Dear New Comers,
Welcome to the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), Seoul National University!
On behalf of the Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University, I congratulate all of you be members of GSIS family in the end.
Since its establishment in 1997, GSIS has been cultivating global leaders who can take on the challenges presented by the increasingly complex global society. With distinguished faculty members who are renowned scholars in their fields, in Korea and abroad, GSIS offers a unique and outstanding curriculum that brings together different disciplines and area studies with concentrations in International Commerce, International Cooperation, International Area Studies, and Korean Studies.
In addition, the GSIS would have great achievements last 3 years. First of all, new professors joined the GSIS. They are the best in the field of international studies, who will lead the GSIS to the top school in the world. They are now in charge of the economic diplomacy class with the best international studies schools in the world, the Ph.d program at the GSIS, and the Brain Korea 21 Program now.
At second, the GSIS started a new international development program, which provides a diverse curriculum based on the gender and development. A lot of experts and officials from Asia, Africa, and Latin America is joining in this program now, who will communicate with you in various classes and round table seminars. In addition, a new major, International Development Studies, will start from the 2022 spring semester.
Thirdly, we inaugurated the BK 21 Program in the fall of 2020, and we were selected as one of three best institutions within the entirety of SNU in January 2021. You will have more benefit from the BK 21 Program, including special research scholarship. I believe that this achievement of GSIS is due to our faculty, staff, and student. With these achievements, GSIS is now entering its the take-off stage.
We must not be satisfied with our current conditions, however. The world is experiencing a great transition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is bringing about civilizational changes to the world. It is becoming increasingly important to understand the characteristics of this transition and to anticipate the direction of change. It is not easy to forecast the future because the transition is causing contradictions between the disruption of our civilization and accelerating existing problems.
It is fortuitous that at this moment you have a chance to study and research international conditions at GSIS with our faculty. Through your journey at GSIS, you will gain confidence in analyzing the world. Those who understand the coming changes and have no fear about transformations just over the horizon will be the vanguard of this transitional period. Those who read the transition and designed the New Deal shortly after the Great Depression in the 1930s made the US into an international leader. Those who did not read the changes in Northeast Asia as well as the world could not deter colonization and a general war of their fatherland in the end.
I believe that all of you have the potential to be a candidate for bring about innovations in our world. And you are now starting your sailing to the world with the entire GSIS faculties and staffs from now on. However, I would like to stress that what will you achieve here in the future totally will depends on what will you do during your GSIS days.
Dear Freshmen,
I promise that you will continue to see sustainable progress of the GSIS. All of faculties and staffs will try to their best to provide the best conditions for your study and research. I once again congratulate you all.
March 1, 2021
Dean, Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University
Park, Tae Gyun