At Yale University, K-pop transcends global music fame to become a serious academic subject. At the recent two-day K-Pop: Musical Production and Consumption conference, 160 participants delved into the genre’s history, industry dynamics, and cultural influence.

WHILE MOST people trust and rely on school as a major traditional source of knowledge, a 18-year-old Thai student who recently won a scholarship to attend a short-term summer programme at the prestigious Yale University says she learned best after dropping out of school and taking a gap year.