In this Career Development Series, I will reflect on my future trajectory and directions after completing my Bachelor’s degree in London. The first topic I would like to address is pursuing a Master’s degree.

To be honest, at the time of writing this, I have already been admitted to a Master’s programme in the Netherlands. For me, my Bachelor’s degree functioned as a process of exploration. Through engaging with a wide range of projects, I sought to understand what kind of artistic direction I truly wanted to pursue, what modes of working I was drawn to, and what lay at the core of my practice. For this reason, I would like to further develop and deepen the interests I identified during my undergraduate studies. The next step toward this is a Master’s degree.

The programme I applied to is ArtScience at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. This course integrates various technologies across different artistic forms, ranging from performance to installation. I was particularly drawn to it because I believe it will allow me to further explore system-based sound installations, which have been central to my practice during my Bachelor’s studies. In addition, as the programme is grounded in sound-based practices, it aligns closely with my background in sound art.

However, pursuing a Master’s degree is not solely about developing my artistic practice. I would also like to teach in the future. The first emotion I felt when I came to the UK was a sense of frustration. During my undergraduate studies in Korea, there were no courses that taught what I truly wanted to learn, and even in institutions that offered related subjects, the focus often remained on mid-20th-century musique concrète. Korean education is highly structured and rigorous. However, while students learn history and technical skills, they are rarely taught how to express their own ideas within that framework.

This was the biggest difference I experienced in the UK. Over the past three years, I have come to realise that there are countless forms of art and ways of being an artist. Rather than focusing on teaching technical skills, my education here has encouraged me to pursue what genuinely interests me. When I discovered something I wanted to explore, I had to learn the necessary techniques independently. As a result, the knowledge I gained became deeply internalised and truly my own.

In the 20th century and even the early 21st century, when digital media was less accessible, technical skills acquired in formal education held significant value. However, in the present day, such skills can be easily learned through online resources or even through the use of AI. Therefore, I believe that contemporary education should no longer prioritise teaching techniques, but rather focus on guiding individuals in finding their own direction. This is especially important in the field of art.

My desire to teach in the future comes from wanting to apply this perspective within the Korean context. I hope to create an environment where students can develop their own artistic frameworks, rather than simply acquiring predefined knowledge—despite paying significantly high tuition fees. In order to do this, I need to build a strong intellectual and conceptual foundation myself. While having a degree is important for becoming an educator, my primary motivation is to continue studying, thinking deeply, and engaging with diverse artists and aesthetic theories. I want to be able to provide meaningful references and insights to students when they encounter questions in their own practice.

At the very least, teaching should not impose one’s own framework onto others, as that would be no different from simply teaching techniques. Instead, it should support individuals in constructing their own frameworks. As a student, I intend to continue practicing this approach.

For these reasons, pursuing a Master’s degree is currently the most appropriate path for me. Nevertheless, I will continue to consider other possible directions. Circumstances can always change, and even after completing a Master’s programme, my situation may not be fundamentally different. Therefore, in the next post, I plan to explore alternative pathways more carefully.