Mason Korea’s 10th birthday is celebrated at the Global Lounge
(Photo Credit: https://masonkorea.gmu.edu/articles/20375 )
10 years ago, there were only 34 students at George Mason University Korea. Now, there are over 900 students-Korean and international. Over the decade, Mason Korea has grown 30 times bigger than what it started with.
One of the first events of the semester long celebration was the campus party held on March 4th. Students, staff, and faculty gathered in the Global Lounge to celebrate Mason Korea’s 10th year anniversary with raffles, performances from Registered Student Organizations, and dessert. The event was a major success with Mason Pride thriving. Two of Mason Korea’s faculty, directly involved with students and their achievements, were asked about Mason students and the life at Mason Korea.
According to Kelley Chung, Associate Dean for Admissions and Government Affairs,“We have the best students", "Mason Korea is growing in numbers, intellectual curiosity, motivation, and the aspirations of students have significantly changed.”
Over the 10 years, average test scores, grade points, and academic profiles of MK students have gone up. The number of student organizations has also increased too. “If you look at the number of events per week, you know our bulletin boards are covered with possibilities that have gone up,” Robert Matz, Mason Korea Campus Dean, adds. “The abundance of student organizations makes university life more plentiful.”
Another significant accomplishment is : the construction of the Mason Korea building. Initially, Mason Korea’s classes and school events were held in the Incheon Global Campus (IGC) Multicomplex Building, but since 2016, Mason Korea adopted the current building to give students a better learning environment. “We really have been focusing on establishing this learning place where talented students are going to come and thrive,” Chung mentions. “The student lounge, relaxation room, and other rooms were renovated or made for student use.”
The Mason Korea campus has continued to launch new major programs throughout the years: from Business and Economics in 2014, Global Affairs in 2015, Conflict Analysis and Resolution in 2017, Computer Game Design in 2018, Computational and Data Science in 2021, and now Master of Law in 2024. As the programs expanded, Mason Korea began to offer more academic opportunities, establishing CSPS-Korea and PACSC-Asia, holding the Mason Korea Student Project Showcase, and Progress at Play. As the campus grows, networking and relationships with companies and government organizations, like NC Soft and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), have also been made available.
However, Mason Korea is planning further expansion and globalization. “Internationalization is a goal for us, so we want to increase the percentage of students who are coming from abroad. That has always been a goal… I’d like to see us go up to 1,500 students,” Matz states. As Mason Korea gains traction internationally, the university and IGC itself has developed culturally. “I love to encourage our students to take it upon themselves in this small diverse global community,” Chung voices.
This year, major events, such as Mason Day, held on May 17th, is said to be bigger than ever to accommodate the 10th year anniversary. An event recognizing the 10th anniversary is also being held on June 13th where George Mason University’s important figures from the main campus in Fairfax, including President Gregory Washington, will come to South Korea and attend. Chung expresses, “This is a celebration you can join…You are the fruits of our 10 years of dedication.”
Written by Dongju Lee | Staff Writer
Revised by Seohyun Kim | Managing Editor