Category: Invited guests

Vice Chairman & CEO, Federation of Korean Industries (FKI). He also serves as President of the FKI International Management Institute (IMI) and the FKI Center for Large and Small Business Cooperation (FKI LSC). He is the Chairman of the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI). He is also a Board Member of several associations, like the Korea Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, the Korea Medical Assistance Foundation and the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency. He holds an MA in Economics, Ohio State University, U.S.A., and a PhD in Economics, Ohio State University, U.S.A.

Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia in Seoul. He has held several functions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia, including Secretary of Foreign Affairs for Arab and Asian countries, Counselor of Foreign Affairs and Assistant Director. He has also worked at the Tunisian Embassy of Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, of Athens, in Greece, and of Madrid, in Spain, respectively as First Secretary, as Minister-Counselor and as Chargé d’affaires. He holds a master of combined languages (Arabic, French, English, Spanish).

Deputy Minister of Development of Turkey. He also served as AKP deputy in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 2002 and 2007 and as mayor of Safranbolu from 1999 to 2002. Prior to that, he had been appointed  deputy specialist to the State Planning Organization (DPT). Between 1981 and 1985, he was lecturer at Zonguldak Karaelmas University and at Middle East Technical University (METU). He holds a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Yıldız Teknik University, Istanbul, and an MA degree in economics from Western Illinois University, USA.

Senior fellow for Korea studies and director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where he had also served as an adjunct fellow (2008-2011). Prior to joining CFR, he founded and directed the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and served as the Asia Foundation’s representative in Korea (2000-2004). He has authored numerous books on Korean politics and Asian regionalism and writes for the blog Asia Unbound. He holds a BA from Rice University and an MA from the regional studies East Asia program, Harvard University.

President of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, Korea. Previously, he was a Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California (2007-2010), Professor in the School of International Relations and the Department of Political Science as well as the Director of the Korean Studies Institute at the University of Southern California (2005-2007), Director (D-1) of the Division of Social Sciences Research & Policy at UNESCO (2003-2005), and Professor in the Department of Political Science at Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (1992-2005). He received a BA in economics from Carleton College, a MA and a PhD in political science from the Johns Hopkins University.

Director and founder of GlobalFocus, a strategic analysis and foreign policy think-tank. She is also Senior Editor of Foreign Policy (Romanian edition of the international magazine), a frequent TV commentator on global affairs and guest lecturer with the Romanian National Defence Academy. She served as Foreign Affairs Adviser to the President of the Romanian Senate, Programmes Director with the Aspen Institute Romania and before that as a journalist. She specialised in emerging threats, democratisation, political transitions and post-conflict reconstruction at Yale University as a Fulbright Scholar, Harvard Kennedy School (USA) and St Andrew’s University (UK).

18th president of Sookmyung Women’s University. She is also President of the Korean National Ballet and Vice President of Korean Association of Private University and Senior Researcher of Consortium for National English Ability Test. Since 1991, she has been a Professor of Department of English Language and Literature at Sookmyung. She was the founding Dean of the school of TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Language) at Sookmyung. She was President of the Sociolinguistic Society of Korea (2002-2003) and the Applied Linguistic Association of Korea (2007-2008).

General Representative of Total in China and Chairman of Total (China) Investment since 2011. He started his career in Africa before joining Total’s Downstream sector in 1985 in the United Kingdom. In 1990, he was appointed Crude Oil Manager in Tokyo. He joined the Total’s Investor Relations team in 1993. He became Chief Financial Officer of Total France in 1999. In 2004, he was appointed President and CEO of Total Holdings USA, based in Houston, and, in 2009, Vice-President Investor Relations of Total. He graduated from the French Business School HEC Paris and the Executive Training Program (ETP) of the European Union in Japan.

Founder and Honorary Chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. He is also the Chairman of the Board of trustees of the Asan Foundation and the Honorary Chairman of Ulsan University. He served seven terms in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. He is a former Chairman of the Grand National Party, and was a presidential candidate in 2002. He graduated from Seoul National University and the Sloan School of Management at MIT and he holds a PhD in international relations from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at the Johns Hopkins University.

