Comments on: IR Nerds, Apply Elsewhere http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/ Korea... in Blog Format Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:18:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: 외고 왜가? or, Why Go? » Slaves to English http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-73402 외고 왜가? or, Why Go? » Slaves to English Tue, 06 Mar 2007 16:47:40 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-73402 [...] is already well underway; this new policy will be the final nail in the coffin. And look at the quality of international graduate programs, which already conduct all their courses in English. Only 2% of them actually have entered [...] [...] is already well underway; this new policy will be the final nail in the coffin. And look at the quality of international graduate programs, which already conduct all their courses in English. Only 2% of them actually have entered [...]

]]> By: JK http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72615 JK Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:12:37 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72615 Not to get on these people's cases, but.....if these Korean students knew the odds of landing a nice IR job were gonna be so much against them, why get a Master's? I know I would figure out the chances of my getting a job in a certain specialty if I were going to devote two years and tons of money for a Master's degree. BTW, I know plenty of Master's in International Relations graduates here in DC. Not that many landed jobs in their field unless they passed the civil service exam and got into State Dept. or something like that (which does NOT require OR even recommend that you have a Master's in IR as I have plenty of friends in the State Dept. who have law degrees and MBAs). We recently hired a few folk with Master's in IR where I work to handle some of our LIMITED international activities. But how do I say this.......their basic skills at using programs like Excel and Powerpoint suck. We would have been better off hiring more MBAs. I think that WILL be the trend now with MANY organizations. As a result, I guess even MORE IR grads are gonna have a harder time here in the US. Not to get on these people’s cases, but…..if these Korean students knew the odds of landing a nice IR job were gonna be so much against them, why get a Master’s? I know I would figure out the chances of my getting a job in a certain specialty if I were going to devote two years and tons of money for a Master’s degree.

BTW, I know plenty of Master’s in International Relations graduates here in DC. Not that many landed jobs in their field unless they passed the civil service exam and got into State Dept. or something like that (which does NOT require OR even recommend that you have a Master’s in IR as I have plenty of friends in the State Dept. who have law degrees and MBAs).

We recently hired a few folk with Master’s in IR where I work to handle some of our LIMITED international activities. But how do I say this…….their basic skills at using programs like Excel and Powerpoint suck. We would have been better off hiring more MBAs. I think that WILL be the trend now with MANY organizations. As a result, I guess even MORE IR grads are gonna have a harder time here in the US.

]]> By: Magnum_IP http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72594 Magnum_IP Wed, 28 Feb 2007 10:20:20 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72594 Maybe it is the case that these graduates eventually get there but not through the graduate program. I hear that with the current job problems in Korea many experienced workers are snapping up places on what should be new graduate only programs. Maybe it is the case that these graduates eventually get there but not through the graduate program.

I hear that with the current job problems in Korea many experienced workers are snapping up places on what should be new graduate only programs.

]]> By: Linkd http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72538 Linkd Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:11:51 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72538 Is is past time to pull the plug on the GSISs, or at least most of them. Students take graduate degrees because it increases their job prospects, pure and simple. So - let's see: Yonsei, KDI, Sungkyunkwan and Sejong Universities all offer MBA degrees in English, SNU is building one now, and there's also the Helsinki school of economics operating around Iwha-dae. Most of the chaebol have their own in-house MBA programs, too. The course offerings in an MBA are virtually identical to GSIS requirements. Where are you going to find the teaching talent to offer all those classes - in English - and still offer quality education? The schools will of course take the government money that backs the GSIS, but they I've no doubt that they allocate their teaching talent more heavily toward the international MBA programs, where their graduate placement stats will be better, and where demand from the vitally important international students is higher. Is is past time to pull the plug on the GSISs, or at least most of them. Students take graduate degrees because it increases their job prospects, pure and simple. So - let’s see: Yonsei, KDI, Sungkyunkwan and Sejong Universities all offer MBA degrees in English, SNU is building one now, and there’s also the Helsinki school of economics operating around Iwha-dae. Most of the chaebol have their own in-house MBA programs, too. The course offerings in an MBA are virtually identical to GSIS requirements. Where are you going to find the teaching talent to offer all those classes - in English - and still offer quality education? The schools will of course take the government money that backs the GSIS, but they I’ve no doubt that they allocate their teaching talent more heavily toward the international MBA programs, where their graduate placement stats will be better, and where demand from the vitally important international students is higher.

