Mason Korea President Steven Lee
In a move to further strengthen its global presence, George Mason University announced today that it named Steven K. Lee the new president of its Mason Korea Campus.
Mason Korea is a key part of the university’s effort to create a truly global learning experience to prepare students for a changing and increasingly global economy. Korean students receive a high-quality U.S. education without leaving their country while American students benefit from studying at the Mason Korea Campus.
Lee joins Mason after serving as the founding director and chief executive officer of the University of Southern California Korea. At USC Korea, his responsibilities included creating strategic plans for the campus, developing institutional, government, and corporate partnerships, and initiating academic and advancement projects.
“Steven has a wealth of experience leading University of Southern California’s operation in Korea,” said S. David Wu, George Mason’s executive vice president and provost. “We are very fortunate to have him taking the helm for our Korean campus. I look forward to working with him to establish Mason’s gateway to Asia.”
Students attending Mason Korea earn the same degree they would receive for attending classes on Mason’s campuses in Fairfax, Arlington or Prince William County. Mason Korea students spend the fourth and fifth semesters (third year) on the Fairfax Campus and complete the rest of their course work in Korea. Economics and management are the first course offerings and were specifically requested by Korea’s Ministry of Education.
In its second year, Mason Korea has 132 students, 87 more than in its first year, and from twice as many different countries. Students from Mason’s Virginia campuses also attend Mason Korea.
Mason Korea is located in Songdo, which is part of South Korea’s Incheon Free Economic Zone, a 42,000-acre site designed for 850,000 people. The campus is 25 miles from Seoul and a two-hour flight from China and Japan.
Joy Hughes, George Mason University’s Vice President for IT from 1997-2013 and member of the board of the Confucius Institute at Mason since 2009, has served as Interim President and Provost at the university’s new campus in Korea for the past year. The new president of Mason Korea will take office in July 2015 and Dr. Hughes will stay on to assist with the transition until early fall.
“We want to thank Joy Hughes for providing strong leadership during this year of transition,” said Michelle Marks, Mason’s vice provost for academic affairs. “During the last year, Mason Korea has more than tripled its enrollment and doubled its faculty and staff, all under her direction.”
Lee received his PhD in education from the University of Southern California and earned a bachelor and master’s degrees in foreign languages and linguistics and a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Washington.