[2020 Women’s Forum] Next-Generation Leaders... Taking Group Photos to Capture Memories and Embracing Hope Through Conversations with Mentors

No Room to Step an Hour Before the Event Starts
Fortunate to Receive Phone Numbers by Boldly Greeting

On the 28th, Park Hyung-joo, President of Ajou University, is giving a lecture at the '2020 Asia Women Leaders Forum' hosted by Asia Economy at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] On the 28th, the '2020 Asia Women Leaders Forum' held at the Crystal Ballroom of Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul, was packed with next-generation leaders from all over the country searching for life mentors from early morning.

Around 8 a.m., about an hour before the event started, 29 graduate students from Seoul Foreign University Graduate School gathered in a crowd and took commemorative photos in front of the photo wall, leaving the day as a memory. Song Ji-eun (26, female), a first-year student majoring in English interpretation at this graduate school, said, "I was recommended by a professor at school to attend the forum with my classmates," adding, "I will stay until the end of the event with the students who came together, talk with mentors, and listen attentively to the lectures of excellent speakers."

Participants each decided on the mentor they wanted to see in their hearts and came to the venue. They took photos of the seating chart and hurriedly sat in the seats next to the mentors they wanted to meet.

Ko Hyun-kyung (24, female), who graduated from university this year, said, "I hoped to sit next to the mentor I really wanted to meet among women mentors from various fields, but I missed the seat, which was disappointing," but added, "I greeted the mentors during the break and heard good stories." Job seeker Kim Chae-young (25, female) eagerly awaited meeting Lee Hyun-ah, head of the AI Service Division at SK Telecom. Kim said, "I am studying in the AI field, so I really wanted to meet Director Lee," and added, "I am glad to have the opportunity to meet her at this event."

On the 28th, at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Professor Lee Jin-hyung of Stanford University's Department of Neurology and Bioengineering gave a lecture via video conference at the '2020 Asia Women Leaders Forum' hosted by Asia Economy. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Mentees did not waste even spare moments. They mustered courage to approach mentors, exchanged greetings, and were lucky enough to get phone numbers. Lee Eun-sook, director of the National Cancer Center and head of this year's forum mentors, said, "Our mentors have experienced all kinds of hardships and battles," adding, "After the event, feel free to contact us anytime so that we can help the mentees."

The forum strictly followed the government's COVID-19 prevention guidelines. All participants managed personal hygiene with temperature checks and hand sanitizers before entering the venue. They completed registration procedures using pre-assigned QR codes. As the event start time approached, the registration desk lines grew long, but participants cooperated with the prevention procedures without any complaints or dissatisfaction. Everyone wore masks and followed COVID-19 prevention rules until the event ended.