KOREA FOUNDATION

[Letter from a KF Visiting Fellow]Focusing on State-Induced Social Entrepreneurship in Korea

During my time as a KF Fellow, I was affiliated with the Graduate School of Public Administration (GSPA) at Seoul National University (SNU). At GSPA, I attended biweekly research seminars hosted by my advisor. I also regularly met with my advisor to discuss my research and was kindly assigned desk space, which helped me become part of the academic community within the school. I was even asked whether I would like to join the school’s baseball team; together, our team was promoted to the first division of the intramural league at the end of the season. I have very fond memories of my time at GSPA.

With regard to my doctoral research itself, which focused on state-induced social entrepreneurship in Korea, I benefited greatly from spending time in-country. First, my advisor has a storied career in the public sector as well as academic expertise on nonprofits, social enterprises, public enterprises, and public sector innovation. He continually provided me with helpful insights. Secondly, at SNU I had easy access to Korean journals and other materials. My dissertation is therefore able to reflect the Korean literature relevant to my topic. Thirdly, I had the opportunity to discuss my research, and in particular my interpretation of Korean language materials, with fellow PhD students. Finally, I was able to attend academic events on social entrepreneurship in Korea and visit key organizations and important sites.

Furthermore, I regularly participated in events that were arranged or advertised by the KF, most notably the 2nd Public Diplomacy Week held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where I took part in a summit-like event to provide insights into life in South Africa. My most memorable experience, though, was a KF-arranged three-day field trip to Jeolla-do. During the trip, I learned a great deal about Korea’s past social movements, which was very helpful for my own research. It was also a wonderful privilege to experience the culture and cuisine of Jeolla-do.

The time I spent in Korea as a KF Fellow was truly unforgettable and will forever be one of the highlights of my career. I owe the KF a debt of gratitude.

Left: 2020 Unboxing Korea (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Right: 2019 Summer Gathering for KF Field Research Fellows

Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University
Casper Claassen (Republic of South Africa)

KFSouth_AfricaFellowshipSocial_Enterprise