With its theme, “The Global Age and Korean Business Insight: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Convergence Strategies,” the first Global Entrepreneurship for young Asian Thought Leaders got underway on Monday, June 25 at SolBridge.

The objectives of the two-day forum  are to “create a global network among young leaders in APT, to share ideas on best practices of Innovation; Entrepreneurship, and Convergence Strategies in APT, to learn about new developments in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Convergence Strategies and to learn about the Korean insight on competitive global strategies.”

In his welcome address to participants and guests, Vice Dean Dr. Patrick Leonard wished those in attendance a good time while at SolBridge and Korea this week and reminded everyone of the importance of entrepreneurship.

“Look at this as an investment,” Leonard said. “The papers which will present at this forum will be the centerpiece.”

In the keynote address, Dr. Sang M. Lee, University Eminent Scholar at the University of Nebraska and honorary president of Woosong University gave an overview of entrepreneurship and how it fits into today’s global business world.

“Entrepreneurship has a lot to do with innovation and value,” Lee said. “And I’m not talking just about profits when I talk about value but to create value for the community and a quality of life.”

With a world population of over seven billion and five billion over the age of 15—for the three billion wanting to work—one of greatest challenges for governments, according to Lee, is the creation of jobs (of the three billion wanting to work, only 1.2 billion have full time jobs). And that’s where entrepreneurship comes in.

“If it (entrepreneurship) does not create jobs, it fails,” Lee said.

During his address, Lee provided the audience with an overview of how entrepreneurship works and some of the challenges in the ever-changing business world (the ever shortening life cycle of products and how culture influences entrepreneurship). Much of what he covered laid the groundwork for the kinds of presentations that students will make during the two-day forum.

However, his address came full circle when he reminded everyone of the need to not only create value with entrepreneurship but also to create jobs.

“We have to emphasize more how to help young people,” Lee said.