Author Heesu Jang shares his remarkable journey as an aspiring politician
It’s been already five years since Heesu Jang (’12) left our campus, but he has a lot to share about his life after high school.
After his high school years at SMIC, studying at UCLA (University of California – Lost Angeles), was the first step in Heesu’s journey. In college, Heesu was an exemplary student who worked with extensive research experience. Among his accomplishments at college, his work as an Honors Thesis Researcher stands out the most, in which he examined the history of South Korea’s foreign policy by compiling and analyzing South Korea’s 2259 bilateral agreements from 1948 to 2013. After over one year of his hard work, Heesu received Departmental Honors for what he had done. Because of his dedication to academics and research projects, he was able to graduate from college with honors just within two and a half years.
Upon graduation, he briefly interned at UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) in Seoul for four months and subsequently worked full-time at Bloomberg in Hong Kong.
According to Heesu, the highlight of his journey is his current role as a Research Associate at CAPS, a non-profit research and advisory organization that seeks to spread philanthropy in Asia. From researching on role-models of Asian NGOs and philanthropic scholarships to working on the Doing Good Index that provides substantial information on philanthropy in 15 Asian economies, Heesu has been partaking in several important projects and initiatives at CAPS for the greater good of the Asian community.
Most notably, during his time at CAPS, Heesu was able to serve as a contributing author of the recently published book, Pragmatic Philanthropy: Asian Charity Explained. The book focuses on the unique characteristics of Asian philanthropy and charity, and Heesu wrote the chapter “Old Money—The History of Giving in Asia”, which examines the history and culture of philanthropy in 11 Asian economies. “There was quite a lot of heavy-weight academic research that needed to be done on a topic where there was not much there to begin with,” said Heesu. However, Heesu utilized his experience with research to guide his way. “It was challenging, but I think my research experience at college did help a lot. Of course, the guidance of my seniors amidst this challenging task was very useful. [I] couldn’t have done it without their support,” Heesu continued.
To Heesu, his current occupation is particularly special because, through CAPS, he is not only accumulating experience for his personal career aspirations, but also making meaningful contributions to society by applying the research skills he acquired from UCLA. “Trust me, in this day and age–and especially in a finance-heavy city like Hong Kong that is very difficult to get–I go to work by 9 AM reminding myself that I’m not in it for the nine hour-work per day to get a paycheck by end of the month, but [I’m in it] for making a contribution to society,” Heesu revealed.
In no way is his journey complete. When asked what his ultimate goal was and why, Heesu without hesitation answered, “Politics.” “I believe the most effective way to make systemic change and impact in society is at the policymaking level,” Heesu explained. From his academic accomplishments in political science at UCLA to his current career in philanthropy, this goal of his does not sound so empty like a political stump speech.
In the same way that it is difficult to discover a job dedicated to a larger vision for the community, it is just as hard to find someone as intrinsically motivated as Heesu. Heesu serves as our model for motivated learners–someone who can take his lessons from school outside the campus and find work with a purpose. His passion for political science has driven him to always move one step forward by achieving bigger goals. Although Heesu already accomplished great feats as a young man, we can only anticipate an even more promising future ahead of him.
To view a free PDF version of Pragmatic Philanthropy, visit this link.