Yonsei University School of Business introduced its concentration in Entrepreneurship & Innovation in 2016 and produced its first three graduates in February. Two of first three graduates, Hyukjin Kweon (Business Administration, entering class of 2016) and Zhixian An (Business Administration, entering class of 2017), talked about their experiences with the program.
Zhixian An became interested in entrepreneurship in hisher sophomore year and combined numerous startup classes with her other coursework. Unlike An, Hyukjin Kweon didn't intend to take the concentration at first. He changed his mind, he says, because the hard work that went into many team projects in the business administration courses seemed to dead-end in brief presentations. Hoping to see more of his hard work put into practice, he switched his focus to a concentration in Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
What is the most beneficial aspect of completing the concentration in Entrepreneurship & Innovation? Kweon says that "Our personal concern for certain issues can have a practical impact on our era. And we can really learn about the fieldwork just by taking a step beyond simple data research. I gained the most insight from the interviews for the project. Although I had been rejected when requesting an interview, I became bolder and more courageous as I learned that there are many people who are willing to help students, which was beyond my expectations."
An found his answer in to the same question in entrepreneurship courses. "I was able to see how to start and maintain a business through special lectures by successful alumni in the startup business. It was also a great experience that I was able to learn service planning from Professor Jin Woo Kim's HCI(Human Computer Interaction) and service design classes. Also, during the entrepreneurship class of Professor Sung Joo Bae, I created a team of game industry entrepreneurs. Before that, I never thought of a career path in the Information Technology and game industries, but since then, I have been interested in this field. The program can provide an opportunity to think about our careers of interest in various fields."
The Concentration in Entrepreneurship & Innovation curriculum consists of four areas: ”ćOpportunity & Ideation ”ćNew Product Development/Technology Venture ”ćEntrepreneurship/Social Venture ”ćInnovation Management. Students must take at least two business administration courses under the BIZ code in each area, completing a total of 12 credits. Students also must participate in at least one course that involves an on/off-campus startup competition or a social field problem-solving project. (See more about the curriculum for a Concentration in Entrepreneurship & Innovation at https://bit.ly/3q1kzwL)