Jieun Pyun, the Director for Asia at Yale’s Office of International Affairs, traveled to Japan last month to build new connections and strengthen existing relationships between Yale and partners in Japan.

During her inaugural trip to the country in this role, Pyun met with officials from the University of Tokyo (Todai). The discussion centered primarily around the near 150-year long history between Yale and Todai, as well as the continuation of collaboration between the two. Both universities are founding members of the International Alliance of Research Universities, and the Todai-Yale Initiative for Japanese Studies and Related Humanities and Social Sciences was established in 2007, promoting further academic exchange between the two institutions.

Pyun also visited with officials from Waseda University, which, along with Todai, partners with Yale in academic exchange through the Yale Summer Session and the Fox International Fellowship. Waseda is also the only Japanese university to participate in Yale’s Visiting International Student Program, an exchange program inviting students to live at Yale and take classes for up to a full academic year. In 2007, Waseda established the Asakawa Senior Fellowship Program, commemorating the history of Waseda alumnus and longtime Yale professor Kan’ichi Asakawa, promoting collaboration between the two universities by providing Yale scholars with opportunities to teach and research at Waseda.

Other universities Pyun met with included Keio University and Hitotsubashi University, to explore the prospect of further relationships between the two universities and Yale. 

During her trip, she also joined with Yale President Peter Salovey for his visit to Tokyo, where he met with university administration from Todai and Waseda, alumni from the Yale Club of Japan, and officials from the Japanese government.

As the cooperation between Yale and partners in Japan grows, Pyun hopes to continue her work in fostering new relationships and strengthening current collaboration. She states, “Yale’s connections with Japan are as old as the foreign relations of the two countries. This relationship between Yale and Japan has exemplified the spirit of cooperation, and I look forward to advancing our collaborations well into the future.”

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To learn more about President Salovey’s trip to Japan, read the full article.

To learn more about the Yale Visiting International Student Program, visit the site.

Charles T. McClean is a Japan Foundation Postdoctoral Associate who works with the Council on East Asian Studies at the MacMillan Center, and will begin his role in the fall as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale. In a Q&A session with the Office of International Affairs, McClean discussed his research on the marginal status of youth in political leadership, resources available for students to embark on Japanese Studies at Yale, and his own role in furthering conversations about Japan on Yale’s campus.

Q: What types of research questions do you explore?

A: I study the politics of age, with a particular focus on the underrepresentation of young people in political institutions. Across the world, the individuals leading our governments are often significantly older than most of the constituents they represent. This age gap in political representation takes on added significance in advanced democracies like Japan, where the challenges posed by an aging population and declining birth rate magnify the importance of engaging young people in politics.

The book I am currently working on addresses two critical questions. The first question investigates the root causes of why young people are less likely to be found in elected offices. Are institutional barriers the main problem, or does the issue stem from broader societal attitudes? The second question explores the ramifications of this underrepresentation. How does it affect the development of public policies, and what does it mean for the overall health and vibrancy of democracies?

These inquiries are critical for understanding how the voices and interests of younger generations can be better integrated into the policymaking process, ensuring that democracies remain responsive to all age groups.

Q: What sparked your interest in Japan?

A: When I start as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale this July, I will also be commemorating a personal milestone: the 20th anniversary of my first visit to Japan. This trip happened right before I started college. Initially, I was drawn to the language and culture, which predated my interest in politics. Throughout college and afterwards, I took every chance to return to Japan, deepening my understanding and appreciation.

This early exposure to Japan has also shaped my view on the importance of study abroad. With programs like the Light Fellowship at Yale, which supports students studying in East Asia, I am interested in helping students begin their own exploration of Japan. It is a full circle moment for me, supporting others in starting a journey that was so transformative in my own life.

Q: You have been leading a successful colloquium series on Japanese Politics and the Global Political Economy. Can you share more about Japanese Studies at Yale and your roles?

A: Japanese Studies has a long history at Yale. I am excited and grateful to contribute to that rich tradition, especially at a time when Yale is expanding its focus on Japan across various disciplines.

