Earlier this month, 30 UCL School of Management students, along with Programme Director Simon Hulme, Lecturer Alina Kim and 2 School alumni, travelled to South Korea for the annual MSc Entrepreneurship trek. Throughout their 8-day visit, the group visited a number of international companies, including Adidas Korea and the British Chamber of Commerce, as well as exciting and innovative startups that are at the forefront of the Korean entrepreneurial space.
Kicking off the visit, students met Matthew Cho, Co-Founder of ETRNL Vault, a Seoul-based startup pioneering the fusion of fashion and augmented reality. The students then headed to the Adidas headquarters in Seoul, where they met with Alex Mrosseck, Director of Strategy & PMO, before exploring the intricacies of the company’s strategy in the dynamic Korean market.
Continuing their exploration of the Korean startup space, students then headed to energyX, a business dedicated to green building innovation and the integration of sustainable architecture with cutting-edge technology. Students then met Taewoo Kim, Founder of AI consultancy business Fountains, demonstrating the strength of technology and innovation within Korean startups.
Rounding off the week, the group visited the British Chamber of Commerce, meeting with Executive Director Lucinda Walker, who gave an overview of UK-South Korea commerce. Finally, MSc Entrepreneurship students were delighted to attend a panel of Seoul-based foreign founders, which included Jason Boutte, Founder of Shuttle, Gordon Dudley, Founder of RDI Worldwide, and Joseph Maier, Founder of F45 Training Korea.
In addition to company visits, students also engaged in a number of fun activities to support their cultural and historical learning, including a Korean cooking class and a guided tour of Seoul. Students were also able to experience an insightful day trip with Simon Hulme to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), a de facto border between North and South Korea that was established in 1953 as part of the Korean Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War.
A unique part of the MSc Entrepreneurship programme at UCL School of Management, these treks provide students with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to take their learning beyond the classroom and explore other start-up ecosystems. Previous treks have included trips to Singapore, Berlin, Tel Aviv and Silicon Valley in California.
Find out more about UCL School of Management’s MSc Entrepreneurship programme.
