GCIE Focus: Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) Graduate School of Global Insurance and Pension

Sungkyunkwan University is a top tier university in Korea with global ranking 100, and the Graduate School of Global Insurance and Pension is the first graduate school providing specialist programs, perceived also as one of the best quality graduate schools in SKKU. Having opened in March 2015 as a part-time Master degree program for middle level managers in Korea, the Graduate School of Global Insurance & Pension (GSGIP hereafter, www.gfischool.com) is enjoying a good reputation backed by decades' historic legend in insurance education of the school's predecessor. Sungkyunkwan University opened a department of insurance for the first time in Korea within its Graduate Business School in 1972, which was integrated with all the other nine departments into a general MBA program in 2005 when American style (general) MBA began to be offered within the school of SKKU. In the period between 1972 and 2005, the department of insurance had produced about 200 MA degrees. After closing down the insurance department, nevertheless, the SKKU has run non-degree education program for insurance industry and Ph.D. program in global insurance in the graduate department of foreign trade.

The GSGIP is an independent graduate school within the Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) which globally ranks around at 100 both by the THE and the QS world university ranking. The SKKU acquired the AACSB accreditation in the year 2007 and was acknowledged for its top class business education including its global MBA program (with global ranking about 50th and national ranking the 1st in Korea) by the AACSB. The GSGIP is an independent graduate school within the SKKU and has no organizational affiliation with the business school. About 95 students of the GSGIP are currently working at an insurance company or at another financial intermediary, as the school was originally built for part-time students.

From its birth, the school has offered few written exams but required term papers to be submitted, presented and published by students, as it believes that reading, writing, speaking, listening and presenting can be a more effective learning method than written exam, in particular for the middle level managers aiming to advance their career.  Based on independent evaluations, the GSGIP is a more rigorous program than any other alternative programs in Korea.  Graduate School of Global Insurance and Pension offers staff lectures, case studies, group work, student participation, and classroom discussions. Every semester, students are also offered to attend international level of academic conferences such as IAFICO, APRIA, and ARIA. The course provides a dual degree program with St. John’s University located in New York. Graduate School of Global Insurance and Pension explores a variety of topics of insurance, pension and financial services, emphasizing  business ethics and providing analytical insights as well as effective communication skills under a globalizing course environment. The GSGIP's objectives are to equip students for a globally outstanding career in the insurance and pension sector, and to contribute to the development of the financial market as a leading education provider.
 

Year Established: 2015 (resumed after 10 years suspension), originally in 1972
Program Size: Average annual program graduates: 10
Publications:

• The Relationship on Risk Type, Risk Management and Business Performance – Evidence from Korean FDIs in China, Journal of Korea Trade Vol. 3, No. 5, August 2019, 45-65 (SSRN)