Yoon, Semee

Profile

Professor Semee Yoon explores issues on sustainable development at the Graduate School of International Studies of Seoul National University. Her research interests lie primarily at the nexus of development and environment to enhance the livelihoods of the poor. She is also interested in innovative solutions to simultaneously alleviate poverty and pursue environmental sustainability. For example, she has worked on the impact evaluation of various solar energy solutions provided by a social enterprise in India. Professor Yoon received her B.A. in Economics and Ph.D. in Sustainable Development from Columbia University.

Here are some of her ongoing research projects.

• social innovation to tackle sustainability challenges: social enterprises and impact investing in South Korea & specialty coffee and sustainability (SDG 12)

• education as an enabler of sustainable development: quality education in Tanzania through STEM programs (SDG 4), gender and educational aspirations in China (SDG 5) & games for climate action (SDG 13)

• sustainable infrastructure to improve livelihoods : access to solar energy in the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) (SDG 7), electricity provision in Vietnam (SDG 7) and neighborhood-based makerspaces as civic infrastructure (SDG8, SDG11)

• data for SDGs through public-private partnerships (SDG 17) as channels to accelerate sustainable development at local, regional, and global scales with partner organizations