Category: Invited guests

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.

Ambassador of Hungary to the Republic of Korea since 2013. Previously, he served as Director-General for the Americas, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2011-2013), Ambassador to Australia, also accredited to New Zealand (2007-2011), Deputy Director-General, Department for the Americas, MFA (2002-2007), Second Secretary (Political), Embassy of Hungary, Washington, D.C. (1997-2002), and Head of U.S. Desk, MFA (1995-1997). He holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Master of Science in Economics from Budapest University of Economic Sciences.

Former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kingdom of Sweden. Previously, he served as Adviser for International Relations to Seoul Metropolitan Government (2008-2011), Ambassador to Hungary (2006-2008) and Dean of Education and Training, Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, MOFAT (2004-2006). He also held the position of Deputy Director-General for Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) (2001-2004). He holds a BA in International Relations from Seoul National University and a MA in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Chairman of the Korean Broadcasting System. She served as Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Finland and Russia. She was also Chairman of the Asan Institute of Policy Studies and President of the Korea Foundation. She was a Professor at Korea University and Seoul National University before she was appointed the first woman Ambassador of Korea. For ten years, she served as a Board Member of the Korean Association of University Women. She received her master’s degree from Radcliffe University and earned her doctorate in history from Harvard University.

Member of the Foreign Policy Advisory Group of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Member and Vice President of the European Academy of Sciences and Honorary President of the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE). He served among others as President of China Foreign Affairs University, (2003-2008), China’s Ambassador to France (1998-2003), to the United Nations Office in Geneva and to other international organizations in Switzerland (1996-1998) and to the Netherlands (1994-1995). He graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Total Group Representative in Korea (January 2015). He has been serving as President of Bowater Korea Ltd. & Vice President of Resolute Forest Products Inc. since 2006. Previously, he was Statutory Auditor of Samsung Total Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (2003-2006), President of Cray Valley Korea Co. Ltd (Affiliate of Total) (2001-2006) and Chief Representative of Total in Korea & Head of Total Korea Services (1996-2006). He holds a BA in Petroleum & Mining Engineering from Seoul National University and a MA in Energy Economics from Sydney University.

Dean of the Korean Cultural Institute affiliated with Sookmyung University since 2012. Professor of Department of French language and Culture since 1997. Director of Master, Culture Management in Graduate School of International Relations. She is the author of several books and 20 articles, 8 on cultural policy and 12 on theatrical studies and others. Since 2009, she co-organized many forums like the 1st France-Korea Cultural policy Forum with Ministry of Culture, the 1st Korea-Africa Forum on Art and Culture with Ministry of Culture and the 10th and 11th Forum France-Korea with IFRI and KF. She graduated from University of Paris III (PhD in Theatrical Studies).

Professor of political science at Yonsei University and Editor-in-Chief of Global Asia. He is currently serving as a member of Presidential Committee on Unification Preparation. He was Dean of Yonsei’s Graduate School of International Studies. He was also Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Northeast Asian Cooperation Initiative and Ambassador for International Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of Korea. His recent publications include What Does Japan Think? (2013), The Sunshine Policy-In Defense of Engagement as a Path to Peace in Korea (2012).

Professor, Korea National Diplomatic Academy. Former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Japan (2011-2013). He held the position of Advisor to the Foreign Minister in 1995. In 2004, he was appointed as Deputy permanent representative at the Korean Mission to the UN and in 2006 as Ambassador to Israel. He served as second Vice-Minister in charge of functional affairs in the foreign Ministry (2008-2009). In November 2009, he was promoted to first Vice-Minister taking charge of regional affairs. He earned a master’s degree (LLM) in international law and a S.J.D from the Graduate School of Law at SNU.

Director of the Asia and Pacific Department, IMF, since 2014. Before joining the IMF, he was Chief Economist of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He was also the Secretary General and Sherpa of the Presidential Committee for the 2010 G-20 Seoul Summit, as well as Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission of Korea. He was a Professor of Economics at Seoul National University and Assistant Professor at the University of Rochester. He obtained his PhD in Economics from Harvard University, and his Bachelor degree in Economics from Seoul National University.

Professor Emeritus of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University. He is currently an advisory committee member for policy affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  He was a Fulbright scholar and a two-time Japan Foundation Fellow. Before joining Seoul National University, he taught at the Korea Military Academy and Sogang Jesuit University. He earned his PhD in Political Science at the University of California at Berkeley after having completed his BA and MA degrees at Seoul National University.

Social entrepreneur working in the fields of International Relations and Real Estate Development. His current projects include a film series, for which as filmmaker he has documented his interactions with economists, activists, politicians, diplomats, academics, and spiritual leaders amongst others, with the aim of exploring potential paths to a peaceful, just and sustainable world. The first film titled Birth of a Poet was an official selection at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival, 2019. Furthermore, Manu has penned a book that is slated for publication soon, in which he shares his findings about and reflections on what he describes as “an ever-elusive Global Harmony”. Having been in the real estate industry over the past several years, he has had extensive private sector experience previously as well in the fields of Information & Communication Technology, Finance, and Outsourcing. Manu is an Electronics and Communication engineer (R.V. College of Engineering, Bangalore) and holds three Master’s degrees: MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University (School of Advanced International Studies, Washington D.C. and Bologna), Global Master in Real Estate Development from IE University (School of Architecture and Design, Madrid), and Master in Creative Writing from Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona School of Management). He is fluent in English, Spanish, Hindi and Telugu.

Chief Representative for Japan and President, Tokyo Branch, Total Trading International, S.A. He is also Vice-President  of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan. He started his career in Italy in the petroleum and chemical industry. He joined in 1986 the Electroplating Division of Schering. In 2006, based in the US, he was named President and CEO of Sartomer. He became in 2008 Associate Director in the Finance Department of the Chemical Branch of Total S.A. in Paris. He graduated in Chemical Engineering from the University of Napoli (Italy) and got a MBA at INSEAD, Fontainebleau (France).

President of the Overseas Koreans Foundation. Previously he was Senior Secretary for Foreign Affairs and National Security to the President, Korea. Before that, he served as Vice President and Secretary-General of the Global Compact Korea Network and also taught at the Graduate School of International Studies of the Seoul National University as visitng professor. He retired from diplomatic service at the end of 2006 after a long career that culminated in his ambassadorship to France and to UNESCO. He also served as Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, to Morocco and Mauritania. He was Director-General of Economic Affairs at the Korean Foreign Ministry. He studied at Seoul National University and the Graduate School of Public Administration in France, and also received a master’s degree in international politics from the Free Brussels University in Belgium.