]]> By: chiamattt http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72529 chiamattt Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:35:19 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72529 Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that most graduates don't want to get their hands dirty working for an organization in the field. They think that because they went to SNU they should be shot to the middle or top of the ladder immediately. I am sure if you looked at the resumes of those who attended upper crust schools in the States, you'd find a lot of people who had done a couple of years in Africa, Central America, etc. Of course there are institutional problems, but isn't the fundamental problem the idea that if you attend a SKY school, you are afforded the prestige and honour of having attended a SKY school? Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that most graduates don’t want to get their hands dirty working for an organization in the field. They think that because they went to SNU they should be shot to the middle or top of the ladder immediately. I am sure if you looked at the resumes of those who attended upper crust schools in the States, you’d find a lot of people who had done a couple of years in Africa, Central America, etc. Of course there are institutional problems, but isn’t the fundamental problem the idea that if you attend a SKY school, you are afforded the prestige and honour of having attended a SKY school?

]]> By: Paul H. http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72525 Paul H. Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:16:09 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72525 A young Korean national, newly graduated with a degree in International Relations, could check out US Army recruiting! That's one way to get some practical on-the-ground "international" experience, while getting fairly well paid; after a 4 year "hitch", he'd have absolute working proficiency in English -- surely something that would serve to enhance his future employability in the field of IR. A young Korean national, newly graduated with a degree in International Relations, could check out US Army recruiting! That’s one way to get some practical on-the-ground “international” experience, while getting fairly well paid; after a 4 year “hitch”, he’d have absolute working proficiency in English — surely something that would serve to enhance his future employability in the field of IR.

]]> By: R. Elgin http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72518 R. Elgin Tue, 27 Feb 2007 20:15:02 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72518 I can only remember the <a href="http://www.rjkoehler.com/2006/11/16/a-new-dasan-is-born-%e2%80%94-korea-universitys-plunge-backwards/" rel="nofollow">earlier posting on Korea University's step backwards into mediocrity</a> -- at the expense of future generations of Koreans -- and the lack of vision at the institutional level, if not governmental level, in Korea. I can only remember the earlier posting on Korea University’s step backwards into mediocrity — at the expense of future generations of Koreans — and the lack of vision at the institutional level, if not governmental level, in Korea.

]]> By: usinkorea http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72494 usinkorea Tue, 27 Feb 2007 16:08:25 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/02/28/ir-nerds-apply-elsewhere/#comment-72494 I did a little checking once - though not too extensive. I googled around for some think-tank and similar orgs related to Asia and/or Korea, and at least from the staff they had info on, it seemed they hired people from only a handful of elite US schools or former high ranking military people (and usually those guys had a degree from one of the upper crust DC area universities or one of the Ivy League schools). Maybe it is different further from the top, but I also got the feeling these orgs only had a cream-of-the-crop top and then fillers for the mundane tasks who would rotate in and out fairly regularly... Don't know, just my impression with a quick look... And if you looked at the Korea-related facaulty as resources in programs, U of Hawaii and U of Washington seemed to have many more than Harvard, Columbia, or Berkeley.... I did a little checking once - though not too extensive. I googled around for some think-tank and similar orgs related to Asia and/or Korea, and at least from the staff they had info on, it seemed they hired people from only a handful of elite US schools or former high ranking military people (and usually those guys had a degree from one of the upper crust DC area universities or one of the Ivy League schools).

Maybe it is different further from the top, but I also got the feeling these orgs only had a cream-of-the-crop top and then fillers for the mundane tasks who would rotate in and out fairly regularly…

Don’t know, just my impression with a quick look…

And if you looked at the Korea-related facaulty as resources in programs, U of Hawaii and U of Washington seemed to have many more than Harvard, Columbia, or Berkeley….

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