from the career center for my resume. This is my first internship experience. Everything is new. And I even had no idea how to write a resume. With a lot of support and help from the career center, I could see how things should be done.   Hyerin: I mainly got help with the resume. As I have no experience as an intern before, it was my first resume, which made it so hard to decide what to write in each section. CDC polished my resume sentences to make them neat and clear. Also, they emphasized my strengths and de-emphasized my weaknesses, so I can stand out from the other applicants.   9)  What are your long-term career goals?  Suhyun: I am not only interested in programming, but also web design. So, I want to be a User Interface/ User Experience (UX/UI) designer in the future.   Hyerin: As I am double majoring in CS and AMS, I would like to combine those two majors and specialize in Machine Learning and Big Data. Especially, in the future, most of the work will be done by Artificial Intelligence (AI), so my goal is to be an AI Specialist.    10)  Do you have any advice for your friends preparing for internships?   Suhyun: Don’t hesitate to challenge yourself. Some of my friends think of themselves as not prepared for an internship, and this is exactly what I thought before. However, I realized that I prepared better than I thought when I got into the workplace. There is no reason to hesitate with challenges. You are good enough.      Hyerin: ‘Just apply’ would be my advice. I didn't even think that I would get this position, because when I was applying, I knew that they were only recruiting 8 people from the whole country. But I just applied anyway, and I got the job! Applying means at least you get the chance to be looked at, so you’d better apply for anything that you are interested in. Furthermore, if you get the job, that will lead you to better chances of getting hired next time :) 

[SUNY Korea Graduates on Various Career Journeys #1- Sang Hoon Kwak]  Founded in 1944 in Manhattan, Fashion Institute of Technology is one of the first-rate fashion schools world-wide. Since 2017, SUNY Korea FIT has provided the exact same signature curricula of the world-class FIT programs, leading to the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree. Featuring state-of-the art facilities, SUNY Korea FIT prepares students to become not only designers with their own creative vision, but professionals prepared to take their places in all sorts of industries.   Are you curious to find out what SUNY Korea FIT graduates are up to after graduation? Below is the story of Sang Hoon Kwak, a FBM graduate who is currently working as a fashion merchandiser for tren:be.    Interview Questions: 1) Could you briefly introduce yourself? Hello! My name is Sang Hoon Kwak. In 2017, I majored in FBM and graduated early in December 2020. Currently, I work as a Fashion Merchandiser for tren:be, a global online luxury platform company.   2) What is your current job responsibility? Tell me about your career path after graduation. As an online merchandiser, I am responsible for selecting specific products or brands and conducting a special exhibition, planning and managing monthly events on the tren:be website. Most importantly these days, I’m taking part in one of the biggest parts of the company, the ‘Summer Sale’ event. In addition, I am responsible for everyday fashion trend analysis, even sometimes B2B sales and design planning. Maybe it will be easier to say merchandisers do all kinds of things related to the business. Unfortunately, I had to graduate in Korea due to COVID-19.  Unlike my friends, I always wanted to experience and work in Korea; therefore, this pandemic was my opportunity to prepare for certificates for a longer period than others in Korea before graduation. In particular, I used the time wisely to prepare things that are essential for Korean companies such as studying for MOS certificates and the OPIC test in advance. Turning the crisis into opportunity and moving faster than others seems to have helped me adapt to society and move forward even in the pandemic era.   3) What is the most memorable experience/achievement you had as an undergraduate student at SUNY Korea FIT? The most memorable achievement that I had was the first SUNY Korea FIT fashion show with our fashion show club, called ‘+82 Threads’. In ‘+82 Threads’, I was a secretary who mostly supported the president of the club and inspired him sometimes. Since I used to DJ music, I had a chance to direct the entire music of the fashion show. It was such a special memory to all of the FIT students who participated, since we could plan the show by ourselves at the first SUNY Korea FIT fashion show.   4) How do you think the SUNY Korea FIT program shaped you as the person you are right now? First of all, the SUNY Korea FIT program helps students to find their dreams as fashion experts and also develop practical knowledge and skills through detailed courses related to fashion, with great professors who are in the real fashion industry. However, more importantly, through the program you can learn "how to manage time by yourself." From the first year, I learned how to manage voluntary learning patterns and daily life efficiently through programs that require dorm life, and I received a lot of help when I studied in New York after two years. In addition, I think the SUNY Korea FIT program helped me a lot not only to study abroad but also to become an office worker who lives a planned and diligent life in the future.   5) Do you have any tips for FIT students who are looking for job opportunities? I think many graduates and job seekers are having a harder time than anyone else due to COVID-19. However, as I have been through these times as well and overcame them, I could find the one conclusion that I can tell you today. Please be patient about getting a job. Your time will come eventually. If you are too impatient, nothing will be done and only anxiety will grow. I felt most desperately while preparing for employment that each person has the right "time." Maybe it's today for him, while it's tomorrow for the other guy, and finally next will be you. So if we work hard in everything we're given, the chance will come to you by itself. And you'll have to know how to catch it without hesitation. Sometimes when opportunities come, there are too many people who hesitate and miss them, but this is a really important opportunity in your life or maybe this could be your last chance of your life. Do not give up easily; if you give up by making excuses, then your reputation will also fall. Try your best at every moment. Lastly, I believe that having one of your unique ideas or a skill set is really helpful to appeal to the company or the employer. Therefore, if you have time before graduation, start now to prepare for certification or foreign languages and so on. That will change your career. I truly believe that the time you spend studying for yourself before graduation will not betray you in the future. I will always support you! Hope to see you one day in the fashion industry. Thank You. Stay safe!  

2021 Intensive English Teacher Program (commissioned by East Asia Global Education Institute of Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education) is taking place online from July 26 to August 6. 12 teachers who are teaching English in Incheon public middle and high schools are participating in this training program. With SUNY Korea DTS Professor Neal Dreamson as the director, the event is hosted by SUNY Korea to train teachers to expand their knowledge base in various areas of English as a second language.   The program explores innovative teaching methods through a mentoring system that is led by three SUNY Korea faculty (Professor Andrew Lasher, Professor Timothy Adam Fletcher, and Professor Joseph Cabuay) and one other professor. The program also offers a series of forums with SUNY Korea international students, CMIS Canada teachers, IGC faculty, and a Myanmar refugee community.Moreover, four special lectures were delivered by three SUNY Korea professors (Professor Sira Maliphol, Professor Clovia Hamilton, and Professor Neal Dreamson) and one other professor.   Throughout the program, the teachers are engaged with critical-pedagogical understanding of learner needs and instructional methods and strategies with the following four approaches: community-based learning, project-based learning, technology-integrated learning, and discussion-based learning.  Furthermore, teachers in groups develop innovative teaching strategies by addressing issues in the 21st century learning skills known as the 4Cs: critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration, and reflecting four learner engagement aspects. The strategies are ensured to be directly applicable to their teaching and used by teaching colleagues with minimum assistance, and they will present the strategies on the last day of the program.