An experienced economist with an international focus, Jay Hyun brings a great deal of knowledge to the Alberta School of Business

Both in his personal and professional lives, Jay Hyun — a recently appointed assistant professor at the Alberta School of Business (ASB) — has a wealth of international experience.

In his personal life, Hyun has three children, speaks three languages — Korean, French and English — and has set foot in many countries around the globe. He’s lived in countries in Africa, Asia and North America, and has visited more than 30 countries. His time in these settings was beneficial in his career, he says.

"These experiences opened my eyes to broader societies across the globe and made me see the value of interconnections across the world,” he says.

“This is what makes international economics fascinating. It studies the interconnected nature of commercial and financial markets and its implications in macroeconomy."

Hyun specializes in international economics, macroeconomics, and corporate finance. As a researcher, he deploys big data and causal inference techniques to study topics such as global supply chain formation, network spillovers and how various factors impact multinational business activities.

His work aims to address many complex questions, such as how multinational businesses activities impact the environment, how immigration can facilitate the formation of international firm-to-firm relationships, and why some countries are moving away from globalization in their economic and business policy.

His post-secondary education began at Seoul National University, where he completed his bachelor’s (Summa Cum Laude) and master’s degrees in economics in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Then he began his doctoral studies at Columbia University, where he received a PhD in economics in 2020.

Prior to accepting a position at the U of A, he was an assistant professor at HEC Montreal from 2020 to 2024. While he has an extensive background in economics, he has worked in numerous related topics that intersect with other business majors such as finance and international business.

As of July 1, 2024, he’ll be bringing his extensive experience and knowledge to the ASB. Hyun hopes to contribute to the school through research, teaching and mentorship. On top of aiming to help the next generation develop their interests and start their careers, he wants to conduct research in his areas of expertise, contributing to society. He will be teaching international business at the undergraduate level, and hopes to focus on various themes that cover topics in trade, finance, macroeconomics, etc.

A few key strengths of the U of A made Hyun “very happy” to accept his new position, he says. One is the U of A’s “strong research-oriented atmosphere.” Another is the large and active community of scholars, such as those in the ASB and other faculties who research finance, supply chain management, international business and numerous disciplines within economics — topics that mesh nicely with his own research goals.

“I believe having a chance to interact with these people truly provides a unique opportunity,” he says.
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