Youjin Kim

“With more vigorous research methods and visualization skills, I would like to better capture the reality of South Korean educational systems and drive meaningful education reform. Learning Analytics can also help me identify better teaching and assessment practices for student growth, socioeconomic mobility, and improved youth well-being.”

RESEARCHER STRIVING FOR REAL IMPROVEMENTS IN YOUTH WELLBEING

Youjin is a researcher at a South Korean educational NGO, where her analyses of the English section of the Korean SAT (Suneung) have been featured in major Korean media outlets. Previously, she managed international conferences at the OECD Korea Policy Centre and Nanyang Technological University, and supported qualitative research on South Korean school reform at Boston College. With degrees in Sociology (US) and Asia Pacific Studies (Japan), Youjin’s undergraduate research examined the high school climate in South Korea through a comparative lens with the US and Japan, focusing on how student cliques and youth culture impact social status, bullying, and school breakdown.

THIRD CULTURE KID, SOURCES OF PAIN AND STRENGTH

A highly mobile childhood brought isolation and struggles for adjustment. However, it also pushed her to become more open-minded, understand people or issues from multiple angles, and connect with people from different backgrounds. As a Korean-Japanese bilingual who studies English, Chinese, and Russian, she deeply values learning languages, cultures, life stories, and perspectives outside her own. This background naturally drew her to qualitative and comparative methods, which she views as a window into the perceived realities of others—allowing her to utilize her passion for language in her research.