Jul 27, 2025  
2026 January Term Course Catalog 
    
2026 January Term Course Catalog
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JAN 412-01 - Creative Geniuses or Hard Workers: Innovation Insights from South Korea and Japan


Travel dates: Saturday, Jan. 3 - Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026

Instructor: Tina Xiaotian Zhang, xz4@stmarys-ca.edu; Yung-Jae Lee, ylee@stmarys-ca.edu

Course fee: TBD

 

Learn about the Jan Term Travel Scholarship for additional funding.

This fee includes:
Airfare, Local Transportation, Lodging, Meals, Excursions (e.g., museums, tours, etc.), Gratuity, Travel Insurance ($35/student - international classes only), Miscellaneous, Solbridge School of Business lectures, training certificates, company visits, etc.

Estimated cost outside of course fee
Meals/snack on your own: $20x19 days=$380
Visa fees $0 for US citizens and $40 for most other countries. 
Souvenirs $100.

 

South Korea and Japan are currently ranked as one of the world’s most innovative countries. This course is designed to raise awareness of the culture of Creativity and Innovation in the East Asian countries. Special attention is placed on what makes South Korea and Japan so innovative - are they a highly creative people or is it rooted in a hardworking Asian culture?

We look at the role of national culture in Korea’s best-known creative industries, namely electronics and Kpop, to more deeply understand the local and global business contexts that have made companies like Samsung, Hyundai, MBC some of the most innovative in the world.

It is beneficial to also visit Japan, as the two countries provide distinct yet complementary cultural and technological perspectives. Japan, renowned for its long-standing tradition of integrating cultural heritage with cutting-edge innovation, offers a unique environment where students can examine the influence of historical traditions on contemporary creativity. Students can explore the concept of “incremental innovation,” a core principle of the Japanese manufacturing system known as Kaizen.

A visit to both nations enhances students’ understanding of global perspectives, fostering critical and creative thinking within an interconnected world. At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Develop communication skills in the Korean and Japanese languages, enabling them to navigate daily interactions, seek assistance, and briefly engage with locals through an immersive experience.

  2. Broaden their understanding of the social, cultural, political, economic, and managerial differences between the US, Korea, Japan, and other East Asian countries such as China through an immersion experience.

  3. Understand the concepts of creativity and innovation, and their relations with the cultural contexts of South Korea, Japan, China, and the US.

  4. And explore how the different yet complementary culture and history from South Korea and Japan foster creation and innovation.

 

ITINERARY

  • December: Pre-departure meeting (Zoom)
    Class logistics. Introduction: Korean Language
  • Saturday, Jan. 3: Depart from SFO

Week 1

  • Sunday, Jan. 4: Arrive in ICN, Bus to Daejeon
  • Monday, Jan. 5: Daejeon
    Solbridge International School of Business: Program Orientation, SolBridge Campus Tour, Lectures: Korean Language & Culture Class, Chaebols & Its Impact to Korea’s Economic Growth
  • Tuesday, Jan. 6: Daejeon
    SolBridge lecture: Debate & Negotiation Skills. 
    Cultural site visit: Korean Culture (Hyo Institute), Tea ceremony and Hanbok Class.
  • Wednesday, Jan. 7: Daejeon
    SolBridge lecture: Communicating Across Cultures.
    Company visit: Korea Ginseng Corporation
  • Thursday, Jan. 8: Daejeon
    SolBridge lecture: Korea’s Entrepreneurship & Startup Ecosystem.
    Company visit: Korail or TBD.
  • Friday, Jan. 9: Daejeon
    SolBridge: Student Case Presentation, Closing Program & Awarding of Certificates
  • Saturday, Jan. 10: Depart from Daejeon, Arrive in Busan
  • Sunday, Jan. 11: Busan
    Company visit: Samjin Eomuk (the world’s largest fish cake manufactory)

Week 2

  • Monday, Jan. 12: Depart from Busan, Arrive in Seoul
    Company visit: Samsung Innovation Museum (or Kia Automobile Manufactory)
  • Tuesday, Jan. 13: Seoul
    Company visit: Ahn Lab Company Visit (#1 Cybersecurity Company in Korea)
    Cultural site visit: COEX Mall
  • Wednesday, Jan. 14: Seoul
    Company visit: MBC Dream Center (one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters).
    Cultural site visits: Nanta Show, Myeongdong Market
  • Thursday, Jan. 15: Seoul
    Cultural site visit: Gyeongbok Palace
  • Friday, Jan. 16: Depart from Seoul, Arrive in Kyoto
    Cultural site visits: Yasaka Shrine & Gion Area
  • Saturday, Jan. 17: Kyoto
    Company Visit: Shimadzu CorporationMuseum
    Cultural site visit: Kiyomizu-dera Temple
  • Sunday, Jan. 18: Kyoto
    Cultural site visits: Fushimi Inari, Ginaku-ji

Week 3

  • Monday, Jan. 19: Depart from Kyoto, Arrive in Tokyo
    Cultural site visit: Sensoji
  • Tuesday, Jan. 20: Tokyo
    Company visit: Nippon Steel Trading Corporation
    Cultural site visit: Tokyo Tower
  • Wednesday, Jan. 21: Depart from NRT (afternoon)
    Free day
  • Thursday, Jan. 22: Arrive at SFO


Prerequisites & Notes
  • Attend at least 1 information session

  • Permission of the instructor

 

General Travel Requirements

  • Attend at least 1 Health & Safety Orientation (October)

  • Submit a valid passport (November)

  • Apply or renew no later than September for on-time delivery

  • Submit completed & signed health forms + proof of vaccination(s) (November)

Note: Failure to complete one or more of the above requirements will result in an immediate drop from the course. Once registered, all course fees are non-refundable.

 

Please check the Jan Term Travel website for information session, registration, and deposit information. 

Course site

Registration

Jan Term Scholarship

Travel Health

FAQs

Credits: 3-CU



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