The GSD alumni community members in South Korea were the heroes of President Faust’s recent trip to the region. GSD Korea welcomed both the President and GSD Dean Mohsen Mostafavi with open arms, showcasing design in Korea for the Harvard presidential delegation, while building community and sharing work with the GSD cohort. GSD alumni accompanied President Faust on a tour of the National Museum of Korea with museum Director Youngna Kim, museum architect and GSD alumnus, Mr. Seunghong Park (MArch ‘88), and GSD Korea officers, Jaeuk Chong (MArch ‘86), DuNam Choi (MArch ‘83), and So Young Kim (MArch ‘95).
South Korea was just one of numerous spring destinations for the Dean, who also traveled to India in early April on a mission to connect with the international design community and to reconnect with GSD alumni abroad. On his trip to Seoul, the Dean was accompanied by Beth Kramer (Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Relations), and by GSD Faculty members, Jinhee Park (GSD Design Critic in Architecture and MArch ’02) and John Hong (GSD Adjunct Associate Professor and MArch ‘96) who recently co-edited a book on Korean architecture. Convergent Flux: Korea is the first compendium of its type with thirty-two diverse projects and six essays exploring the country’s unique context, including seven contributors who are GSD alumni.
The Dean’s three days in Seoul were brimming with alumni organized activities. Highlights included a talk by the Dean at Korea University and a GSD Alumni Cocktail Reception event hosted by local legend Ken Sungjin Min (MAU ‘93) at the offices of his eponymous firm, SKM Architects. During the reception the Dean welcomed new GSD Korea president Jae Uk Chung (MAU ’05) and thanked outgoing president DuNam Choi (MArch ‘83) for his service.
According to GSD alumna So Young Kim (MArch ‘95), “We are amazed by the growing GSD community in Korea, and even more surprised by the number of accepted students from Korea – 16 new students for fall of 2013! We hope for a stronger connection with the GSD and more research and educational opportunities.” Kim’s comments reinforce the impact of a strong alumni leadership group on local design communities.
Before leaving town, Dean Mostafavi was interviewed by TBS Radio Station Korea. To listen to this interview, click here.