Solving Local Issues Through Majors... Seoul National University of Seoul Marks 10 Years of Service-Learning Achievements

Participation from 11 Courses Across Various Fields
An Innovative Educational Model for Fostering Practical Talent

Seoul National University of Seoul announced on the 19th that it held a final results presentation to summarize the achievements of its "Service-Learning" program, which has been operated for the past 10 years, and to present its vision for the next decade.

Seoul National University of Science and Technology Urban Dendrology Service Learning Activity. Seoul National University of Science and Technology

The Service-Learning program at Seoul National University of Seoul is an innovative educational model that goes beyond simple volunteering. It utilizes students' academic knowledge to address local community issues, fostering practical talent who learn and contribute as the university and the community grow together.

This semester, a total of 11 courses were offered across various academic fields, including humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and arts & physical education, spreading students' expertise throughout the community. These included: Comprehensive Tax Planning (Professor Choi Wonseok), Public Sector Digital Transformation Strategy and Marketing Research (Professor Kang Youngsun), Urban Arboriculture (Professor Woo Sooyoung), Inter-Korean Relations (Professor Hwang Jihwan), and Korean Politics (Professor Lim Sunghak).

Students collaborated with various organizations such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Volunteer Center, local libraries, and hospitals. Major achievements included tax consulting for (preliminary) social enterprises, proposing marketing solutions for startups, organizing regular concerts for cancer patients, and providing career and academic mentoring for children from multicultural families and North Korean defector families. These examples demonstrate the value of service learning, where learning extends beyond the classroom and is put into practice through direct engagement with the community.

At the "Public Sector Digital Transformation Strategy" presentation held on the 11th, a challenge-based volunteer activity model utilizing the Seoul online volunteer platform (MOA Platform) was also introduced. Kim Wonmin, Team Leader at the Seoul Volunteer Center, stated, "The online volunteer challenges developed by students are an innovative attempt to lower the barriers to volunteering and visualize the impact of participation," adding, "The high achievement rate of 85% is proof of how much young people's ideas can energize the local community."

Son Hyerim, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Development at Seoul National University of Seoul, emphasized, "If the past 10 years have been about laying the foundation and spreading service learning, the next decade will focus on students giving back their learning to the community and growing into responsible global citizens," adding, "Seoul National University of Seoul will take the lead in creating a sustainable educational ecosystem where the university and the local community grow together."