Partnership with Korea

For nearly twenty years, Executive Education Programs at the Maxwell School has hosted Korean public officials interested in improving their public administration knowledge and skills. These mid- to upper- level mangers pursue MA degrees in Public Administration, Economics and International Relations or choose the Visiting Fellows option. The Visiting Fellows program is an unique opportunity to interact with Maxwell faculty and other students to examine critical issues or problems confronting public managers. 

Executive Education also works closely with the Global Affairs Institute of the Maxwell School to meet the technology challenges of the study and practice of public administration in Korea. Several programs are under development to partner with Korean institutions in the delivery of enhanced information technology & policy, public administration curriculum, and training programs.

At the request of the Korean Local Authorities Foundation for International Relations (KLAFIR), the Maxwell School has also developed a customized training initiative for Korean government officials. Designed, organized and administered by the Maxwell School, the three-week training programs consisted of case studies, discussions with American government officials, and site visits to federal, state, and local governments in Syracuse, NY, Albany, NY, New York City, and Washington, D.C. 

With the Korean government undergoing dramatic changes, we have received inquiries from our alumni and government institutions in Korea to provide assistance in dealing with new management challenges. The following is a sample of the range of topics they have expressed great interest:

• Intergovernmental Relations
  
• Public Finance
• The Development of Legal Framework, Rules and Regulations for Public Management
• The Role of Government in a Global Economy
• Public and Media Relations
• Managing Human Resources in a Changing Environment
• Innovative Practices and Current Trends in Public Sector Reforms
• Information Technology and Effective Governance

The Maxwell School intends to develop government training programs, both in Syracuse and Korea, to address some of these needs.

Distinguished Alumni

Ambassador Pyo Wook Han was the Republic of Korea’s first career diplomat and the architect of the current Korean and US relationship. The Maxwell School initiated a lecture series on Korean/US affairs to recognize his contributions to both countries.

Han was born in a farming village in South Hamkyong Province, Korea, on May 20, 1916. After graduating from Jeong Dong High School in Seoul, he completed his undergraduate studies at Yunhui College (now Yonsei University). 

He entered Syracuse University in 1939 and received his A.B. in philosophy in 1942. In 1947, he received a master’s degree in government from Harvard University and, in 1963, his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan. In 1942, Ambassador Han married Chungnim Choi, also a graduate of Syracuse University with an A.B. (1937) and an M.A. (1938) in English. Mrs. Han was one of the first Korean women to earn a doctorate in the United States, completing a Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Michigan. Ambassador and Mrs. Han have one son, Victor Chongseung Han.

In 1957, Mr. Han was awarded the George Arents Pioneer Medal by Syracuse University. In 1999, the University recognized Mr. Han as one of it’s outstanding graduates, and in 2001 he was awarded SU’s Chancellor’s Medal at the inaugural address of the Han Lecture Series.