Photo Credit: GMU Korea
It has already been a semester since Dr. Ji Hye Lim joined George Mason University Korea as a Global Affairs (GLOA) assistant professor and faculty advisor. Prior to joining Mason Korea, Dr. Lim studied and obtained her Ph.D. in Political Science from the George Mason University Fairfax campus. Through an interview with Dr. Lim, The Voice was able to get a glimpse at her plan for the Global Affairs program and advice for students in the program moving forward.
Q: Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us how you joined us as an assistant professor and faculty advisor in the Global Affairs Program at Mason Korea?
A: My name is Ji Hye Lim. [During my Ph.D. program] I really enjoyed my time and benefited from active faculty-student interactions at GMU. Since I experienced and believe that GMU creates an effective learning environment for students to study and achieve their goals, when I saw this job opening, I was happy to apply for this job.
Q: Could you share with us your experience of working as a GLOA faculty advisor since Fall 2020?
A: As a faculty advisor, my main job is to meet students and hear their voices. Every GLOA student has their own specific stories and their goals for the future. But I realized that students do not know how to achieve their goals. By talking to students I was able to give them help by suggesting future career paths and opportunities for the students to succeed.
Q: As a GLOA faculty advisor, what do you think are some of the advantages of students studying Global Affairs at Mason Korea?
A: We aim to train students for global markets. Academically, through GLOA’s multiple disciplines, you can broaden your knowledge and perspective. With a deeper understanding of global issues, students are allowed to have their specific concentration on strengthening their resumes. The diverse student body of GMU is another advantage. Your peers are working in various organizations, cities, and countries will be your asset. On the practical side, both Songdo and Fairfax are the centers of various international organizations, such as the UN offices or Green Climate Fund (GCF) for Songdo and International Monetary Fund (IMF) or World Bank for Fairfax. The locational advantage should be utilized by students to gain work experience and expand the network.
Q: Were there any difficulties that you have faced since you have started to serve as a GLOA faculty advisor?
A: For me, COVID-19 is the biggest difficulty that I have faced since serving as the faculty advisor and assistant professor for GLOA. It is important as an instructor to communicate with students but due to the online environment, it is hard for me to get feedback from students. Also as a faculty advisor, I have office hours for students to come to visit me for questions or help but due to COVID-19, it is hard for students to come to visit me for a face-to-face meeting which limits my chance to help them.
Q: As a faculty advisor and assistant professor of Global Affairs, what are some changes that you are hoping to implement into our program for the students studying Global Affairs?
A: Currently, in my GLOA 101 class, we are operating the class with the GLOA 101 class in Fairfax. Students at GLOA 101 meet with Fairfax peers once a week to take the class together. Through this co-activity students are able to learn more about GLOA and create networking connections with Fairfax students and faculties. I am planning to expand this program as well to get other students to increase the interaction between students and faculties from the Fairfax campus.
Q: Lastly, are there any messages that you would like to deliver to the students studying Global Affairs?
A: I would like to remind the students not to forget that they are college students. College is a community where you can openly share your ideas in an academic environment and grow intellectually through debates and discussions with professors and other students. Please do not be scared to try new things and don’t be scared to take a risk. Be brave, be involved, and be adventurous!
Dr. Ji Hye Lim shared her experiences at Mason Korea and gave insights about the opportunities available for students studying Global Affairs at GMUK., The exchange program in GLOA 101 with the Fairfax campus is one of the examples which indicates that Dr. Lim is working hard to bring positive and active changes to the Global Affairs program in Mason Korea.
Su A Cho, Staff Writer
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