[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, will live stream the '2020 Incheon Lifelong Education Policy Forum' on its YouTube channel on the 17th to establish a lifelong learning ecosystem in preparation for the post-COVID-19 era.
The forum, under the theme "Bridging the Distanced Social Gap through Lifelong Learning," is hosted by Yeonsu-gu, the chair city of the Incheon Lifelong Learning City Council this year, and the Korea Lifelong Education Association, with support from the Incheon Lifelong Education Promotion Institute.
The Incheon Lifelong Learning City Council, consisting of six districts including Michuhol-gu, Yeonsu-gu, Namdong-gu, Bupyeong-gu, Gyeyang-gu, and Seo-gu, was established in 2012 as a regional council to promote lifelong learning and strengthen networks.
This forum aims to address issues occurring in lifelong learning fields, such as learning abandonment by digital illiterates and the shrinking of learning communities due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, by gathering opinions from lifelong education experts and holding discussions to devise alternatives.
In particular, the plan is to foster an active participation atmosphere through understanding the rapidly changing lifelong learning environment and restoring learning communities, and to derive measures for recovering lifelong education communities, including interpersonal relationships and emotional distances widened by social distancing practices.
The forum will begin with an opening address by Go Nam-seok, Mayor of Yeonsu-gu and chair of the Incheon Lifelong Learning City Council, followed by a keynote speech titled "Lifelong Learning Together, Not Alone" by Professor Lee Chang-ki of Daejeon University, and then expert presentations on the theme.
The presentations will proceed in the order of ▲ "How to Include Vulnerable Groups in Lifelong Learning Post-COVID-19?" (Professor Han Jeong-ran, Hanseo University) ▲ "Lifelong Learning Communities Are Life" (Jeong Seong-won, former Director of Suwon Lifelong Learning Center) ▲ "Education Contacting Meaning in the Untact Era" (Professor Yoo Young-man, Hanyang University).
In response to the resurgence of COVID-19, the district plans to derive expert opinions through this non-face-to-face forum and link them with various support events related to hosting the 5th UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities next year.
Go Nam-seok, Mayor of Yeonsu-gu, stated, "I hope meaningful lifelong education policy measures that can prepare for the post-COVID-19 era and a better future will be presented at this forum."
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