A Message from Ed Kang - CEO & Executive President
Welcome to GSU,
At first, the opportunity of becoming a cofounder of a global higher education platform was equally exciting and daunting. In 2018 I first arrived in Beijing to attend the first International Society for Organization Development and Change conference, which would become the launch for ISODC China. Soon after, we sought to establish partnerships with existing universities in the US, however, to no avail. It became quickly apparent that an independent approach was required to achieve the fullness of our innovative vision.
We incorporated GSU in June 2019 and began the journey of licensing with the state of California, home for our new university. Several trips would follow between China and the US while meeting with stakeholders, faculty, and other key contributors. And I must confess, it has been the most challenging endeavor of my professional career.
At the beginning of February 2022, we received authorization to launch from the Bureau of Private Post Secondary Education. I was elated and relieved. But the hard work of seeking accreditation had just begun. After a brief celebration, our team went back to work, for which I consider myself fortunate that we have the team we do. And we’re learning something new every day, especially as the academic landscape continues to change.
One advantage I bring to the equation is that I am not a traditional academic, and I come from the world of high-tech startups and executive coaching. Therefore my focus is on closing the gap between scholarship and practice to ensure our academic programs are relevant to the needs of our students as established executives and consultants. While our faculty will maintain our programs’ academic integrity and rigor, my goal is to listen to our students and partners to fulfill their organizational competency training objectives.
I look forward to providing ongoing updates. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all our current staff and partners—we would have never come this far without you. To our future students, I promise you will not regret taking this first bold step in your continuing education journey.
Sincerely,
Ed Kang, RODC
CEO and Executive President, GSU
