PRE Alum Initiates Real Estate Industry Seminar in Seoul

Cornell Program in Real Estate alumnus Seungwoo Shin (MPS/RE ’01, Ph.D Economics ’05), an assistant professor at Konkuk University in Seoul, Korea, has initiated a weekly seminar series which brings together more than fifty Korean Cornell Program in Real Estate alumni. During the weekly seminars, speakers share how they became successful in the industry and address critical issues and topics in their areas of expertise. Topics have included global capital markets, green development, tracking market developments, adding value through planning and design, new investment opportunities, and strategies, financing, and deal structures.

Shin started the seminar after becoming Director of the Konkuk Program in International Real Estate last semester. The seminar features eleven Cornell PRE alums, each of whom speaks once per semester. The speakers disclose their experiences in real estate and their broader predictions about the real estate market. Students at Konkuk University benefit from the experiences of these real estate professionals, who come from a variety of industry segments and regions. The seminar series provides insights into niche markets and highlights the variety of careers, companies, and entrepreneurial opportunities available to future industry professionals. Shin happily boasts that “most speakers kindly donate the lecture fee to Konkuk University, which in turn directs the money to Cornell in recognition of the Seminar’s origins.”

Around thirty to forty students majoring in International Real Estate attend each seminar, making it similar in size to Cornell’s weekly seminar. Shin notes that the Cornell alumni “are a very small, but very influential group, at least in the field of real estate in Korea and the Asian region.” It seems that Cornell PRE alumni have remained a tight nit group, despite the change in scenery.

Speakers List

Choi, Changhoon SMD Mirae Asset
Hwang, Juno Manager ServeOne
Im, Chaewook Senior Director Portman Holdings
Kang, Andie Manager National Pension Service
Kim, Yuseok Director Russell Investments
Kwon, Charles Manager Korea Investment and Securities
Lee, Innwhan Manager Korea Investment Trust Management
Park, Hugh MD Ajia Partners Inc. Korea
Ryu, Sung MD Standard Chartered Securities
Shin, Seoungwoo Assist. Prof. Konkuk University
Son, Suyong Manager Samsung Life Insu.