Vice President, China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). He is a senior research fellow specialized in Middle East studies and ethnic issues. He was First Secretary and Director of the Political Affairs Office of the Chinese Embassy in Turkey (1999-2002). He has been Director for Developing Countries Studies, Director for EU Studies, Director for International Strategic Studies at CIIS and Editor-in-chief of the CIIS Journal, International Studies. He graduated from the Inner Mongolia Normal University, Huanghe University and Peking University.

Professor of Genomics, Genetics and Plant biotechnology, Southern Illinois University. Former Managing Director, University Polytechnique Mohammed VI. He serves as an editor and ad hoc reviewer for a number of international scientific journals as well as for national, federal and international granting agencies. In 2000, he joined the Department of Plant, Soil, and Agricultural Systems at SIU as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to full Professor in 2009. Genetic diversity and crops improvement via mutation breeding and generation of alternative alleles is a major area of his research. He graduated from the University of Casablanca, the University of Fes, the University of Paris XI and he holds a PhD from the University of Cologne and the Max-Planck-Institute in Germany.

Chargé de mission, Royal Cabinet, Morocco. He was appointed as Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in 2013. He served as Ambassador to Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Belize. In 2008, he was appointed Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, a position he held until his election as Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, in July 2011. He holds a degree in economics from the University Mohammed V, Rabat and graduated from the Institute of Management, Boston.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (2013-2017). Previously, he was a Member of the Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, National Defense and Unification, the 18th Presidential Transition Committee. He was also a Visiting Professor, Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), Sogang University. In 2006, he served as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, MOFAT. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in 1977. He graduated from the Graduate School of Law, Seoul National University and holds a MA from The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), The Johns Hopkins University.

Research Director, The Canon Institute for Global Studies, since 2009. He is also a Visiting Professor at Ritsumeikan University since 2006 and President of the AOI Foreign Policy Institute since 2005. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 1978. In 2004, he served as Deputy Director-General of Middle East Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs after having served as Minister at the Embassy of Japan in Iraq and Japan’s Representative to the CPA. In 2000 he was Minister at the Embassy of Japan in China. He graduated from the Law Faculty of the University of Tokyo.

President of the Republic of Korea (2013-2017). She was sworn in as South Korea’s first female president in 2013. Previously, she was a Lawmaker in the 18th National Assembly and Member of the Health, Welfare and Family Affairs Committee (2008-2012). She served among others as Chairperson of the Grand National Party (GNP) (2004-2006). In 1998, she began serving as a member of the National Assembly. She would be re-elected four times thereafter, serving in five consecutive national assemblies. She holds a BS in Electronic Engineering from Sogang University, Seoul, as well as several Honorary Doctorates in Literature, Science, and Politics.

Chairman of the board of the Seoul Forum for International Affairs. From 1994 to 1995, he served as Prime Minister of South Korea. Prior to that, he served twice as the Deputy Prime Minister for unification working to improve relations between the two divided Korean states. He served as ambassador to the United States (1998-2000), and the United Kingdom (1991-1993). Before entering public service, he had been on the faculty of Seoul National University for 20 years, and now a professor emeritus. He studied at Seoul National and Emory Universities and received a PhD in political science from Yale University.

Founder and Managing Director of Camelot Trust Pte Ltd. Her focus is on family wealth and businesses. She supports her clients on family governance, sustainability of business and wealth objectives in terms of risk management and succession planning to ensure smooth transition of leadership in business and wealth transference.

Honors Professor, Honors College, University of Arizona and Co-Chair, College of Agriculture & Life Science Dean’s Research Advisory Committee (DRAC) since 2012. He is also AXA Chair for Genome Biology & Evolutionary Genomics, International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines/University of Arizona (2014-2019). He was Alexander von Humboldt Sabbatical Professor, Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany (2009-2010). He served as Director of the Clemson University Genomics Institute (1997-2002). He holds a PhD in Genetics from the University of California, Davis.

Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington (UW) School of Public Health.  He directs the US Environmental Protection Agency Center for Clean Air Research at the University of Washington and has published widely on air pollution exposure and health effects.  He is currently pursuing air pollution health effects research with collaborators in China at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES) through a successional chair program from the AXA Research Fund.  He received his MD from the University of Colorado and MSc in epidemiology from Harvard University.

