Go Together, Relationship of
University-Community
By Jeong Ha-na, Head Student Editor
Lee Min-young, Student Editor
Heo Si-joon, Tribune Reporter
In the 284th issue, Chonnam Tribune covered the specialization and globalization of four national universities located in Pusan, Daegu, Chuncheon and Daejeon. It reports their community related activities in this issue –Ed.
In the Age of Globalism, which is the concept that has emerged as an effort to seek a balance between global forces and local needs and interests, the importance of local power is getting larger because of how it affects the nation’s power? Local universities make an effort to develop their surrounding local communities through a variety of community-related education and research programs.
The universities educate students for being competent citizens to work for the local communities and provide useful information and practical technology in order to improve the competitive power of local communities. Chonnam National University (CNU) also has aimed to enhance and support collaborations between the university and diverse organizations for developing the local community. To this point, the university needs to examine some other national universities as examples of good practices in the cooperation between universities and their local communities.
Kyungpook National University
Kyungpook National University (KNU) has done some work contributing to developing a strong local society by merging with Sangju National University in 2007. With this event, KNU could possess a better educational environment and offer the students special education-programs matching with each local organization. KNU is building ‘KNU Global Plaza’ on campus and it will be completed by 2010. It is planned to have a fundamental studies research center, industry-academic cooperation and subsidiary facilities.
So, it will offer an educational environment and cultural environment, not only for university’s members but also for citizens. KNU is also constructing ‘KNU medical town’ in Chilgok, Daegu where the KNU Hospital, the Daegu Gyeongbuk Cancer Center and medical center are located for specializing in elderly health. When medical town is completed, it can increase medical services for local society, especially services for the elderly. Like these KNU plans, it has tried to promote a positive relationship between the university and local community in various ways.
Kangwon National University
Industry Foundation of Kangwon National University (KNU) has been operated divided into two sections; an industry-academic cooperation and research collaboration. Its three main visions are raising constant actual results, activating future-oriented business and pursuing utility. Its representative programs, Brain Korea (BK) 21 and NURI business (BNC), CEO Forum and society for its local community study and so on, are progressed by combining with other organizations. Especially, the society for Kangwon-do study is administrated by KNU professors and students as connecting with their majors; Bio Technology (BT) specialized college, Information Technology (IT) specialized college, a medical college, among others.
Therefore, KNU does various and special programs for its local community including not only for Chuncheon city, but also for many counties located in this city. Among these programs, for instance, Cha Hong-jun, a professor in the IT specialized college, operated a study activity for constructing the information-oriented system under the subject of “Experiencing Green Farming Village in Otan-ri (a mountain village). KNU set up a sisterhood relationship with this village, and manages its web site by making e-market online, advertising this village, attracting many tourists, doing many voluntary services and holding concerts. Through this relationship between KNU and Otan-ri, the village could be revitalized.
Chungnam National University
The core program of Chungnam National University (CNU) is ‘Baekma Corps’, the public volunteers. It has started in 2003 and acts at least once a month. The participants of the organization usually build homes of love, pickle vegetables for the winter for single senior citizens, and deliver the briquettes as voluntary service. Not only students, professor but also graduates, school personnel could enjoy this program and almost 500 people have joined it. Spontaneity, positive thinking and proper guidance are the main reasons that CNU has become a leader in community service. Lee Yoon-beom, an officer in office of Student Affairs said, “As a regional stronghold university, it is our bounden duty to service voluntarily when a difficult matter occurs at our nation or region. I think CNU is doing what we need to do in this society. Only our attitudes towards service; spontaneity, positiveness and proper guidance are more and more recognized.
Conclusion
Chonnam National University (CNU), as a local university, has already done and still promotes various activities for improving local power because it cannot be developed without the support of the local community. For example, the Industry Foundation of CNU has made an institute for technology transfer and provided local organizations with many practical skills resulting from its research to grow their competitiveness. It has also made many community-related services and offered them. CNUians have also participated in various voluntary services or other activities for the local communities. Although CNU has tried to advance the local community by keeping a good relationship, it should do more to enhance and maintain community-collaborative initiatives with Gwangju and Jeonnam Province. We expect that CNU can get information of other special efforts for their local communities and practice well afterward.