Power of lectures on liberal arts

Samsung Group and Hyundai Motor Group will conduct personality and aptitude tests for job applicants this weekend, which are known as a gateway to enter the Korea’s two biggest conglomerates. Across the nation, 90,000 applicants will take the Samsung Aptitude Test (SSAT) on April 12 and 20,000 applicants will sit in for the Hyundai Motor group Aptitude Test (HMAT) on April 11. As it did last year, understanding of history and liberal arts is expected to determine success or failure of the applicants.

Global IT firms also put much emphasis on liberal arts perspective in the business management. Some people may wonder how the liberal arts, such as literature, history or philosophy, can be of use for companies to make profit. Actually, the liberal arts can be of good help. Steve Jobs, the late founder of Apple, stressed during his life time that what makes Apple beautiful is a combination of technology and humanities. Michael Eisner, who served as CEO of the Walt Disney Company for 20 years, majored in English literature. “Literature is unbelievably helpful, because no matter what business you are in, you are dealing with interpersonal relationships. It gives you an appreciation of what makes people tick," Eisner says.

In the 2015 Knowledge Banquet held at the Inchon Memorial Hall of Korea University, Shinsegae Group Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin delivered opening remarks emphasizing humanistic wisdom as a liberal arts missionary in front of college students. “In this smart era represented by smart phones, people need to train ‘muscles for thoughts’ to overcome challenges and enjoy the blessings of the era to the fullest,” said Chung. The heir of Shinsegae Group suggested reading, writing and debate as a way of training the muscles. Many millionaire families in the U.S., such as Carnegie and Rockefeller, have this tradition to let their children learn about the importance of liberal arts. The same tradition runs in the Samsung family. Chung majored in Western history at Seoul National University and studied economics at Brown University in the U.S.

In the reality where the liberal arts are shaken to the root, it is glad to see one of the largest conglomerates in Korea shows affection to the humanities. "Knowledge Banquet," which started last year, is Shinsegae Group’s project brand that aims to revive the liberal arts. The retail conglomerate supports 2 billion won (1.82 million U.S. dollars) to this project every year. What has made Chung, who thinks about the future of the retail industry, turn into values of the liberal arts? In the 21st century’s business environment full of uncertainties, leafing through books on management cannot prepare business leaders to properly respond to turbulence of the time. Going into an uncharted land and making a new passage to map-makers, this is the true power of liberal arts.

mskoh119@donga.com