Founder and chairman of Geopolitical Intelligence Services AG, co-founder of Longevity Group SA, and publisher of Der Pragmaticus Verlag AG and Duckbucks, he also serves as Chairman of Industrie- und Finanzkontor in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. From 1978 to 1987 he worked for Nestlé SA in the fields of controlling, financial management and marketing in various markets in Europe and Africa. H.S.H. Prince Michael of Liechtenstein completed his studies at the Economic University of Vienna, with an M.A. in Business Administration. During his studies he completed several practical training periods and worked with banks and manufacturing companies in Canada, the United States and Belgium.

Chairman of the International Policy Studies Institute of Korea. He is also a Professor Emeritus at Korea University. He previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993-1994), UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus (1996-1997), a member of the UN Inquiry Commission on the 1994 Rwanda Genocide (1999), Chairman of the East Asia Vision Group (2000-2001), Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States (2003-2005), and Acting President of Korea University (2002, 2006-2007). He graduated from Seoul National University and received a PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada (formerly CCCE). He served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada. From 1993 to 2003 he was a Minister in the governments of Jean Chrétien, serving in the portfolios of Industry, Foreign Affairs, and Finance, in addition to being Deputy Prime Minister. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he was named Chair of a Cabinet Committee on Public Security and Anti-terrorism. In addition to his role as President and Chief Executive Officer of the CCCE, he serves on the boards of several publicly traded companies and is active in the not-for-profit sector.

President of Aso Group. He started his career at the import-export company Osawa Shokai in 1973. He joined Aso Corporation in 1975 as Auditor and became Senior Managing Director in 1977, then President in 1979 and Representative Director in 2001. He has been Independent Director at Hoya Corporation since 2011. He also has been serving on the boards of Sumida Corporation, Toto Ltd. and Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co. Ltd. He graduated with a law degree from Keio University and from the New College, University of Oxford.

Directeur et associé du YOZMA Group (YOZMA Fund) en Corée. Il est également vice-président de la Chambre de commerce israélo-coréenne et directeur de l’Israel-Korea Business Council. Il est conseiller en commercialisation technique au ministère de la Science, des TIC et de la Planification, conseiller en commercialisation des découvertes à l’Institut de sciences fondamentales et professeur invité à l’université féminine de Sookmyung. Il a exercé la fonction de consultant économique à la Chambre de commerce israélo-coréenne et de secrétaire auprès du 12^e Premier ministre d’Israël. Il est l’auteur du livre Creative Economy, Lessons from Israel (2013). Il possède une licence en économie et en statistiques de l’université hébraïque de Jérusalem.

Professor in the Department of African Studies at the University of Delhi. He has shouldered the responsibilities of Head of the Department from 2009 to 2012 and from 2015 to 2019. He is the Chief Editor of the Africaindia.org. Professor Kumar has accomplished international projects with NIHSS South Africa, UNESCO Research Group in Brazil, SADC Hashim Mbita Project, Tanzania and nine national projects. He articulated his opinion on different aspects of Africa before the International Geography Union (2004 & 2008), India-Africa Forum Summit (2005, 2011 & 2019), Ronald H. Brown Institute (2008), United Nations Organisation (2012), World Policy Conference (2014, 2016 & 2022), European Commission of African Studies (2014), Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (2015), IBSA, BRICKS-IKS (2016, 2018 & 2019) and many others. About 164 articles have been published in different books, journals, and newspapers. He has actively contributed his opinion on India and Africa in the different international media channels of BBC, Aljazeera, ABC, Yomiuri Shinbun and All India Radio.

President, Corea Image Communication Institute and Professor, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. She is also a Member of International Conference Council, Seoul Metropolitan Government, an Advisor to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korean Culture and Information Service and an Advisor, Protocol Planning and Coordination, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Koreana, published by the Korea Foundation. She was an advisor to the National Unification Advisory Council (2011-2013). She holds a PhD in Interpretation and Translation Studies from ESIT, Paris III University and a BA from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.