If someone had told me a few months ago that I’d be exploring the future of vertical farming in South Korea, experiencing mock weather forecasts at a national broadcasting station, understanding the psychology behind gaming ecosystems, and more—all within a span of five days—I might have smiled politely and dismissed it as a stretch. But that’s exactly what happened. And more importantly, it’s exactly the kind of experience that changes the way you see the world and your place in it.
As an MBA student at FLAME University majoring in Marketing, I was fortunate to be one of 31 postgraduate students selected for a fully sponsored industry-focused Global Immersion Program to South Korea, in collaboration with Sungkyunkwan Graduate School of Business (SKKGSB), the number one ranked business school in South Korea. The initiative was fast-paced, intensive, and brimming with insights that continue to shape my academic and personal thinking weeks after returning.
There’s something powerful about stepping out of your comfort zone, not just geographically but intellectually. Each day in Seoul felt like we were peeling back layers of culture, business models, and leadership philosophies. What stood out to me most wasn’t any single event, but the feeling of being at the intersection of tradition and innovation and witnessing how a nation like South Korea manages to balance both with intent and precision.
One particularly inspiring moment for me came during our visit to Smilegate, one of the country’s top gaming firms. The discussion around gaming as a “behavioral economy” changed how I perceive not just games but consumer behavior in general. As someone who has always loved gaming, I was fascinated by how deeply user psychology, monetization, and storytelling were baked into design. It wasn’t just about creating fun; it was about engineering engagement. The idea that a few high-value players (or “whales”) drive most of the platform’s revenue was both a business revelation and a psychological insight.
Similarly, our session at Kia’s Electric Vehicle Plant in Gwangmyeong offered a futuristic glimpse into how human-machine collaboration is revolutionizing sustainable mobility. Watching robots weld components with surgical precision while humans handled complex tasks in sync reaffirmed how automation and empathy must coexist in modern manufacturing. The plant wasn’t just efficient; it was a vision of what’s possible when technology and purpose align.
These immersive experiences were not standalone industrial visits—they were extensions of the very pedagogy we follow at FLAME University. Our curriculum isn’t siloed. We learn economics through the lens of society, marketing through the prism of psychology, and leadership through the grounding of philosophy. Because of this, I found myself not just observing Korea’s systems but engaging with them and connecting the dots between what I’d learned in class and what I was now witnessing in practice.
The lectures at SKKGSB were rich in context. Professor Andrew Yi’s masterclass on the evolution of Korea Inc. from post-war poverty to tech-driven prosperity was especially compelling. He talked about the “chaebol system” and the rise of family-owned conglomerates like Samsung and Hyundai. While their success stories were undeniable, the concept of the “Korean Discount” due to poor corporate governance offered a nuanced view of what unchecked power can lead to.
Cultural exchange, too, was a core part of this experience. Whether it was watching the vibrant lanterns at Jogyesa Temple on Lord Buddha’s birthday, walking through Gyeongbokgung Palace, or having ramen in Insadong’s charming alleys, there was a constant reminder that leadership, discipline, and community spirit are woven deeply into the Korean way of life. Their commitment to harmony, hierarchy, and collective good was visible not just in policy and business but in daily social behavior.
It reminded me of FLAME’s own Guru-Shishya philosophy, where mentorship isn’t just formal but personal. Our 1:15 student-faculty ratio ensures that we aren’t lost in a crowd and that someone is always nudging us to grow, to reflect, and to pause. This program didn’t feel like a detour from our academic journey but felt like a natural extension of it.
A unique personal highlight was getting the opportunity to design the official logo for the program. As someone with a creative inclination, it was thrilling to work on something that symbolized cross-border learning. The concept was built around shared growth and collaboration. I used visual elements that merged Korean Dancheong art, as seen on their palaces and temples, and Indian pietra dura art, as seen on the Taj Mahal, representing the dialogue between two cultures, two business ecosystems, and two academic institutions. Seeing it come alive on our official t-shirts was surreal.
Another memorable moment was visiting Farm8, a vertical farming company. It felt like stepping into a sci-fi future with the automated trays, LED-lit gardens, and data-driven farming that optimized every drop of water and watt of energy.
But not all lessons came from companies or classrooms. Occasionally they came from moments as simple as sharing street food with peers, trying to pronounce Hangul signboards, or experiencing the hum of Itaewon’s nightlife. These instances reinforced something I’ve come to value deeply through FLAME’s interdisciplinary education model: that learning is everywhere. In questions, in contradictions, in cultures.
To anyone wondering whether short-term programs like this add value, I can now confidently say that they do—if your university has prepared you to receive them. At FLAME University, we’re not trained to memorize; we’re trained to connect. Whether it’s branding lessons from TIRTIR’s influencer strategy or leadership values from parables of water and fire, everything we saw in Korea now sits in conversation with what we study back home.
If I had to sum up my experience, I’d say that it was less about discovering Korea and more about discovering new ways of thinking, relating, and growing. It’s easy to learn in familiar environments. But real learning, the kind that stays with you, often happens in the uncomfortable, the new, and the unexplored.
This immersion program may have lasted only five days, but its impact will surely stretch across my entire MBA journey and well beyond it.
About the author: This article has been authored by Shriyans Chaudhari, an MBA student at FLAME University, Pune who was one of the 31 postgraduate students recently selected for a fully sponsored industry-focused Global Immersion Program to South Korea.