With the colloquium series on Japanese Politics and the Global Political Economy, my aim has been to bring a variety of perspectives to campus, drawing not just from political science but also sociology, history, public policy, and journalism. A highlight I am particularly proud of is having hosted the Tokyo bureau chiefs from both The New York Times and The Washington Post—a testament to the series’ ability to engage with key voices shaping our understanding of Japan on the global stage.

As an assistant professor, I am looking forward to continuing this multidisciplinary dialogue in the years ahead.

Q: Can you share your upcoming plans for teaching a new course in the fall?

A: I am excited to be teaching a new course this fall on Japanese Politics and Public Policy. The course is structured around two main features that I believe enhance learning and engagement.

The first feature is an emphasis on puzzles and research questions. Each session is designed around an intriguing puzzle about Japanese politics, domestic policy, or foreign policy. This approach is meant not only to pique students’ interest but also introduce them to the research process—which, much like this Q&A, begins with identifying research questions.

The second feature is a focus on challenges in public policy. We start with the foundations of Japanese politics and then, week by week, delve into a wide range of policy areas including but not limited to defense, energy, gender, immigration, income inequality, population aging, territorial disputes, and trade. The goal is to understand the key actors in Japanese politics, their policy preferences, and how political institutions affect the realization of these interests.

The course aims to equip students with a deeper understanding of Japanese politics and public policy as well as the skills to engage in thoughtful analysis and research.

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To learn more about the Richard U. Light Fellowship, visit the fellowship page.

President Salovey said, “These visits with our Japanese colleagues serve to reaffirm the enduring partnership between Yale and institutions across Japan. Our work together is rooted in shared values of innovation and academic excellence. By fostering engagement with international partners, we facilitate invaluable opportunities for knowledge exchange, research collaboration, and cultural understanding. We are expanding the educational experience of our students and supporting the work of our faculty members, who are addressing global challenges by contributing knowledge and innovative solutions in an increasingly interconnected world.”

During his visit on the campus of University of Tokyo, he met with university leaders and gave a lecture on ‘Emotional Intelligence,’ afterward taking questions and engaging with students and invited audience members. The two universities have an extensive history of collaboration spanning close to 150 years with initiatives including the Yale Summer Session, the Fox International Fellowship, and both institutions’ status as founding members of the International Alliance of Research Universities, which launched in 2016. 

While meeting with Waseda University’s President Aiji Tanaka and members of the university’s leadership team, Salovey also discussed the long history between Yale and Waseda, which began with Waseda alumnus Asakawa Kan’ichi earning his Ph.D. from Yale in 1902. The first Japanese professor in the United States, he taught at Yale for 35 years. Today, collaboration between the two institutions include Waseda’s participation as the only Japanese university taking part in Yale’s Visiting International Student program.

During the trip Salovey also spoke at an alumni event hosted by the Yale Club of Japan, the third largest club outside the U.S., where more than one hundred alumni gathered to welcome him and hear his remarks describing the university’s latest activities. 

Salovey also engaged in discussion with Dr. Takahiro Ueyama, the Chief Executive member of the CSTI, a cabinet level office in the government of Japan, who was instrumental in fostering Yale’s participation in the PEAKS program. Led by Japanese universities and the country’s National Research and Development Agency, the Japan PEAKS program focuses on creating a national ‘innovation ecosystem’ that integrates industry, academia, and government collaborators to address challenges related to university governance and management. Yale’s involvement with PEAKS has engaged over 150 Japanese participants to date, hosting conversations between more than 30 Yale faculty and staff members on topics that explore innovative solutions related to university governance issues.

Traveling with Salovey, Jieun Pyun, director for Asia in Yale’s Office of International Affairs,   also met with some of Yale’s many other collaboration partners while in Japan.   She said, “Yale’s connections with Japan are as old as the foreign relations of the two countries. This relationship between Yale and Japan has exemplified the spirit of cooperation, and I look forward to advancing our collaborations well into the future.”

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To learn more about the Yale Japan PEAKS program, visit the Yale and the World website.

