Dongjak-gu Launches 'University Student Administrative Forum' to Nurture Future Generation Dreams, First Among Autonomous Districts

Opening Ceremony Held on the 13th... Exploring Development Directions in 7 Key Areas of Lunar New Year with Civil Servant Mentors Together

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Park Il-ha) announced the launch of the "Dongjak University Student Administrative Forum," the first of its kind among Seoul's autonomous districts, where public official leaders (mentors) and university students form teams to jointly research directions for district development.

The "Dongjak University Student Administrative Forum" is part of a youth employment support project, where mentors who are public officials and university students research policies on seven key district strategies including economy, daily life, and welfare, then produce final outcomes through report writing and presentations.

Previously, in the second half of last year, the district piloted the project under the name "Dongjak University Student Administrative Internship," involving seven public official mentors and 34 university students, focusing on research topics such as revitalization plans for Gogudongsan (Bondong) Park, discovering development directions and ideas.

This year, based on survey results and operational feedback from participating students last year, the district plans to further enhance the project by expanding its scale and employment competitiveness programs.

First, reflecting the nature of gathering diverse opinions and generating ideas related to administration, the project name was changed from "Administrative Internship" to "Administrative Forum," increasing participants from 35 to 49 and expanding the schedule from once a year to twice a year.

Additionally, the project will diversify employment competency enhancement programs including capacity-building education, research activities, roundtable discussions, and presentations. Participants will be offered two special lectures to improve planning and presentation skills, and will be supported to participate in discussions and field experiences linked with mentors.

In particular, at the end of the forum, a presentation evaluation session will be held to share the results of seven teams, and to strengthen the quality of research activities, the district will separately award certificates from the mayor and prize money up to 1 million KRW per team.

The first half of this year’s program will run for about 12 weeks from March to May, and the second half will take place from September to December.

At the launch ceremony of the "First Half Dongjak University Student Administrative Forum" held on the 13th at the Dongjak Employment Support Center, seven public official mentors and 49 university students attended, introducing detailed schedules and holding a Q&A session.

The public officials participating as leaders in this administrative forum are Dongjak-gu staff at grade 6 or below, and the university students participating as mentees are currently enrolled (including on leave) at local universities.

The district aims to promote district development by devising support measures through the students’ innovative opinions on the seven key district areas.

Going forward, the district plans to provide one-stop support such as counseling and educational programs helpful for employment through the "Noryangjin Youth Job Center" for students participating in the "Dongjak University Student Administrative Forum."

Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, said, "This Dongjak University Student Administrative Forum will strengthen youth employment competitiveness and at the same time provide an opportunity to view the core values of district administration from a new perspective. We will continue to discover practical support measures so that the youth generation, the future leaders, can pursue their dreams."