I am pleased to welcome you to Mason Korea's inaugural issue of its new monthly newsletter for Mason alumni and friends. For those of you unfamiliar with us: Mason Korea, George Mason's international branch campus in Songdo, Incheon, South Korea, opened its doors in Spring 2014. An intrepid group of 34 students formed its first class. They arrived to the Incheon Global Campus in Songdo. Korea's newly built "smart city" had wide roads with few cars, and as many empty fields as new buildings. Flash forward to 2020. Mason Korea student enrollment tops 650, including students from Korea, the US, China, Russia, Mongolia, and more. Songdo has filled in too. It has become a lovely and vibrant place to live and study. But traffic jams remain rare.
I believe that Mason Korea is a gem, located in the right place, at the right time, a global campus in a prime geographic hub for globalization. We are also fortunate to have a talented, creative and still intrepid group of students, faculty and staff. We have grown a lot in the past seven years, but we are still just getting started. It is our hope that this newsletter will allow alumni and friends to learn more about our progress.
You are receiving this letter because you are a George Mason alum living in Korea, a George Mason alum who was a student on the Mason Korea campus, or someone we think will be interested in Mason Korea. Whichever of these categories you are in, we hope you will continue to follow us as we grow, and share in some of our Patriot Pride.
We want to hear from you. Send us your news (and receive a Mason Korea gift). And if you're in Korea, come visit!
Sincerely,
Robert Matz
Campus Dean
George Mason University, Korea