To view images from President Salovey’s travels, click the image below.

Yale celebrated its first ever Yale-Korea Week from November 4–14, reflecting the rapidly growing interest students at the university have in Korean-related courses and studies. Organized by the Office of International Affairs in collaboration with Korea University, the MacMillan Center’s Council on East Asian Studies (CEAS) and Korean American Students at Yale (KASY), and featuring events held by the Yale Film Archive at the Yale Library, the K-pop dance group Yale Movement, Yale Taekwondo and the Yale Korean Bioscience Society, Yale-Korea Week events drew hundreds of attendees from all across Yale’s community to learn about and commemorate the country’s culture, denizens, and diaspora.

The week featured several lectures from Korean Studies scholars both at Yale and a number of other global universities, including Korea University and the University of Hong Kong. The topics spanned a variety of ideas, ranging from violence in Korean Buddhist history to the gendered logic in faith-based aid work after the Korean War. Korea University professors spoke on topics regarding literature and culture, with Yale professors acting as moderators.

Dong-One Kim, the president of Korea University, also delivered a lecture on Nov. 13, discussing the place of technology and labor in the era of generative A.I., such as ChatGPT, amongst others. Referencing the rapid industrialization of South Korea, Kim illustrated the modern-day challenges both the United States and South Korea face with continued multi-varied technological improvement.

One central theme throughout the week was peace on the Korean Peninsula, with a lecture on Nov. 6 by North Korean human rights advocate Seohyun Lee, as well as a series of musical performances on Nov. 10 that featured music from Korean folk traditions alongside classical Russian pieces. In a Q&A session following the performance, violinist Hyung Joon Won and maestro Toshiyuki Shimada discussed their experience traveling to the DMZ in 2018, playing, amongst other songs, ‘Arirang Fantasy,’ a rendition of the folk song sung in both Koreas and scored by a North Korean composer.

Yale-Korea Week events were not solely academic in nature, however, with the festivities on Nov. 11 for the Yale Celebrates Korea event drawing in a full crowd. Attendees enjoyed Korean food and drinks as they watched dances, martial arts, musical performances, and the movie Chosen, a documentary following the stories of five Korean Americans running for Congress in 2020. Joseph Juhn, the director of the documentary, was also in attendance. Other events included a series of sold-out shows held by Yale Movement, who also performed at the Yale Celebrates Korea event, as well as a densely-packed screening of Minari, attended by the director Lee Isaac Chung ’01.

The series of events concluded with a reception sponsored by Korea University with the goal of tendering a long-term relationship between Yale and Korea University. Jieun Pyun, the Director for Asia at the Office of International Affairs and one of the main organizers of Yale-Korea Week, expressed “This inaugural Yale Korea Week highlights strong Yale Korea relations. As Korea continues to grow its presence and role on the global stage, we are determined to continue deepening and strengthening this relationship.”

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To view a photo slideshow of the Yale Celebrates Korea event, click the photo below.

Since its introduction in 1943, Korean Studies at Yale has grown in size, not just in the number of faculty and students, but also in its Korea-related course offerings. With heightened interest and enrollment by Yale students in courses — not limited to Korean language study, but also in other interdisciplinary subject areas like history, political science, sociology and film studies — Yale’s Korean Studies program is working to meet the increased demand for Korea-focused studies. As such, Yale is organizing its first Korea Week on campus, bringing the Korean community together, and celebrating the country’s rich history and culture. 

