The Atlanta Global Studies Center (AGSC) is proud to present the "Authors Amplified" series hosted by Global Atlanta!

Authors Amplified: John Endicott
‘Destined to Serve’ author, Woosong University president and former Georgia Tech professor

Feb 17
10-11 am
Register Here

Georgia’s deep pool of international expertise is sometimes hidden in the ivory towers of academia or overshadowed by looming national figures. Sought-after thought leaders sometimes shine globally while being ignored in their own backyard.

With Authors Amplified, a monthly series of book talks open to subscribers and the public, Global Atlanta showcases authoritative local voices in foreign affairs and international business while highlighting the state’s intellectual contributions to important global conversations.

We invite you to join our Authors Amplified book talk series, beginning with John Endicott, Destined to Serve author, Woosong University president, and former Georgia Tech professor.

John E. Endicott, President of Woosong University; Vice-Chancellor of SolBridge International School of Business, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

Dr. Endicott’s career spans 28-years in the U.S. Air Force, three years as SES-4 Director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies, 18+ years at Georgia Tech as Professor and Center Director, and 14 years as President and Vice-Chancellor of Woosong University in Daejeon, ROK. His Ph.D., MALD, and A.M. Degrees are from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University in cooperation with Harvard; his M.A. is from Omaha University and his B.A.in Political Science (cum laude) is from The Ohio State University where he was inducted into the American academic society Phi Beta Kappa. He holds two honorary doctorates from the University of Toulouse, France, and Dankook University of Yongin, South Korea. In 1991 he introduced the concept for a Limited Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone in Northeast Asia (LNWFZ-NEA) which received nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 and 2009. He has authored or co-authored six books primarily on Asian and U.S. security and political issues, including Japan’s Nuclear Option. His most recent book, his memoirs, Destined to Serve, was published in December 2020.

In March 2019 he was appointed to the Board of Advisors for the Republic of Korea Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). He holds a number of military decorations for his 31-year service in the U.S. Government, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster for 50 combat missions, the Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Vietnam Service Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, among others. In October 2019, he was notified that he has been awarded a Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award and will be included in subsequent publications of that organization.

Woosong University, which Endicott heads, is a medium-sized specialized university with a global mission. It has approximately 13,500 students (2,500 international) attending eight colleges: Railroad Transportation College, Hotel Management and Culinary Arts College, Digital Convergence College, and the Health and Welfare College (all primarily in Korean). SolBridge International School of Business (the fifth college) is an all-English language college created in 2007 offering BBAs and MBAs to over 1,600 students (pre-COVID Era). Thirty percent are Korean, 20 percent Chinese and 26 percent Russian speaking from Russia and Central Asia, and the rest of the 24% come from 62 other nations of the world and is AACSB accredited. As the sixth college, Sol International School offers specialized English language tracks in the four Korean language colleges. The Endicott College of International Studies, the seventh college at Woosong, offers courses in Korean and English language as the liberal arts college of Woosong. In the Fall Semester of 2020, the J.W. Kim College of Future Studies was added to especially address the needs of education in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Destined to Serve: From the Queen City to Daejeon and the Presidency of a Korean University

This is the story of a Cold Warrior who experiences the dangers of total nuclear war from the Underground War Room in SAC Headquarters during the Cuban Missile Crisis and later, flying targeting missions during the early days of America’s involvement in Vietnam. More importantly, Endicott’s story and ultimate mission in life is the work he has done to the control and reduction of nuclear weapons and the development of regional peace through the internationalization of higher education in Northeast Asia. And he still believes the best thing he ever did in life was to marry his wife of 60 years, Mitsuyo, from Japan.