Course Info
Cultural & Media Studies
Food, Film, and Korean Society
S2503
Nathan Wil Tilman
ntillman@hufs.ac.kr
Course Description
We explore Korean culture through the medium of food as depicted in contemporary television dramas, focusing on 식샤를 합시다 Let’s Eat (2013). We investigate how this series intersects Korean food culture with urgent social issues, including 먹방 meokbang, the challenges of living alone, violence against women, and workplace bullying. We also learn the basics of film analysis, aiming to increase our ability to “read” visual texts and narratives.
Required Textbooks/Materials
Students will need to access 식샤를 합시다 Let’s Eat (2013), which is available on the Tving.com streaming service. All supplementary readings will be provided.
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
We will employ a mix of small group work, whole class discussions, and scene analysis.
Field of Lecture
Culture
K-Movie Days: Learning about Korean Culture through Movies
S2504
Vivian Wei-Wan Lee
vivianleehufseicc@gmail.com
Course Description
The New London Group proposed in 1996 that literacy is not just about acquiring language skills and knowledge but also about how language is used in social practice. This means that literacy is not just about reading and writing but also about being able to communicate in different forms of media. Multiliteracies have two dimensions: multilingual and multimodal. The multilingual dimension refers to a wide range of languages, which include register and dialects. The multimodal dimension, on the other hand, refers to different modes of communication, such as audio, visual, tactile, and gestural. This course aims to develop students’ multiliteracies and understanding of Korean language and culture through the exploration of Korean movies. For this class, we will watch excerpts of movies and discuss and explore culture and language in these movies through related readings and materials.
Required Textbooks/Materials
Sources and materials will be prepared by the lecturer.
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Students will be able to develop their overall skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening through classes which will utilize various forms of media sources as class and learning materials .
Field of Lecture
Culture, Langauge
The Korean Wave
S2505
Christina Jung
christina.jung@hufs.ac.kr
Course Description
This course explores the global phenomenon known as the "Korean Wave" (Hallyu), examining the rise and impact of South Korean culture, media, music, film, fashion, and language across the world. Students will analyze the origins, components, and significance of Hallyu in global pop culture and assess the cultural, economic, and political implications of this trend. The course combines interdisciplinary approaches, including media analysis, cultural theory, sociology, and global studies.
Required Textbooks/Materials
1."The Korean Wave: Korean Media Go Global" by Youna Kim (Textbook)
2."K-Pop: Popular Music, Cultural Amnesia, and Economic Innovation in South Korea" by John Lie
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Professor-led lectures, class discussions, and student presentations
Field of Lecture
Culture
Media & Culture: Mass Communication in an AI World
S2508
Scott Smith
smith.hufs@gmail.com
Course Description
The course is designed to help students learn about, practice, and apply mass media and cultural concepts in a rapidly evolving, AI-powered 21st century via politics, economics, business, law, diplomacy, sociology, entertainment, and more.
Required Textbooks/Materials
None (I’ll provide weekly PDFs)
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
It will require minimal lecturing to help set lessons up, but in all classes that I teach, I try to maximize opportunities for meaningful communication via pair and small group work.
Field of Lecture
Culture, Politics, Economics, Sociology, Business, Law, Diplomacy
Cultural Content Production & Fandom through New Media
S2507
Jongmyung Lee
journaleest@outlook.com
Course Description
This course aims to help students gain an expanded understanding of cultural content production in the era of new media, such as AI and social media, as well as fandom as agents of content consumption and reproduction. Accordingly, the course covers topics including the concept of culture, the production and consumption of content, and discussions on the identity and agency of fandom. It focuses on themes such as participatory culture, fandom intimacy, and the production and consumption/reproduction of cultural content using AI, which will be shared YouTube channel. Through this, students will not only learn to produce cultural content utilizing new media technologies like AI but also reflect on their roles as active agents within fandom culture.
Required Textbooks/Materials
All the readings are provided.
