Europe in Korea

A seminar about European Institutions and Companies in Korea.

European Studies - Dept. of French - Dept. of German at the University of Incheon.

From April to the end of May 2009, on Wednesday afternoon, the University of Incheon organizes presentations with various representatives of the EU established in Korea. The purpose is to gather various expatriates to discover the potential of European companies and institutions, their presence here in Korea, and the good and bad of being a European in Korea.
Thus during three month, guided by motivated students, different companies and institutions are invited to visit us and briefly introduce themselves, respond to the students questions, and have an enjoyable experience presenting their homeland and their objectives in Asia.
The atmosphere of these presentations is meant to be very pleasant for all of us, and to celebrate your participation properly you are invited to enjoy a dinner afterwards at the University restaurant.

In order to graduate, each group of students supervising one of the eight delegations will have to make a presentation and remarks on this website.

Schedule and List of our Guests and Visits

Professors:
Johann Blondeau (Dept. of French)
Michael Menke (Dept. of German)


March 4th
Introduction

March 11th

Website, presentations from last year, advantages of this seminar (knowledge of companies, some internships possible ?, …) Which companies / institutions from this year do you know?

March 18th

Preparation. How to make a PPP? (1)

March 25th

Introduction to PPP (2). Kind of international companies, top 100 companies. Which are represented in Korea? Distribution of themes & companies for the presentation, forming of student-teams.

April 1st

What is typical European (typical French, typical German …) Stereotypes & Reality? Cultural aspects of personal relations. Letter of Application, Curriculum vitae (CV). Job-Interview. List of questions to the guests.

April 8th

Lufthansa Service Gesellschaft (LSG) Sky Chef (food, entertainment, service for airplanes), excursion to Incheon International Airport, Mr. Steffen Rosch, President,

Meeting point: 14.50 at the "King Sejong" Statue below College of Humanities. We go by university-bus!

April 15th

Nina Ricci, Fashion, France, Mr. Christophe Muser (Day changed!)

April 22nd

Porsche-Motors, Germany, Mrs. Park, Su-Hyun

April 29th

Excursion to KBS World, French & German radio-program, Mrs. Yoon, Woo-Mi (Day changed!)

May 6th

KOPRA Seoul, Internships, Ms. Cecilia Kiew, representant

May 13th

French- Korean Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mrs. Sophie Cremezi, PR & events-manager
May 20th

German-Korean Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr. Jürgen Wöhler, director.

May 27th

Essilor-Korea, Optic and Glasses, France, Mr. Arnaud Dupont, business analyst

June 3rd

Conclusion, remarks

Visit at LSG Sky Chefs, Incheon Airport

LSG Sky Chefs is the brand name of all the groups in the LSG Lufthansa Service Holding AG, a 100% subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. In Korea the company is 80% Lufthansa, 20 % Asiana-Airlines.

LSG Sky Chefs provides Airline Catering to 15 Airlines at Incheon International Airport and Kimpo Airport., with 150 flights a day and 22000 meals a day. Also provided is inflight equipment (magazines, videos, music) and logistics to the airlines.

LSG Sky Chefs employs worldwide 30.000 people in 49 countries. In Korea 90 people staff and 570 independent suppliers.

Mr. Rosch, President of LSG Sky Chefs in Korea, gave us informations about the company worldwide and in Korea and showed us the facilities at Incheon International Airport.

Nina Ricci

Mr. Christophe Muser (CEO of Musertrading), Nina Ricci

The house of Nina Ricci is a fashion house that was founded by Maria "Nina" Ricci and her son Robert in Paris in 1932. Nina Ricci designed gowns while Robert managed the business and finances. She worked with the fabrics directly on the mannequin to ensure they had shape once they were finished. Nina Ricci designs soon became known for the refined, romantic, always feminine feeling Maria adds to all of her collections.
In 1945, with the war over, designers were casting about for a way to revive the infatuation women had formerly had with haute couture, while raising money for war relief. Robert Ricci had an idea which Lucien Lelong, President of the Chambre, put into action. Over 150 mannequins from 40 Paris couturiers, including Balenciaga and Madame Gres, were dressed in the labels' best fashions and were placed in an exhibition held at the Louvre, in Paris. After a huge success in Paris it toured Europe and then the USA.
In 1946 Robert created his first fragrance, Coeur Joie. In 1948 Robert came up with another fragrance, L’Air du Temps, the brand's most popular fragrance, which continues to be a top seller today. Several Flight Attendant uniforms were designed by the Nina Ricci brand. Nina Ricci is also a pioneer of licensing their designs before the rise of Ready-to-wear. As early as 1960, they started licensing their patterns to upscale boutiques such as Chez Ninon in New York and Betty Charnuis in Hong Kong for 'line-to-line' reproduction.
By the early 50s Nina Ricci was nearing 70 and she slowly she ceased to take an active role in design, choosing to just keep an eye on the house. Her son chose the new head designer in 1954, the Belgian Jules-Francois Crahay.
Crahay left Ricci in 1963 to go to Lanvin, and was immediately replaced by Gerard Pipart, who had worked at Balmain, Fath and Jean Patou prior to his new job. He continued to carry on the name of Ricci with beautiful and elegant dresses.
After Maria Ricci's death in 1970, Crahay was appointed head of the house. Robert continued to excel in perfumery and business until his death in 1988.
Massimo Guissain's family purchased the house of Nina Ricci in 1998 from Crahay. Massimo Guissain worked as a designer, but Nathalie Gervais had been the chief designer for the house for several years. She presented her last collection in Fall 2001. In May 2002 American designer James Aguiar took over as chief designer and designed for the House of Ricci for two seasons.
In 2003 Lars Nilsson took over the house of Ricci with shaky reviews from critics. He made a sudden redesign in early 2006, and then in September announced that Brussels-born designer Olivier Theyskens of Rochas would take over the role as head of the label.

