Ph.D Program in Strategies on International Area Studies (SIAS)
Introduction
The Ph.D. program in SIAS offers rigorous interdisciplinary training at the intersection of geopolitics, geoeconomics, and international trade strategy. Designed to address the limitations of single-discipline approaches, the program integrates international political economy, trade law, and quantitative methods to equip students with both analytical depth and policy-relevant prescriptive capacity. At its core, SIAS moves beyond descriptive regional understanding toward the design of strategic prescriptions—asking not only how regions function, but how states can best leverage regional dynamics to advance their national interests. Students are trained in a distinctive methodological framework that combines process tracing, econometric tools, and trade law analysis through systematic triangulation. The program places particular emphasis on the strategic challenges facing Korea and like-minded middle powers, including economic security, supply chain resilience, technology competition, and great-power rivalry. Graduates are prepared for careers in academia, government ministries and agencies, international institutions, and strategic consulting, equipped to translate complex regional knowledge into concrete, and actionable strategy.
Program Highlights
- Korean-Medium Instruction: All courses are conducted in Korean, providing a structured and linguistically consistent academic environment that supports deep engagement with the curriculum.
- Practitioner-Engaged Learning: Sessions are led by distinguished professionals from academia, government agencies, policy institutes, business associations, and international organizations, bridging the gap between scholarly inquiry and real-world expertise.
- Integrated Curriculum: The program is structured around three interlocking pillars — regional expertise, data-driven analytical methods, and applied policy knowledge — ensuring that theoretical rigor and practical utility mutually reinforce each other.