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Lecture, Presentation, Discussion
Field of Lecture
Culture
Political Science & International Relations
History of Korean-American Relations
S2506
Wayne Patterson
waynekpatt@gmail.com
Course Description
This course examines the relationship between Korea and the United States with an emphasis on the experiences of the Koreans who immigrated to the United States and how the diplomatic relationship between the two countries not only affected the Korean diaspora in the United States but also how the Korean diaspora in the United States affected the diplomatic relationship between Korea and the United States. It covers the period from the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1882 to the present. Topics include picture brides, the Japanese takeover of Korea, and the role of such luminaries as Syngman Rhee, among others.
Required Textbooks/Materials
Wayne Patterson, The Korean Frontier in America: Immigration to Hawaii, 1896-1910
Wayne Patterson, The Ilse
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Class lectures will consist of several aspects to coincide with the assigned reading. They will be supplemented by discussion sessions and short quizzes based upon the assigned reading, and these quizzes will always be announced in advance. The quiz grades will be incorporated into the 25% courseassessment.
Field of Lecture
Sociology, International Relations
Understanding Contemporary East Asia
S2408
Jongwan Baik
jwbaik@hufs.ac.kr
Course Description
East Asia is an important region that includes the second and third-largest economies globally and has four countries in the G20. East Asian countries have achieved remarkable economic success since the post-war period but are facing many endogenous and exogenous challenges. Focusing on East Asia, this course will explore the historical evolution of East Asian regional order and the patterns of economic rise, cooperation, and integration in the region. Topics examined in this course include Chinese tributary-based regional order, Japan’s rise and colonialism, the U.S. pivot and US-China rivalry, nationalism, North Korean conundrum, the unification model of two Koreas, economic development of Japan, Korea, and China, territorial disputes in East Asia, and regional economic and security cooperation.
Required Textbooks/Materials
All readings will be available online.
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Lecture & Discussion
Field of Lecture
Political Science, International Relations
Global & Korean Etiquette and Manners
S2509
Tae Young Kim
forevertyk@gmail.com
Course Description
This course is intended to expose students to the basic rules of global and Korean etiquette and manners so that when they work in the government or private sector, they will be able to carry themselves smoothly in business and personal settings such as various functions such as dinners, ceremonies, etc. Students will also learn the basics of Korean etiquette and manners that are important part of the Korean culture and business.
Required Textbooks/Materials
TBA
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Lecture with visual materials, discussion, and student participation
Field of Lecture
Business, Culture, Politics
Economics
Understanding Korean Economy: Growth and Development
ISS1
Bongchul Kim, Seungrae Lee
bong625@hufs.ac.kr / srlee@hufs.ac.kr
Course Description
The purpose of this course is to improve the understanding of the Korean economy in the global perspective. Also, in doing so, the instructors will help the students to enhance their knowledge about theories of macroeconomics, international trade and economic development in the light of the Korean and the other East Asian experiences. This course will mostly examine the century-old economic development of Korea by focusing on the period after World War II. This course will be devoted to review the evolution of the Korean economy during the last several decades and major characteristics as well as the most important policy change of each decade will be explained
Required Textbooks/Materials
Some articles will be provided during the class and non mandatory books to read
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Some videos to watch, discussion, lecture
Field of Lecture
Economics
Northeast Asian Economic Relations
ISS2
Bongchul Kim, Euichan Shin
bong625@hufs.ac.kr / euchan@hufs.ac.kr
Course Description
Understanding of critical issues on comtemporary NEA region.
Required Textbooks/Materials
Pekkanen, Ravenhill, Foot, “Oxford handbook of the International Relations of Asia” Oxford University Press, 2014 / other materials
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Lecture, class participation and discussion methods
Field of Lecture
Politics, Economics
Business
Entrepreneurship and Design Thinking
S2401
Younggeun Lee, Sanggeun Lee
ylee16@calstatela.edu / slee258@syr.edu
Course Description
This course is an introductory course intended to provide students with a solid foundation in entrepreneurship and design thinking. Over the past decade, there has been a tremendous surge in entrepreneurship as an increasingly common career path, and it has even been adopted as a legitimate major/minor for collegiate study. During this semester, we will explore, create, assess, and critique all manner of phenomenon related to new venture development. The principal focus of the class will be on the creation and management of new ventures, the ways that they come into being, and factors associated with their success. Based on the design thinking perspective, this is a course of many ideas and questions, and you will be encouraged to develop and defend your own set of conclusions regarding each of these issues. It is also a course that integrates a number of different disciplines, ranging from sociology and psychology to economics, finance, marketing, and operations.
