On November 18, Yonsei alumnus and Associate Administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. Dr. Jaiwon Shin visited the Sinchon Campus to speak on leadership at the College of Science. Dr. Shin earned his bachelor’s degree from Yonsei in 1982. He went on to receive a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from California State University, Long Beach in 1985, and, in 1989, he was awarded a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Prior to assuming his current position, Dr. Shin headed the Aeronautics Projects Office at NASA’s Glenn Research Center and the Aviation Safety Programs Office.  He also served as deputy program manager for NASA’s Aviation Safety Program and Airspace Systems Program. In 2008, he received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Senior Executive, which is the highest honor for civilian executives in the U.S. federal government.  

Dr. Shin began his talk with an overview of the century-long history of NASA and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). He explained that despite the common belief that NASA’s principle function is to explore space, the federal agency is also responsible for aeronautics and aerospace research. In fact, one of NASA’s critical strategic goals is to advance aeronautics research, which involves a great many collaborative relationships with private industry.  

The main focus of Dr. Shin’s talk was the challenges faced by innovators today and the importance of leadership in fostering an environment conducive to innovation. Leadership, as he defined it, means “creating an environment that enables innovative ideas.” Drawing upon the example of IBM’s corporate culture, Dr. Shin argued that the company’s practice of enforcing conformity through group pressure is an effective means of running a corporation; however, this conformity has resulted in a lack creativity and innovation. He asserted, therefore, that good leadership involves establishing and promoting a high-trust culture, while, at the same time, being able to identify and maximize the potential of employees.     

The forty-minute lecture was followed by questions from Yonsei students. One asked Dr. Shin how he had effectively dealt with the pressures and demands of studying, research, and leadership. Dr. Shin responded that he has been able to overcome the inherent difficulties of his field by reflecting on the benefits that it provides to society. “An aeronautical engineer,” he said, “is someone who contributes to the betterment of the world. Envision yourself as someone who can help the world, and this vision will help you surmount whatever challenges are facing you.”