Dean of Graduate School of Business
Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea

Eric Shih

International Student Recruitment: Perspective of a Global Business School
SKK Graduate School of Business (SKK GSB) is a ranked business school in Korea established in 2004. Despite its short history, it has been successful in attracting international students. The school invests in building a strong reputation with high caliber faculty, impactful research, and partnerships with leading business schools worldwide. The programs emphasize practical learning opportunities, internships, and consulting practicum to enhance students’ skills and industry connections. While we offer a wide range of academic curriculums, recent efforts have focused on business analytics to boost the employability of international students. Diversity and inclusive learning environment are a hallmark of the SKK GSB, and students are supported with professional services and mentorship programs. The location of the school in Korea with its unique landscape of technology, business, and culture, provides a natural draw for many applicants. But to ensure a multicultural perspective, care was taken in admissions such that no one region dominates. The school has foregone traditional advertising and graduate student recruitment fairs. Instead, it relies on social media platforms to engage international applicants. By employing these strategies, SKK GSB has been successful in increasing its international student enrollment from 24% to 46% over the past five years, and 70% in the full-time MBA program, boosting its reputation as one of the top business schools in Asia.
Eric Shih is the Dean and Professor of Marketing at the SKK Graduate School of Business, Sungkyunkwan University. He previously served as the Vice Dean and Academic Director of Sungkyun Management Institute, overseeing training for Samsung Electronics global marketing professionals. Dr. Shih received his Ph.D. from UC Irvine, and his research interest includes the diffusion and impact of information technology. Before joining SKK GSB, he was a faculty at Wake Forest University and visiting faculty at Rice University and MIT Sloan School of Management. He has won numerous teaching and research awards in his career.