And now, is managing Ninaricci's all finance. To know about Ninaricci's present, we should talk about this company.
Antonio Puig (rhymes with Scrooge) founded one of Spain's biggest couture and cosmetics company in 1914. The Puig family now has numerous designer names among its products portfolio, including Paco Rabanne, Nina Ricci, Carolina Herrera, Gal, and Payot. Puig added the Antonio Banderas fragrance, distributed by Coty in the US and Canada, to its lineup in 2009. Its product lines include clothing, luxury goods, cosmetics, fragrances, and accessories. The company, which is run by Marc Puig, boasts three main divisions: Prestige, Beauty, and Fashion. Through a network of some 40 subsidiaries, Puig's products are distributed in more than 150 countries.

To know NINARICCI, it need to understand about 'haute couture' and 'pret a porter'. First, 'haute couture' means high fashion or bespoke suit and it is antithesis of ready to wear. People who wants to clothes just for oneself order clothes and buy it. So, haute couture is very expensive. NINARICCI started from maison haute couture. 'Pret a porter' means ready to wear that is mass-produced and industrially manufactured. At the end of World of war 2, in France, young people demand high quality fashion but cheap. So, new designers started to make pret a porter. Nowadays, maison haute couture make pret a porter because haute couture is too expensive to sale clothing and maintain their company or designer maison. Also, NINARICCI make pret a porter clothing, accessories, perfumes etc.

Brand licensing is the process of creating and managing contracts between the owner of a brand and a company or individual who wants to use the brand in association with a product, for an agreed period of time, within an agreed territory. Licensing is used by brand owners to extend a trademark or character onto products of a completely different nature. Brand licensing a is well-established business, both in the area of patents and trademarks. The rise of brand licensing did not begin until much later, when corporations found that consumers would actually pay money for products with the logos of their favorite brands on them. Brand extensions later made the brand licensing marketplace much more lucrative, as companies realized they could make real dollars renting out their equity to manufacturers. Instead of spending untold millions to create a new brand, companies were willing to pay a royalty on net sales of their products to rent the product of an established brand name.

Porsche Korea

From Porsche-Korea visited us Ms. Suhyun Park, Senior Executive Marketing.

I knew that Porsche is car firm. However, I know that Porsche is not only car firm on this presentation. Porsche is engaged in various kinds businesses with strong finance.
The businesses are not only independence business but also relative business with a car.
I am impression about the relation business with a car brand. Also, I learn many things on talking with our guest 'Suhyun'. She is one person who can educate a program of Porsche Korea.
I am impressive about that she is an necessary person in Porsche Korea. I think that I have to become a necessary person like her. This class give me many encouragements.
I could know about Europe and Europe corporation through this class.
Also, I feel necessity of a language.
I am very profitable about this class.

KBS World Radio

On April 29th we visited KBS World in Seoul, which is a branch of Korean Broadcasting System. KBS World has radio programs in eleven languages and an English TV-program. It is broadcasted worldwide, also via internet.
“By providing a variety of accurate and up-to-date programs and news on Korea's politics, economy, society, culture and traditions to our audience and netizens, KBS and KBS WORLD Radio seek to strengthen friendly ties and an understanding of Korea among people in the global community. In addition, we provide a bridge between Korea and the some seven million overseas Koreans who are missed by their loved ones back home.”
The staff from the French and German radio-program explained us their work and their experiences. We watched a news-recording and could also ask a lot of questions.

Interview with Prof. Menke at KBS World Radio

KOPRA Korea

On May 6th Ms. Cecilia Kiew, representing KOPRA Korea, gave us information about internship searching with KOPRA..

Where is KOPRA office in the world?
KOPRA have many branches in the world. The head office is in Duisburg of Germany.
Other offices are Wien, Shaghai, Taipei, Tokyo and Seoul. Seoul office is located in Namsan.

How operating KOPRA?
KOPRA is a nonprofit organization. Stifung Mercator, an encouragement of learning foundation of Germany, support the KOPRA financially. So KOPRA is maintained with donation. Also KOPRA operate by income business. By way of example selling T-shirts.

Broad overview of KOPRA
Based on discussions with representatives of German companies in Tokyo, 1994. KOPRA is presented to the public as an internet project and set up the first KOPRA-Homepage, 1996. The first "KOPRA-intern", Mr.Michael Ladach, a student at Duisburg University sets up the new KOPRA office Tokyo, 1997. KOPRA is founded as a non-profit organization under German law, 1998.
The first KOPRA meetings for German interns in Seoul and Taipei take place, 2004.


What does KOPRA work?
KOPRA is the abbreviation of the German term "KOordinationsstelle fuer PRAktika" (International Internship Platform). It is the main idea to exchage intern and internship. It offers internship informaion for international internship suppliers and candidates on the website, www.kopra.org. The service ist free for both companies and students. Also, it provides language contacts in English, German, Korean, Chinese and Japanese. Through this connection, interns offer valuable contribution to the foreign companies and the companies can obtain human resources. Add to this, it helps to promote mutual understanding between Europe and the region of East Asia.
Review
On May 6th Ms. Cecilia Kiew came to presentation about KOPRA.
She is from Singapore and now as an intern working on KOPRA Korea.
She explained history, business of KOPRA as well as other activies what she did.
It was comfortable and enjoyful in progress.
We asked some question to her.
The question was : Can we find internships only connect with Germany on KOPRA?
Many korean people don't know about KOPRA so, what is your plan to advertise?
And they have meeting once a month and has plans to renewal homepage.
It was really good time to share information about KOPRA.