Outstanding Alumni – Kangjoo Lee

KANGJOO LEE (PhD, 2010) is a research fellow with the Korean Educational Development Institute in Seoul. KEDI is a public institution funded fully by the Korean national government for educational policy research and planning, guiding the national agenda. In addition to his doctorate from UGA, Lee earned a master’s in educational psychology and a bachelor’s in education from Seoul National University.

What are you currently working on (i.e. research, major projects, etc.)?

I currently participate in a national project to evaluate educational quality of all higher education institutions in South Korea. Though Korean Constitutional Law protects institutional autonomy of universities and colleges, the Korean population is so rapidly aging that the national government has initiated a top-down policy to reform the higher education system by eliminating several marginal institutions. My main role is to design every process and protocol of the evaluation and to coordinate the work of colleagues and staff. As this project is unprecedented in Korea and the other countries, I am facing serious challenges with various legal issues and measurement limitations in finishing this evaluation project successfully.

In what ways does your IHE training apply to your work?

The IHE curriculum was so different from others in terms of methodology and theoretical frame; each class every semester was challenging to me. Working through the multidisciplinary coursework, I managed to acquire multiple viewpoints useful for working with experts from diverse backgrounds. I learned tacit knowledge not only in the classroom, but also out of the classroom. My assistantship allowed me to understand American research culture and the way to manage a higher education institution. As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.” I understand higher education in my country, South Korea, more deeply based on my working experience at UGA and the University System of Georgia.

What are your favorite memories of IHE as a student?

Since I returned to my country and started working full-time the day after my dissertation defense, I have not had a chance to see again my dear classmates, especially cohorts entering IHE’s doctoral program in 2004 and 2005. But I am getting their news via Facebook and LinkedIn. I hope to see some of them again at international conferences in Korea or in the U.S.

What do you think is IHE’s best asset?

The best asset of IHE might be the doctoral program that consists of well-made coursework and various assistantships. As I am getting to a higher position, I admire the sustainable leadership of IHE to recruit the best professors and promising students.

If you could sum up your IHE experience in three words, what would you say?

Diversity (students from diverse backgrounds, multidisciplinary faculty)–Challenge (striving to get multiple viewpoints and professional methodology)–Balance (between theory and work, between teacher and student).