Scottish Centre for Korean Studies Distinguished Lecture Series: Gi-Wook Shin In brief Date - 11 June 2026Venue - Lecture Theatre C, 40 George SquareSpeaker - Professor Gi-Wook Shin (Stanford University)Title - The Four Talent Giants: Talent Development Strategies in Japan, Australia, China, and India and Their Implications for Korea About the eventThe Asia-Pacific region has seen extraordinary economic achievements. Japan's post-World War II transformation into an economic powerhouse challenging US dominance by the late 1980s was miraculous. China's rise as the world's second-largest economy is one of the 21st century's most stunning stories. India, now a top-five economy by GDP, is rapidly ascending. Despite its small population, Australia ranked among the top ten GDP nations in 1960 and has remained resilient.While cultivating, attracting, and leveraging talent has been crucial to growth in these countries, their approaches have varied widely, reflecting significant cultural, historical, and institutional differences. This talk examines how these four talent giants sustained growth while navigating demographic crises, brain drain, and geopolitical tensions, offering valuable lessons for policymakers and scholars on the relationship between talent and economic power in the region, including Korea and beyond.About the speakerGi-Wook Shin is the William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea in the Department of Sociology, senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and the founding director of the Korea Program at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) since 2001, all at Stanford University. In the summer of 2023, he launched the Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab (SNAPL), which is a new research initiative committed to addressing emergent social, cultural, economic, and political challenges in Asia. In May 2024, Shin also founded the Taiwan Program at APARC. He served as director of APARC for two decades (2005-2025). As a historical-comparative and political sociologist, his research has concentrated on social movements, nationalism, development, democracy, migration, and international relations.About the Distinguished Lecture seriesEach year, the Scottish Centre for Korean Studies welcomes a fantastic range of guest speakers to give a free public lecture. They cover a range of topics, from literature and poetry to international relations.Often, speakers will present on recent publications, and audiences have the opportunity to participate in question and answer sessions after presentations.Selected lectures have been recorded and uploaded to the Scottish Centre for Korean Studies’ YouTube channel and Facebook page.How to attendThis event is free to attend and open to all. Registration is not required.Are you interested in studying with us?Study Korean Studies with us and explore one of the most dynamic countries in East Asia, gaining a unique vantage point on crucial topics of relevance across the Northeast Asian region and the globe. We offer a taught MSc in East Asian Studies with a Korean pathway as well as an MSc by Research and a PhD in Korean Studies. Find out more about Asian Studies at Edinburgh Tags Asian Studies Jun 11 2026 14.00 - 16.30 Scottish Centre for Korean Studies Distinguished Lecture Series: Gi-Wook Shin Join the Scottish Centre for Korean Studies for an in-person lecture by Professor Gi-Wook Shin (Stanford University), entitled 'The Four Talent Giants: Talent Development Strategies in Japan, Australia, China, and India and Their Implications for Korea'. Lecture Theatre C 40 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9LX Find the venue: 40 George Square This article was published on Tuesday 2 June 2026
Scottish Centre for Korean Studies Distinguished Lecture Series: Gi-Wook Shin In brief Date - 11 June 2026Venue - Lecture Theatre C, 40 George SquareSpeaker - Professor Gi-Wook Shin (Stanford University)Title - The Four Talent Giants: Talent Development Strategies in Japan, Australia, China, and India and Their Implications for Korea About the eventThe Asia-Pacific region has seen extraordinary economic achievements. Japan's post-World War II transformation into an economic powerhouse challenging US dominance by the late 1980s was miraculous. China's rise as the world's second-largest economy is one of the 21st century's most stunning stories. India, now a top-five economy by GDP, is rapidly ascending. Despite its small population, Australia ranked among the top ten GDP nations in 1960 and has remained resilient.While cultivating, attracting, and leveraging talent has been crucial to growth in these countries, their approaches have varied widely, reflecting significant cultural, historical, and institutional differences. This talk examines how these four talent giants sustained growth while navigating demographic crises, brain drain, and geopolitical tensions, offering valuable lessons for policymakers and scholars on the relationship between talent and economic power in the region, including Korea and beyond.About the speakerGi-Wook Shin is the William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea in the Department of Sociology, senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and the founding director of the Korea Program at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) since 2001, all at Stanford University. In the summer of 2023, he launched the Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab (SNAPL), which is a new research initiative committed to addressing emergent social, cultural, economic, and political challenges in Asia. In May 2024, Shin also founded the Taiwan Program at APARC. He served as director of APARC for two decades (2005-2025). As a historical-comparative and political sociologist, his research has concentrated on social movements, nationalism, development, democracy, migration, and international relations.About the Distinguished Lecture seriesEach year, the Scottish Centre for Korean Studies welcomes a fantastic range of guest speakers to give a free public lecture. They cover a range of topics, from literature and poetry to international relations.Often, speakers will present on recent publications, and audiences have the opportunity to participate in question and answer sessions after presentations.Selected lectures have been recorded and uploaded to the Scottish Centre for Korean Studies’ YouTube channel and Facebook page.How to attendThis event is free to attend and open to all. Registration is not required.Are you interested in studying with us?Study Korean Studies with us and explore one of the most dynamic countries in East Asia, gaining a unique vantage point on crucial topics of relevance across the Northeast Asian region and the globe. We offer a taught MSc in East Asian Studies with a Korean pathway as well as an MSc by Research and a PhD in Korean Studies. Find out more about Asian Studies at Edinburgh Tags Asian Studies Jun 11 2026 14.00 - 16.30 Scottish Centre for Korean Studies Distinguished Lecture Series: Gi-Wook Shin Join the Scottish Centre for Korean Studies for an in-person lecture by Professor Gi-Wook Shin (Stanford University), entitled 'The Four Talent Giants: Talent Development Strategies in Japan, Australia, China, and India and Their Implications for Korea'. Lecture Theatre C 40 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9LX Find the venue: 40 George Square This article was published on Tuesday 2 June 2026
Jun 11 2026 14.00 - 16.30 Scottish Centre for Korean Studies Distinguished Lecture Series: Gi-Wook Shin Join the Scottish Centre for Korean Studies for an in-person lecture by Professor Gi-Wook Shin (Stanford University), entitled 'The Four Talent Giants: Talent Development Strategies in Japan, Australia, China, and India and Their Implications for Korea'.