Saturday, November 4

Adopted Friends by Korean American Students at Yale
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Asian American Cultural Center, 295 Crown Street
Organized by Korean American Students at Yale (KASY)

Monday, November 6

Offering Beyond the 38th Parallel: The Realities of North Korea and the Path to Free and Unified Korea
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Location: Room 102, Linsly-Chittenden Hall, 63 High Street
Organized by the Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on East Asian Studies
Event Link: https://ceas.yale.edu/events/beyond-38th-parallel-realities-north-korea-and-path-free-and-unified-korea

Tuesday, November 7

Buddhism, Violence, and Modern ‘State-Protection’: Understanding the South Korean Buddhist Military Chaplaincy
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Room 202, Rosenkranz Hall, 115 Prospect Street
Organized by the Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on East Asian Studies
Event Link: https://ceas.yale.edu/events/buddhism-violence-and-modern-state-protection-understanding-south-korean-buddhist-military

Wednesday, November 8 

Yale Korean Bioscience Society Special Seminar | Bench to Bedside, Quality AND Quantity of Life: Cancer Metabolism
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Hope 103, Hope Memorial Building, 315 Cedar Street
Organized by the Yale Korean Bioscience Society (YKBS)

Thursday, November 9

Saving Families After the Korean War: Faith-based Aid, Orphaned Children, and Widows in South Korea
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Location: Room 116, William L. Harkness Hall, 100 Wall Street
Organized by the Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on East Asian Studies
Event Link: https://ceas.yale.edu/events/saving-families-after-korean-war-faith-based-aid-orphaned-children-and-widows-south-korea

Friday, November 10 

Offering Healing and Integration from “Arirang”: Performances and Lectures
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
with performances by Hyung Joon Won, artistic director of the Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra, and Toshiyuki Shimada, music director and conductor for the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra
Location: Sudler Hall, 100 Wall Street
Organized by the Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on East Asian Studies
Event Link: https://ceas.yale.edu/events/offering-healing-and-integration-arirang-performances-and-lectures  

Treasures from the Yale Film Archive: Minari 
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Location: Humanities Quadrangle, L02, 320 York Street
Organized by the Yale Film Archive at the Yale Library
Event Link: https://library.yale.edu/event/treasures-yale-film-archive-minari-lee-isaac-chung-person  

Saturday, November 11

Yale Celebrates Korea: Food, Cultural Shows, Film Screening, and Talk by Joseph Juhn, Director of Chosen
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
with performances from Yale Taekwondo, Yale Movement, and Worthington Hooker Elementary Korean Students
Location: Lecture Hall/Memorabilia Room, 1st floor, Sterling Memorial Library, 120 High Street
Organized by Korean American Students at Yale (KASY) and Yale Office of International Affairs

Yale K-Pop Cover Dance Group: Yale Movement Fall 2023 Showcase
Shows at 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM
Location: Off-Broadway Theater, 41 Broadway
Organized by Yale Movement
Event Link: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2243957 (YaleConnect CampusGroups link)

Monday, November 13

Yale and Korea University Faculty Lunch (invitation only)
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Organized by Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on East Asian Studies

Special Lecture by President of Korea University Dong-One Kim
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Room 101 (Auditorium), Henry R. Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse Avenue
Organized by Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on East Asian Studies
Event Link: https://ceas.yale.edu/events/special-lecture-president-korea-university

Yale and Korea University Faculty Dinner (invitation only)
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Organized by Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on East Asian Studies

Tuesday, November 14 

Revenge Gone Newtro: Decolonizing Ressentiment in Korean Dramas on Retributive Justice (lunch provided)
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Room 136, Sterling Memorial Library, 120 High Street
with speakers Haerin Shin, professor of Korea University, and Kyunghee Eo, professor of Yale University
Organized by Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on East Asian Studies
Event Link: https://ceas.yale.edu/events/revenge-gone-newtro-decolonizing-ressentiment-korean-dramas-retributive-justice

The Opportunities and Challenges of Korean Entertainment in the Global World
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Room 136, Sterling Memorial Library, 120 High Street
with speakers Ji Hoon Park, professor of Korea University, and Grace Kao, professor of Yale University
Organized by Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on East Asian Studies
Event Link: https://ceas.yale.edu/events/opportunities-and-challenges-korean-entertainment-global-world

Korea University Reception
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Room 136, Sterling Memorial Library, 120 High Street
sponsored by Korea University, with K-pop performances by Yale University students
Organized by Korea University 
 

K-pop boy group TRENDZ visited Yale virtually last Monday, speaking with professor and sociologist Grace Kao as well as her class on their lives as idols and their work making music in the South Korean music industry, concluding with a fan meeting open to the general public. The virtual visit follows a broader increase in international efforts at Yale with South Korea, from President Salovey’s visit to South Korea earlier this year to expand partnerships, to Kao presenting her research on the sociology of music at several leading Korean academic institutions, to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s visit to Yale last month.

