Silla University Department of Counseling Psychology and Welfare Hosts 'Busan-Fukuoka Children's Cafeteria Network Forum'

The Department of Counseling Psychology and Welfare at Silla University (President Heo Nam-sik) held the "Busan-Fukuoka Children's Cafeteria Network Forum" together with Tsukushi Jogakuen University in Japan.

Busan-Fukuoka Beginner Restaurant Network Forum. Provided by Silla University

Since last year, the Department of Counseling Psychology and Welfare at Silla University has been engaging in academic exchanges with the Department of Psychosocial Welfare at Tsukushi Jogakuen University in Japan, enabling students to understand social welfare in both Korea and Japan simultaneously and to develop their capabilities as prospective social workers through interactions with Japanese students.

On the 7th, the "Busan-Fukuoka Children's Cafeteria Network Forum," co-hosted by the Department of Counseling Psychology and Welfare at Silla University and the Department of Psychosocial Welfare at Tsukushi Jogakuen University, was held at Tsukushi Jogakuen University in Japan, attended by representatives from children's cafeterias in Busan and Fukuoka as well as students from both universities.

The event began with keynote speeches including a lecture by Professor Son Ji-hyun of Silla University’s Department of Counseling Psychology and Welfare, comparing the children's cafeterias in Korea and Japan with a focus on cultural factors and discussing future challenges in each country; a presentation by Jo Yoon-young, director of the Busan Children's Cafeteria, on the current status and challenges of children's cafeterias in Busan; and a presentation by Miyuki Matsufuji, who operates a children's cafeteria in Kasuga City, Fukuoka Prefecture, on the background of establishing the cafeteria and its unique management. The forum then proceeded with time for interaction among participants from both countries.

A student from Silla University’s Department of Counseling Psychology and Welfare who attended the forum said, "It was an opportunity to directly feel the differences in social welfare between Korea and Japan," adding, "Although I learned a lot through school classes, I am glad that this was a time to gain different experiences and learnings through exchanges with Japanese students." The student also expressed anticipation for the exchange program to be held next year.

The Department of Counseling Psychology and Welfare at Silla University plans to continue exchanging social welfare cultures between the two countries through ongoing collaboration with Tsukushi Jogakuen University and is scheduled to host the forum at Silla University in 2025.