1. Hello, please introduce yourself first. 

Hello, I am Hojun Yoon, class of '20 in the Business Administration Department at Sungkyunkwan University, and I participated in the 2025 Business Administration Global Challenge Program.

 2. What was your motivation for participating in the 2025 Business Administration Global Challenge (Belgium)?

I was scheduled to be dispatched as an exchange student to KU Leuven in Belgium for the first semester of the 2026 academic year. While preparing for the exchange, I learned through a university notice that this Global Challenge program would be held at KU Leuven, my intended host university, so I applied.I thought it would be a great opportunity to adapt to the local school atmosphere and life abroad in advance, as well as interact with students from various cultural backgrounds before starting my actual exchange student life.

As a KU Leuven exchange student, to briefly introduce the school, it is the most famous university in Belgium and a prestigious university recognized within Europe, ranking 43rd in the world university rankings. It is indeed a prestigious school acknowledged by the locals as well, and the quality of the classes is quite good. Belgium is located in the center of Europe, making it a great place for traveling too.

I know that KU Leuven maintains continuous exchanges with Sungkyunkwan University's Business School, so I hope those who are interested will keep this in mind.

3. What kind of activities did you do there? Also, what was the most memorable one?

The program activities can be broadly divided into lectures, group projects, and networking activities.

1. I took in-depth online/offline lectures held for 2-4 hours every day (Mon-Fri) under the theme of ‘Sustainable for the Future’. By looking specifically at the definition and problems of sustainability, as well as various EU policies and laws currently in effect related to it, I was able to learn diverse perspectives on sustainability.

2. I participated in a group project (Group Work) where we teamed up with students of various nationalities to apply the ‘Strategic Foresight Framework’ to real-world topics. I formed a team with students from different countries, including China, Australia, Germany, Taiwan, and India, and we chose the topic of the ‘overpackaging problem in online shopping’. When I introduced the case of Korea’s ‘Coupang’, my teammates found it interesting and we proceeded with the project centered around it. I had to take a leading role in researching materials based on the Korean case, but it was a very rewarding experience.

3. There were also networking activities to interact with the students participating in the program. From a Reception to get close, tours of 3 campuses, visits to sustainable management companies in Belgium, to a visit to the ‘Efteling’ theme park in the Netherlands, the program did not just conduct classes but also offered many various activities to build friendships.

The most memorable activity was definitely the group project and presentation time. It was my first time doing a group assignment with friends of such diverse nationalities, and the process of understanding and coordinating different cultural backgrounds and perspectives was fascinating. In particular, it was very impressive to see many friends actively asking questions and communicating during the Q&A session after the presentation, unlike in Korea.

4. What were you able to learn through this Global Challenge?

The biggest learning was that my perspective on ‘Sustainability’ broadened. I thought I knew a certain amount from taking ESG-related classes in Korea, but Europe, as I experienced it locally, was much more ‘sincere’ about sustainability than I had imagined. I realized that they do not simply see it on the level of environmental protection, but recognize it as a core competitiveness directly linked to the survival of future companies, and utilize it as an important strategic point.

Additionally, I feel like I was able to learn global communication skills by taking the initiative and leading a project in an unfamiliar environment.

5. What are your future plans?

First of all, my short-term goal is to successfully complete my exchange student life at KU Leuven, which is scheduled until June. I want to broaden my knowledge by taking the classes I wanted to take at the host school, and solidly build my global capabilities by raising my English proficiency to my personal target level.

In the long term, I want to establish my own global network by continuing the precious relationships I made through this Global Challenge program.