Our Story
In the Spring of 2008, students at Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), a leader of international higher education in South Korea, published the first edition of NOVAsia. Initiated by graduate students and under the guidance of the former dean, Professor Lee Chung-min, NOVAsia was born from a desire to translate the work and expertise of GSIS students and professors into a public product.
Our content has covered every continent and spanned from unsettled historical issues to predicting the effects of AI and weapons systems into the future. While NOVAsia covers current crises and developments across the globe, our focus remains close to home in East Asia.
After thirty-one issues, the print magazine went online in order to reach a wider audience and to encourage deeper and more diverse engagement and dialogue.
NOVAsia now aims to be a platform for student voices in the conversation on global affairs.
Meet the Team
Editor-in-Chief
Originally from Chicago, Mary Zopf taught English in Busan for over three years before pursuing her Master’s degree at Yonsei GSIS. Hailing from a family of educators, her research interests include public health outreach, history education, and cultural heritage.
Tra My Luu
Senior Media Producer
Tra My is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Global Studies at Yonsei GSIS. As a Vietnamese-Dutch student, she grew up navigating multiple cultures, which inspired her interest in identity, communication, and global belonging. She studied Fashion Management at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, where she also won Alexander Wang’s design competition. Professionally, she has worked with creative startups in both Seoul and Amsterdam, gaining experience in branding, media, and international business. She is passionate about exploring how culture, business, and identity intersect in today’s interconnected world. Through NOVAsia, she hopes to create media projects that highlight diverse perspectives and spark meaningful conversations on multiculturalism, sustainability, and global trends.
Angelika Wanat
Junior Editor
Angelika Wanat is a student at Yonsei GSIS and freelance journalist specializing in North Korean affairs and ROK-EU relations. A graduate of Soongsil University, she brings a deep interest in research related to dynamics on the Korean Peninsula to the NOVAsia team. Her work seeks to bridge the gap between high-level security policy and the human lives it affects.
Sasha Brykailo
Junior Media Producer
Sasha is a second semester graduate student at Yonsei GSIS, majoring in International Cooperation. She was born and raised in Ukraine and completed her bachelor’s degree in International Affairs in the United States. Sasha moved to Seoul in 2024 upon receiving the Global Korea Scholarship. She loves going on long walks, cafe-hopping, gaming, and journaling. At NOVAsia, Sasha hopes to explore social issues in everyday life – things we encounter everyday but rarely stop to think about.
Disclaimer: NOVAsia is funded through scholarship grants from the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at Yonsei University. Beyond financial support, GSIS does not have any editorial influence over the content of this website. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any opinions expressed on this website belong solely to the authors and do not represent the official position of GSIS, Yonsei University, or its affiliated institutions.