Required Textbooks/Materials
Barringer and Ireland. Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures. 5th edition.
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Lecture, Presentation, Discussion
Field of Lecture
Business
Ethics in Business
S2501
Shin Kim
skim@hufs.ac.kr
Course Description
- This course acquaints students with the generally accepted ethical standards in the business world.
- These standards pertain to such matters as conflict of interest, insider trading, price-fixing, employment discrimination, and the ethics of advertising and sales.
- The goal is to explain the ethical expectations. It is to explain why the standards are generally accepted (if not always practiced). In some cases, these standards and the law overlap, and we will often discuss the ethical spirit (rather than the letter) of the relevant laws in such cases.
Required Textbooks/Materials
Course packet will be used
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Lectures, case studies, small group discussions
Field of Lecture
Business
Management of AI Products and Projects
S2502
Stefan Pasch
stefan.pasch@outlook.com
Course Description
This course equips business and economics students with a comprehensive understanding of managing AI products, focusing on real-world applications and challenges. Beyond theoretical concepts, it emphasizes practical aspects of implementing AI and data science in production environments. Students will gain insights into the entire AI supply chain, from user- centered design and AI governance to data management and cloud infrastructure. The course addresses practical challenges in deploying AI systems, fostering collaboration in AI project management, and ensuring responsible, scalable AI solutions for businesses.
Required Textbooks/Materials
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Lecture
Mid-term & Final-Exam
Field of Lecture
Economics, Business
Sociology
Migration and Korea
S2405
Dosol Lee
dosolnissi@gmail.com
Course Description
This course aims to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of migration, with a specific focus on the Korean context, exploring the historical, cultural, and policy- related dimensions of migration.
Students will critically engage with both theoretical perspectives and the lived realities of migration in Korea, while developing their creative and analytical skills through interactive activities to investigate and represent migrant experiences. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Identify and critically analyze key migration concepts, theories, and methodologies.
2. Understand the historical and contemporary migration patterns in Korea.
3. Apply visual storytelling techniques, such as photovoice, to explore and represent migration experiences.
4. Engage in reflective and analytical discussions about migration in Korean contexts.
5. Synthesize insights from course materials into structured academic outputs, including synopses
Required Textbooks/Materials
Haas, Hein de, Stephen Castles, and Mark J. Miller. 2019. The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Relevant academic materials and research reports will be announced on the E-Class platform.
Please access textbooks and reference materials through the academic databases available via our university library: https://lib.hufs.ac.kr/#/er/webdb
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
The course will be delivered through a combination of lectures, discussions, and interactive activities.
Field of Lecture
Sociology, Politics, Culture, Humanities
Heuristics and Biases in Current Event
S2410
Garrett Bruce DeHond
dehond@hufs.ac.kr
Course Description
This course will have student explore current events through the lens of heuristics, a concept of behavioral economics, asking them to evaluate public instances of problem solving that reveal signs of non-pragmatic approaches and cognitive biases. Students will critically respond to events based on heuristic concepts.
Required Textbooks/Materials
No textbook required (all materials online).
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
The course will employ a mixture of discussion over news events, summaries of heuristic concepts, critical presentation and Q&A, and in-class workshops.
Field of Lecture
Politics, Economics, Sociology, Culture, Language
Practical Korean
Practical Korean: Level I
S2410
TBD
TBD
Course Description
In this class, the students can learn the basic Korean grammar and vocabulary that can be used in everyday conversation. Also, the students can improve basic Korean communication skills in daily life by practicing in a practical way based on speaking and listening.
Required Textbooks/Materials
외국인을 위한 한국어 1-2
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Lecture, Student-participation
Field of Lecture
Language
Practical Korean: Level II
S2411
TBD
TBD
Course Description
Students can understand and use basic vocabulary and relatively long sentences. Students can also practice basic conversation focusing on speaking skills through various role plays.
Required Textbooks/Materials
Korean Language 2-1 for Foreigners (외국인을 위한 한국어 2-1)
Method of Instruction/Lecturing
Lecture, Student-participation
Field of Lecture
Language