SKKU says "Hello Kelley!"

The sign said simply, “Sungkyunkwan University Global Business Administration Program warmly welcomes members of Kelley School of Business.”

According to Rosanna Bateman, who had been on campus earlier in the day Tuesday, excitement among SKKU students was high and she wasn’t surprised by the overwhelming student involvement at a reception later on.

In the last few years, ties between the two schools have become close. Last year, the two institutions signed an agreement that will bring together students, faculty and programs.

Founded in 1398, Sungkyunkwan University -- known to many as SKKU -- is the old royal university. Now private, it is South Korea's third largest university with 24,000 students and the country's second-ranked business school.



Also there to welcome us was Robert C. Klemkosky, the founding dean of SKK Graduate School of Business, who previously taught at Kelley and had been its associate dean of research and operations, chair of the Finance Department and director of the MBA Investment Management Academy.

Several Kelley professors regularly make the trip to Seoul to teach here. Among them is Heejoon Kang, a professor of business economics and a native of Korea. He has been our host this week and we greatly appreciate his looking out for us.

Soon, students from the global business undergraduate program at SKKU will take come to IU Bloomington and the Kelley School for a new program that will enable them to earn degrees from both universities.

A very selective program, it will admit only students in the top 1 percent of their high school class. Already, it has attracted hundreds of applications. Kelley students also will soon come to SKKU for a similar program.



In little under a year from now, Kelley students will have an opportunity to extend hospitality in return. The first undergraduate SKKU students will arrive in Bloomington next January.

Students from both schools will get together on Friday night.

“Students from SKKU Global Business Administration welcome you with whole heart,” the invitation to “Hello Kelley!” reads.

IU also was represented on the campus. In addition to the Kelley students and faculty, other invited visitors to SKKU today include economist Gerhard Glomm and political science professor Jean Robinson. The banners were out.