Training "Future Digital Explorers with AI"
for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students
Dong-A University (President Lee Haewoo) has been officially selected as the lead institution for the Gyeongsang region in the "2025 Digital Saessak Project."
This project, organized by the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity, is an educational initiative aimed at providing software and artificial intelligence experiences, as well as cultivating digital competencies among elementary, middle, and high school students nationwide. It is being implemented to reduce regional and situational digital education gaps and to foster future talent capable of correctly understanding and properly utilizing digital technologies.
The project will run from this month until the end of December, with a budget of approximately 600 million KRW.
The Digital Saessak Program will be offered free of charge to local elementary, middle, and high school students. It will be conducted both at Dong-A University Bumin Campus and through direct visits to elementary, middle, and high schools.
Together with its partner organizations, Enrich Talent Education Center and Jeongin Edu, Dong-A University plans to offer the following programs as part of the selected project: a modular education program on "AI for the Future" and the basics of urban air mobility; an AI literacy program focused on understanding core concepts and principles of AI and utilizing interdisciplinary thinking skills; and a "Digital Canvas Journey with AI" program. These will be provided to more than 2,500 elementary, middle, and high school students.
Dong-A University aims to go beyond simply running educational programs. The university plans to contribute to building an educational ecosystem in which students grow, acquire skills suitable for the future society, solve problems creatively, and collaborate, thereby fostering trust in teachers and encouraging joint participation to enhance digital competencies.
Han Seeok, the project manager (professor in the Department of Public Administration and director of the Artificial Intelligence Government Research Institute), stated, "Dong-A University will leverage its accumulated digital education infrastructure and expertise to address educational imbalances between regions and foster creative talent. Through this project, we aim to reduce the digital education gap and strengthen the digital competencies of elementary, middle, and high school students, who are the seedlings of a digitally advanced nation, by connecting the curriculum."
Professor Han Seeok, who holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Seoul National University, joined Dong-A University in 2003 after working at Samsung Electronics, the Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion, and the Korea Management Association Consulting, and has since been dedicated to nurturing future talent.
He has served as president of the Korean Association for Regional Informatization and has received two Prime Minister's Commendations in the fields of e-government and informatization promotion, as well as a commendation from the Minister of the Interior and Safety.
In 2021, he founded the AI government solution startup "Dowoori AI" and was selected for the Ministry of Education (National Research Foundation of Korea)'s 2022 Excellent Scholar Support Program in the humanities and social sciences (AI and the socially disadvantaged). He was also selected for the AI data processing projects organized by the Korea Data Agency (2022 for protection of vulnerable consumers, 2023 for protection of those vulnerable to infectious diseases).
Dong-A University Bumin Campus.
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