TRENDZ, composed of members Havit, Leon, Yoonwoo, Hankook, ra.L, Eunil and Yechan, began the visit by answering questions submitted in advance by students in Kao’s class, “Race and Place in British New Wave, K-pop, and Beyond”. These questions centered around the daily professional lives of TRENDZ’s members, such as their work schedules and how much input they have in their music production. TRENDZ also asked their own questions of the students, learning more about undergraduate life at Yale.

Kao, the IBM Professor of Sociology and professor of ethnicity, race, and migration in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, also organized a larger public fan meeting immediately after the class discussion, which numbered close to a hundred participants attending either virtually or in-person. At the meeting, TRENDZ presented segments of their own music, performing some of the dance moves from the accompanying choreography, as well as introducing and explaining the meaning behind each of their songs. A brief Q&A session followed, in which TRENDZ voiced their plans for a U.S. tour in 2024, as well as their ideal future musical collaborators.

When asked afterwards about the visit, Kao wrote, “I think it’s vital to have empirical data when studying a topic, so while it’s important to read papers on a subject matter, something like K-Pop is vibrant and dynamic, and there is no substitute from experiencing it and talking to professionals in the industry.” She wrote further about how she came to invite them, from first seeing their performances on her trip to South Korea, to meeting and talking with them and their managers. She remarked that she was impressed with their performance quality and the warmth with which they treated their fans.

Kao will participate in a forum on K-pop in the upcoming Yale Korea Week, which will take place from November 6–14 with events across the Yale campus.

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To learn more about President Peter Salovey’s trip to South Korea, visit the YATW website.

To learn more about Professor Grace Kao’s research, visit the YATW website and the YaleNews website.

Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of the Republic of Korea’s capital city of Seoul, visited Yale on Thursday. He met with Yale President Peter Salovey, toured the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and delivered a lecture on Seoul’s approach to inclusive growth at the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies. While the visit was Oh’s first as mayor, he attended Yale Law School as a visiting scholar in 1998. 

The visit began with a lunch gathering with Korean faculty members from across multiple Yale departments and schools, including former Dean of Yale College Marvin Chun, as well as Professors Hwansoo Kim, Hee Oh, and Jiwoong Shin. After the meal, Oh and the faculty members continued informal discussion on a variety of topics while walking around campus and stopping at local attractions.

Accompanied by reporters from South Korean media outlets, Oh then went on a tour of the Beinecke Library, guided by the library’s community engagement director Michael Morand and Yale’s first librarian for Korean Studies Jude Yang. The group was shown around the public exhibition hall on the upper level, before being led down to the reading room, where Oh looked through archival materials regarding Yale and South Korea, including the written works of Korean American Yale alumni.  

Oh then met with President Salovey who had traveled to South Korea during the Spring semester to strengthen Yale’s ongoing engagement in the region. The two discussed the mayor’s office focus on making education accessibility a priority to help low-income families achieve greater social mobility. Salovey noted that Yale has also been focused on lowering barriers to studying here so that financial need is not an impediment to attending Yale College, even for international students.

They also discussed increasing participation in the Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) program. Salovey remarked, “I’m pleased that Yale and Seoul are partnering to help top achieving students from low-income families attend the YYGS program. I hope that our combined efforts will inspire and create more opportunities for bright young students in Seoul.”

At the conclusion of the meeting Salovey said, “Today’s visit exemplifies Yale’s commitment to build new connections and strengthen existing relationships between Yale and partners in Korea. Our extensive global networks play a vital role in realizing Yale’s mission of making a positive difference worldwide.”

