Los Angeles, CA

It’s my pleasure to introduce tonight’s Education Game Changer, USC President Beong-Soo Kim.

Beong joined the university in 2020 at a pivotal moment. We first got to know him when he was appointed as University General Counsel during the challenges of the pandemic.

Shortly after joining USC, Beong was featured in various news stories highlighting his community spirit and passion. Together with his wife Bonnie, in the depths of the pandemic, Beong was hosting impromptu music concerts on the porch of his Pasadena home—Beong on cello, and Bonnie on piano, providing neighbors with a rare moment of genuine connection and bringing people together.

That desire to create connections has defined Beong’s time at the university. What stood out immediately wasn’t just his ability to navigate challenges; it was his clarity of purpose.

From the start, he saw USC as a world-class university—a place that brings people together, advances groundbreaking research, and reaches around the globe with its positive impact.

After an exhaustive multi-month search for our next President, having interviewed the top candidates in the country for the job, including prominent sitting university Presidents and Provosts, naming Beong as USC’s 13th president was the unanimous choice for the Board of Trustees. We recognized in Beong a leader of accomplishment, whose “north star” are the values of transparency, honesty, and integrity.

With initiatives like the Open Dialogue Project and the AI Strategy Committee, he has ensured that USC is preparing the students of today to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Now, Beong is ushering in a new era focused on academic excellence, research innovation, and societal impact. Beong is laser-focused on USC’s mission, all while pioneering new and exciting ways to accomplish our objectives.

It’s my honor to present the Asia Society’s 2026 Education Game Changer Award to the President of The University of Southern California, Beong-Soo Kim