A Telephone Call from the President

The President of Handong Global University, that is --
I've just concluded a delightfully cordial telephone conversation with President Young Gil Kim. I first met President Kim in the summer of 2004 when I was serving as a visiting professor at Handong International Law School. He fondly recalled that meeting in his office on the campus of Handong where I was introduced to him by my mentor, Prof. SK Lee.

I learned that President Kim has a Missouri connection. He earned his M.S. in metallurgical engineering at the University of Missouri - Rolla in 1967. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. President Kim has led Handong to become well-known as a university with a global vision that seeks to educate servant leaders who are responsible agents for change in the world that brings glory to God.

I was deeply encouraged by his words and the warm greeting he extended to me as I will be shortly joining the faculty at Handong.

Finishing Another Fontbonne Term

This past week, I had the great pleasure of attending the graduation ceremony for the 2009 International MBA class at Fontbonne University. Seven of my students from Taipei, Taiwan are pictured above. Its an intensive 12-month program of study. The students take four courses each term. My class -- Business Ethics -- was one of the four in their final term.

Since Fontbonne is a Catholic university, there is a strong emphasis on forming strong ethical character across the entire curriculum. Beyond merely discussing ethical theories, I address the role of personal faith as a foundation for ethical practice and the need we all have for on-going self-examination. It has been a blessing to be a part of the International program for the past four years. My experiences with these students (nearly all of whom are East Asian) have nurtured my sense of calling to Asia and now, to Korea once again.

I'm 22 days away from my currently scheduled departure date. I will be submitting my application for a university teaching visa with the Korean consulate in Chicago within the next several days. Once the visa is in hand, I only need to complete packing my bags for the journey and preparing to ship my books on ahead so they will arrive in time for my class preparations. The fall term at Handong begins 1 Sep.