After the meeting, Oh delivered a lecture about his city government, titled ‘Seoul, My Soul: Going Together With The Socially Neglected — Grappling With Polarization & Inclusive Growth,’ to a packed audience at the MacMillan Center. Professor Hwansoo Kim, who is also chair of Yale’s Council on East Asian Studies, introduced Oh. The mayor spoke about his goals which include increasing educational equity and decreasing income disparity domestically while continuing to support developing countries through financial aid and volunteerism. 

The talk was followed by a lively Q&A session moderated by Erik Harms, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Chair of the Council on Southeast Asia Studies. He noted that the turnout — a fully seated auditorium, with attendees filling every available space — was a clear indication of the Yale community’s strong interest in Korea and Korean Studies. During the Q&A, the mayor answered questions about pressing issues including Seoul’s high housing prices and competitive educational environment, the climate crisis, and the role of women and gender minorities in South Korea.

The visit concluded with a reception at which Oh met with a variety of Yale faculty members, students, and well-wishers. Of course no trip to New Haven is complete without pizza, which was enjoyed al fresco style just outside Luce Hall.

Jieun Pyun, Director for Asia in Yale’s Office of International Affairs, who helped coordinate the visit, stated afterwards, “As collaboration between Yale and Seoul continues to develop, we are hopeful for future partnerships to develop to enhance connections between Yale and South Korea.”

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To view a slideshow of photos from the visit click the image below:

To view the video recording of Mayor Oh’s Lecture, click the image below:

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To learn more about President Peter Salovey’s trip to South Korea, visit the YATW website.

To view photos taken at the reception, visit the MacMillan Center Photo Gallery.

In late April, Dr. Tristen Park, assistant professor of surgery and oncologist specializing in breast cancer at the Yale School of Medicine, participated in the Global Breast Cancer Conference (GBCC) in Seoul, South Korea. As an active member of the international scientific committee for GBCC, Park shared her expertise in breast cancer treatments and research at one of the largest conferences focused on the topic in Asia.

GBCC brings together expert researchers and healthcare providers as well as advocacy groups and policymakers to collaborate and improve awareness on breast cancer treatment and solutions. This year’s conference garnered over 2,500 attendees representing 38 different countries.

Park was one among a team of five YSM faculty members who traveled to Seoul to speak at the conference. Her peers included Dr. Mehra Golshan, Dr. Ian E. Krop, Dr. Meena Moran, and Dr. Eric Schneider. Park chose to specialize in the treatment of breast cancer and breast diseases because treatment discovery in the field was so promising. Park says, “Breast cancer care has revolutionized to the point where many of my patients won’t die from breast cancer. One of my goals as a breast surgeon is to make sure they understand this, so that their diagnosis is not as scary.” As a healthcare provider, she offers the most advanced techniques in breast surgery, and is an advocate of nipple sparing mastectomy, hidden scar placement and oncoplastic techniques.

During the 3-day conference, Park gave a lecture on the surgical controversies in the treatment of elderly patients and co-moderated a robust, 2-hour debate on controversial topics in breast cancer treatment along with Han-Byoel Lee, associate professor of surgery from Seoul National University College of Medicine. Golshan moderated and discussed the cutting-edge topic of surgical management of breast cancer after neoadjuvant systemic therapy. In addition, Park’s mentee and Yale surgery resident, Leah Kim, received the GBCC young investigator award for presenting her original resarch titled, “National patterns of same day mastectomy discharge in the United States.”

Park and Golshan also established robust educational collaborations with a bilateral exchange program of breast surgeons between Yale and Seoul National University and Asan Medical Center in April 2022. The program includes an immersive, multidisciplinary one-month observership at Yale and exciting collaborative research projects. “From this partnership, we aim to learn more about how each country treats their cancer patients, and start research collaborations that combine the unique expertise of the two centers and countries resepectively,” says Park. By the end of 2023, the program will have hosted four Korean breast surgery fellows.

As Park actively collaborates with leading Korean cancer centers and GBCC, she hopes to further develop this important educational exchange and research collaboration between South Korea and Yale.

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To learn more about Dr. Park’s research and surgical care, visit the Yale School of Medicine website.