Performance management and policy evaluation of information and communication technology graduate program for developing countries.

As an educational aid, the Korean government has developed and funded a graduate-level global information telecommunications technology program (ITTP) for ICT officers in developing countries. Questions have arisen about whether the program can achieve its goals and obtain mutual benefits between Korea and participating nations. Using a total quality management (TQM) framework as a unique case analysis, we evaluated ITTP's resources and performance from 2006 to 2014. Our results show that ITTP has focused on the quantitative promotion of students and alums from various countries and their learning of Korea-centric ICT, policies, and culture. In particular, the Korean government's lax evaluation of ITTP performance has led to weak responsibility, ambiguous task identity, missed opportunities for self-improvement, and low participation among students and stakeholders. These findings highlight the need for graduate programs and their stakeholders to reinforce internal and external evaluations of the program's performance and provide feedback for reciprocal development.

Open Book Exams and Flexible Grading Systems: Post-COVID University Policies from a Student Perspective.

Due to COVID-19, many universities have started offering real time video or recorded courses. This situation raises concerns about a decline in students' learning outcomes and issues of unfairness regarding students' exams and grade evaluations. Korean universities have introduced online open book testing in courses and a flexible pass grading system that allows students to select their final grades to improve fairness. This research investigates students' thoughts and reasons for the test and the system through a questionnaire with 109 respondents and statistical methods such as nonparametric tests, multinomial regression and text-mining. Many students supported both the testing and the grading system, presenting balanced viewpoints by comparing their cons and pros. This finding suggests that these policies could be helpful in enhancing fairness in grade evaluation, relieving students of the learning burden and increasing their satisfaction. This study offers the implications that universities must develop standardized exam formats as well as various learning options in a rapidly changing situation with educational innovation (e.g., hyperscale and generative artificial intelligence).

Prioritizing Career Preparation: Learning Achievements and Extracurricular Activities of Undergraduate Students for Future Success.

Preparing for a job can be difficult for undergraduates as this would be one of their first experiences of responsibility; obtaining a job will make them economically independent beings taking responsibility for their lives. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, this task has become even more challenging for Generation Z students, born in the mid-1990s, as they navigate a turbulent job market. This study aims to analyze undergraduates' priority decisions regarding the criteria and activities of their career preparation. The study conducted a questionnaire analysis using the methodology of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with 93 university students in the Republic of Korea. This research finds that students rank personal feelings of achievement as the most important criterion in their career preparation. They perceive extracurricular activities and internships as the most beneficial experiences for job readiness. On the contrary, networking activities within the university and with alumni received the least importance. These results highlight a need for universities to innovate their educational approach. Addressing the gap between current curricula and student needs and enhancing self-efficacy among students are critical. Innovative educational strategies could be a key to meeting societal expectations, such as the integration of business and technology, and catering to the unique learning needs of Generation Z. This becomes particularly relevant considering the rise of new career paths, such as youth startups, leveraging advanced technologies.

Workability and Life Satisfaction: Effects of Workers' Positive Perceptions on Their Return to Jobs.

Background: The death rate of workers due to industrial accidents in South Korea (3.61 persons in 2017) is higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average (2.43) and the fifth highest among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries. Although the pandemic of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed, the socioeconomic aspects of Korean society, the number of Koreans suffering accidents and the number of deaths in 2020 have increased. It is necessary to take measures to prevent accidents and make comprehensive efforts to return to work. This study proposes research questions about the effect of workers' positive perception on whether to work after accidents and the impact of the experience of rehabilitation services on the return to work. Methods: This research performed a panel logistic regression analysis using data on workers' compensation insurance in Korea for two years (2018-2019). Results: This research finds that workers' positive perceptions of workability and life satisfaction contributed affirmatively to their re-employment. Several factors related to employment (e.g., work period, the number of job qualifications) also positively affect their return to work. However, the experience of rehabilitation services did not have a significant effect on re-employment. The variables of their health conditions (e.g., disability grade, feelings of health problems, age) negatively influenced their return to jobs. Conclusion: These results suggest the importance of workers' mental recovery and the need to innovate rehabilitation services for their employment. Positive thinking and self-rehabilitation could be critical for workers, parallel with social welfare policies.

Positive Factors for Return to Work After Accidents: Health Awareness, Consultation with Doctors, and Personal Characteristics of Workers.

Background: Industrial accidents can determine the overall level and quality of the work environment in industries and companies that contribute to national economic development. Korea has transformed the country from an international aid recipient to a donor country, but it has ranked first among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries in the number of fatal industrial accidents. Little has been known about the policy effects in terms of the workers' insurance for their industrial accidents and rehabilitation. This study raises two research questions about the influence of workers' personal characteristics and vocational rehabilitation services on their return to workplaces. Methods: The study implements weighted logistic regression analysis using propensity score matching. This research utilizes the relevant dataset (3,924 persons) of Korea's industrial accident and insurance. Results: The findings show that the level of workers' awareness of health recovery and their counseling for rehabilitation by physicians had positive effects on their return to work. Environmental factors such as workers' job stability at the time of industrial accidents and the temporal effects of industrial accidents (e.g., the level of disability, their age) had negative impacts on their return to work. Conclusions: These findings have policy implications that the concentration of rehabilitation services for patients who have been mildly affected by industrial accidents would be effective in the short and medium term. The findings also highlight the necessity of ongoing policies about workers' vocational recovery with concrete evidence about policy impacts.

Global trade of South Korea in competitive products and their impact on regional dependence.

The economic growth of a nation under the competition among countries can result from the interaction of the diversity and complexity of product export and import relations on the globe. This research aims to evaluate the competitiveness of South Korea's trading products and its partner countries' dependency by implementing a product and partner-based analysis. This research raises questions about the transactional positions of products and trading partners based on the diversification of import-export relations of South Korea. This study utilizes the matrix of products and trading partners from the Korean product export and import data from 1995 to 2015. The research analyzes Korea's product competitiveness and dependency of trading countries on Korea using the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) and a nonlinear iterative method (NIM). The study finds that the products of several manufacturing industries showed a large production scale. From the global perspective, the trade dependency on Korea was high in Asia and in Africa and South America where the portion of underdeveloped or developing countries is relatively large. This research suggests that Korea may face difficulties of continuing growth if it maintains or intensifies its trade relation pattern under the environment of rapidly changing technology and economy. Therefore, diversification and mutual complementarity could be important for the export of promising products and industrial development policy.

A serological survey of avian origin canine H3N2 influenza virus in dogs in Korea.

Canine H3N2 influenza viruses of avian origin were recently isolated and found to induce disease in dogs. Results of serologic analysis indicate that avian origin canine influenza virus can spread rapidly through local dog populations, which indicates its potential for becoming established in dogs throughout Korea.