"Now many Americans see Korea as an advanced country. That is why our university places such high strategic value on our Korea campus."
Joshua K. Park (Korean name Park Gyu-il), head of the George Mason University's Mason Korea campus, said this in a recent interview with ChosunBiz in a calm but confident tone.
In July 2024, Park, who became the first Korean to take the helm 10 years after the Korea campus opened, said, "I will make George Mason Korea the top higher education hub in Asia," adding, "It is fully achievable if we leverage Korea's strengths that encompass hard power and soft power."
Opened in 2014 in Songdo International City, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, at the invitation of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, George Mason Korea offers the same degrees and education quality as the U.S. main campus. Students study three years at the Korea campus, then complete one year at the U.S. campus in Fairfax, Virginia. On the Songdo campus, students of various nationalities could be seen engaging in lively discussions. The following is a Q&A with Park.
“Doubling the share of international students… a platform linking Korea and the U.S.”
─ George Mason Korea has taken significant steps recently.
"In October, we opened the 'Center for Korean Culture and Society (CKCS),' and in November, the 'Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE).' The K-culture center aims to become a hub for research on Korean culture and content, whose global influence continues to grow. The innovation center is significant in that it opened the door to cooperation between the Korea and U.S. campuses in startups and technological innovation. The Korea Serious Game Institute (KSGI), established last year, is a branch of the Virginia Serious Game Institute (VSGI), and, together with the Incheon Global Campus Foundation, is also working to host e-sports tournaments."
─ I heard that George Mason Korea is explicitly named in the university's strategic plan.
"Yes. That is because Korea's status itself has changed. First, let's look at hard power. K-manufacturing already leads the United States in some sectors. K-defense has grown to the world's No. 5–6 scale. The Netflix film 'Kpop Demon Hunters' is a symbolic example of Korea's soft power. According to the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, Korea ranked in the top one to two in math, top one to seven in reading, and top two to five in science among OECD countries."
─ What are the specific goals and plans?
"First, cultivating global talent. The goal is to nearly double the share of international students at the Korea campus. An increasing number of students from Asia, including Vietnam and India, are paying attention to U.S. university campuses in Korea.
Second, academic innovation. Attracting and establishing various research institutes is a strategy to respond to changes in the times. We are currently working to bring the U.S. campus's bioengineering research center and the defense and aerospace institute to Korea.
Third, acting as a bridge between Korea and the U.S. George Mason's U.S. campus is in Virginia, home to the largest Korean community. Through partnerships with the Costello School of Business, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, and the Korea-U.S. Entrepreneurs Friendship Forum, we are supporting Incheon's internationalization and Korean corporations' entry into the U.S.
In fact, in April, officials from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority visited Korea and met with Incheon-area corporations to discuss ways to cooperate. In November, we agreed to serve as the Korea contact point for 'NISA (Northern Virginia International Soft-Landing Accelerator),' a program that supports overseas expansion in Northern Virginia."
─ It is impressive that a U.S. university set up a K-culture research institute.
"That is because K-pop, K-drama, and K-food are now a cultural phenomenon that people around the world relate to. I believe that for K-culture to take root as a sustainable culture beyond simple consumption or a fad, universities must play a role.
If young people can stay in Korea for a long time with the goal of learning, universities that provide learning opportunities will naturally evolve into public diplomacy platforms.
Fortunately, the Korea campus has experts in related fields, including Lee Gyu-tag, a professor in the department of international studies and a specialist in K-pop and popular music. The Incheon city government is also promoting the 'K-Con Land Project,' a complex content district near Incheon International Airport that combines performances, experiences, and lodging, and plans to actively cooperate with the university."
“Three months of teaching changed my life’s direction”
─ You graduated from Harvard Law School in 2003 and had a job at a law firm, but you made a major career change.
"At my maternal grandmother's invitation—she had been a nurse dispatched to Germany—I immigrated to the United States in 1986 when I was seven. After that, I had little opportunity to visit Korea. After graduating from Law School, at a friend's suggestion, I happened to work as a teacher at Daewon Foreign Language High School. My initial plan to work for about three months turned into nearly three years as a counselor for overseas admissions and as a teacher of English thesis and debate classes. My friend told me to meet future clients, but I have not worked at a law firm since then and have remained in Korea's education field."
─ Didn't your parents object?
"Fortunately, my parents respected my decision. I was in my early 20s at the time, and I also had a desire to pursue ideals. I like legal work, but I thought cultivating global talent in Korea was rewarding. To develop my career as an educator, I moved from high school to university. I taught Anglo-American law, U.S. criminal law, and civil law at Inha University's law school and Kwangwoon University's law school, and served as an adjunct and invited professor at Korea University College of Medicine and Beijing Foreign Studies University, among others, making many efforts to be recognized as a professional."
─ You are known as an educator strong in debate and business negotiation.
"I overcame my introverted personality through debate. And as an educator, I was convinced that debate skills are essential for global talent. I founded the Korea Debate Association and carried out various activities, one of which was serving as the head judge for EBS's English debate program 'Debate Survival.'
Building on this experience, I worked as a professor in charge of business negotiation at SolBridge International School of Business at Woosong University and also served as dean of the international business school. In actual debate classes, Korean students' skills are very strong. To be a good debater, research capability must back you up, and in that respect Korean students have strengths."
“Korea can create more opportunities by improving its visa system”
─ Korea's standing has risen, but there are variables such as China's rise and an unstable international situation.
"It is important that U.S. leaders have decided that 'major changes are needed.' Unlike the first Trump term, the second Trump term is being filled with figures who share an 'America First' stance. China has strong technology, but given the nature of its political system, I think there are limits to securing international leadership. In that respect, a variety of opportunities are opening for Korea now. As many countries are seeking to expand exchanges with Korea, Korea also needs to be more proactive in multilateral diplomacy."
─ What advice would you give on Korea's education system?
"The process for international students or foreign workers to obtain a Korean visa is still demanding. It is also regrettable that Korea is perceived as psychologically 'closed' to foreign talent. The Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) often becomes a barrier to attracting global talent. In higher education at least, Korea needs to secure global talent through more active investment and institutional support."
+Plus Point
George Mason University has embarked on two experiments for innovation in higher education. It is accelerating a shift in the education paradigm by simultaneously pushing on-site learning methods and an artificial intelligence (AI)-based academic support system.
First, it is introducing the 'field rotation education model' of Minerva Schools in the United States. This model eschews traditional classroom lectures and features classes focused on solving real-world problems while rotating through major cities around the world. George Mason will integrate this into its existing intensive curriculum, the Honors College, so that students can move beyond theory-heavy learning and build practical capabilities.
Another change is the introduction of the 'PatriotAI' system. Beginning pilot operations in the second half of 2025, this platform is drawing attention as the first case among U.S. universities to apply AI across education, research, and administration.
PatriotAI consists of 'PatriotChat,' a chatbot function; 'DocuMate,' a scholarly document analysis tool; 'CourseMate,' a course design support system; and 'PatriotPal,' which handles academic guidance functions. The school developed the system with Microsoft, based on a large language model (LLM). George Mason Korea also plans to actively adopt this innovation model.