The Halla Group The Halla Group of Companies, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, was founded by its chairman, Chung In Yung. Under his dynamic leadership, the enterprise flourished and has grown rapidly into one of Korea's important conglomerates and an international force in heavy industry. The mission of the Halla Program of Korean-American Business Studies is to provide students with broader perspectives, intellectual growth, cross-cultural experience, and the analytical skills needed to conduct international business effectively in the Asia-Pacific Rim countries. In particular, emphasis is placed on Korean-American business and trade relations. An important objective is to promote the exchange of ideas and management styles across national and cultural boundaries, particularly those of Korea and the U.S.A., mainly through Korean-American business conferences and seminars. Another principal objective of the program is to conduct research on Korean-American business and trade relations, management of Korean companies, comparative Asian economies, international trade, finance, marketing, technology transfers and diffusion, and the multicultural work environment. Chairman Chung was awarded an honorary doctorate from Long Island University in 1991. He has a strong interest in the University (he refers to LIU as "my school"). That interest, joined with his commitment to education and the expansion of knowledge of business as conducted in Korea and in the United States, led to two important events for the College of Management and the University. In the Fall of 1992, the Halla Group of Companies awarded a grant to the University to enable the recruitment of a visiting Korean scholar to lead a program that focuses on international economics and business, the Korean economy and Korean-American business relations. This program was supervised by Dr. John Kuark, the program's first director. The Halla Group of Companies began sending Halla managers to the C.W. Post Campus in the Fall of 1993. The managers who participate in the program take special advanced classes in management and learn firsthand about American businesses. In addition, they enhance their communication skills through English language instruction while living on the C.W. Post Campus. As part of their cultural program, the Halla executives experience a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner, and an American barbecue at the home of Dr. Anthony Akel, the program's director. In addition, several outings guided by Dr. Akel and Dr. John Kuark have enhanced the cultural experiences of the executives. These included a professional baseball game, several dinners at Korean, Chinese and American restaurants, several performances at the Tilles Center, including Philharmonic orchestra concerts, holiday concerts and several classical music performances. With the unfortunate demise of the Halla Group in 1998, this program is now in Abeyance.