Korean business culture is marked by a number of idiosyncrasies that foreign professionals may find difficult to maneuver. For those professionals from countries within the European Union, the European Commission offers the Executive Training Program, or ETP, which offers an in-depth guide to working effectively in Korea. The ETP, funded and overseen by the European Commission and promoted by Eurochambers and various Chambers of Commerce and Industry, was created to build a stronger foundation for EU business in the Korean market.
The French Korean Chamber of Commerce in Korea is the coordinator of the ETP in Korea. Essentially a free intercontinental business training program, the ETP provides lessons in Europe and Korea at the following institutions: Sciences Po in Paris, the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, Scuola di Direzione Aziendale Bocconi in Milan and Seoul’s Yonsei University.
The program includes three months of lessons and distance learning on topics such as cross-cultural communication and intensive language skills in Europe, a six-month advanced language and business culture course in Korea, followed by a three-month internship with a Korean company.
The application period is now open for courses beginning in March 2009. The final deadline for applications is Sept. 30. For more information on the ETP, visit www.etp.org or www.fkcci.com.