By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Harlan Lyso, head of the Seoul Foreign School (SFS), plans to retire in June. The 61-year-old American has headed Korea’s largest international school since 1992.
Established in 1912 by Mrs. Charles S. Deming of the Methodist Mission, the K-12 school has about 1,500 foreign students from more than 50 nations.
Under the leadership of Dr. Lyso, SFS has grown significantly in its enrolment, programs and facilities. It will also provide facilities for a doctoral program of Nova Southwestern University from this year, a first among international schools in Korea.
With his contributions to the school, the headmaster was recently given the honorary title of ``Superintendent of the Year’’ by the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE) in the USA. The award is given to only one headmaster among more than 4000 international schools around the world.
Before coming to SFS, Lyso headed schools in the Caribbean, South East Asia, and West Africa. He also served with organizations committed to developing international schools, including the Council of International Schools, the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools, the Association of International Schools in Africa, and the Association for the Advancement of International Education.