Jeon Ho Hwan, President of Dongmyung University, Proposes UBRC to Presidential National Architecture Policy Committee

Alternative Measures to Promote Public Contribution by Regional Universities Gain Attention

Dongmyung University recently announced on the 29th that President Jeon Ho-hwan attended the Presidential National Architecture Policy Committee and proposed the UBRC (University Based Retirement Community).

President Jeon Hohwan of Dongmyung University is attending the National Architecture Policy Committee and presenting the URBC proposal.

On the 24th, President Jeon Ho-hwan presented a policy proposal titled "Policies to Promote Public Contribution of Local Universities Facing Survival Crisis" at the 24th Architectural Culture Promotion Subcommittee of the National Architecture Policy Committee (Chairman Kwon Younggul). He suggested UBRC as an alternative to overcome the dominance of the metropolitan area during the declining school-age population and to activate the public contribution of local universities facing a survival crisis. The meeting also discussed ways to revitalize old city centers in collaboration with universities and utilize idle university land.

In addition, President Jeon proposed the "Senior Re:Start Community," which aims to secure residential facilities using universities' idle land and connect various educational programs and excellent educational facilities of universities, in response to the retirement of 15 million baby boomers as Korea officially enters a super-aged society next year.

Chairman Kwon Younggul stated, "While traditional senior towns have been developed as suburban rural towns, the UBRC, which utilizes idle university land in urban areas, is a new approach as it allows residents to use the university campus as a living space and revitalize the city as a space for intergenerational exchange and cultural activities. Utilizing this in cooperation with local universities as a space for urban regeneration and healthy senior education is a highly productive idea."

American universities, the originators of UBRC, have been offering lifelong education programs and new university and graduate (master's and doctoral) courses for the healthy and intellectually curious retired middle-aged and seniors for 30 years, as well as promoting participation in university clubs and professor-student startup collaborations.

President Jeon reported that this "OLD RUSH" phenomenon has already been successfully established at about 100 universities, including four Ivy League schools, and is expected to expand to about 400 universities in the future.

He also emphasized that, unlike the traditional concept of senior housing, UBRC introduces a mentoring system based on retirees' diverse social experiences along with the services they need, helping current students, the talents of the future society, to succeed and enabling retirees to pioneer a successful third act of life, thus achieving a triple benefit.

Dongmyung University and Chosun University signed a comprehensive business agreement with the major domestic law firm DaeryukAju on March 7 and are preparing for full-scale business implementation.

The UBRC, which will be operated for the first time in Korea, will establish a system of "educational services, living support services, and health promotion services" through the "Senior Residential College" and will be operated with the active participation of professors and students.

Dongmyung University, which practices challenge, experience, and action-based Do-ing education, was selected in April as a preliminary designated university for the Ministry of Education's Glocal University 30 project through the Busan Global Hub City University (BIG), a joint university between Dongmyung University and Silla University.

BIG will focus on nurturing Dongmyung University's ICT-based "Future Mobility School" and Silla University's silver care-based "Future Well-Life School."

The two universities plan to create the "Digitech Innovation Town," a campus integrating industry, academia, and research, on their combined campus land (approximately 840,000 pyeong), and to establish the "Graduate School of Future Mobility Convergence" and the "Graduate School of Future Well-Life Convergence."