Hanyang University ERICA Unveils New Vision for Future Education

Hanyang University ERICA announced on the 11th that it held the "Hanyang University ERICA IC-PBL 10th Anniversary NEXT HORIZON 2039" event.

This event was held to proclaim, both internally and externally, the future education strategy "NEXT HORIZON 2039", which will continue until Hanyang University’s 100th anniversary in 2039, based on the educational innovation achievements accumulated over the past 10 years through IC-PBL (Industry-Coupled Problem-Based Learning).

Participants are taking a commemorative photo at the 'Hanyang University ERICA IC-PBL 10th Anniversary NEXT HORIZON 2039' event. Hanyang University

At the event, President Lee Gijeong gave a welcoming address, reflecting on the 10 years of IC-PBL’s accomplishments and presenting a new blueprint for future education leading up to the university’s 100th anniversary in 2039.

President Lee said, “Over the past decade, we have proven that IC-PBL can function as a viable educational system in actual university education, establishing it as a representative educational culture at Hanyang University ERICA. This is the most important achievement.” He added, “Now is the time to answer new questions such as, ‘What problems will we discover? Who will we connect with? And what kind of future will we create together?’ as we shape the next ten years of IC-PBL.”

He continued, “We will further broaden the horizon of IC-PBL from the local level to the global stage, from individual majors to convergence, and from educational experiences to student competency and career paths. By setting the direction for this new leap within ‘NEXT HORIZON 2039,’ we will connect the experiences of the past 10 years with Hanyang’s 100-year future and open new frontiers in future education.”

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, IC-PBL (Industry-Coupled Problem-Based Learning) was introduced in 2016 and has since become ERICA’s signature model for educational innovation.

During the event, former Hanyang University President Woo-Seung Kim, now President of the Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea, who led the introduction of IC-PBL, delivered a keynote speech on the theme “Innovation in University Education in the AI Era: The Lecture Innovation Platform, IC-PBL.” This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Hyunmi Park, Head of the IC-PBL Center for Faculty Teaching and Learning, with the participation of Jaeseung Lee, Vice President of Kakao Corp., Ji-Young Kwak, Professor at Taejae University, and Hyunsang Shin, Professor at Hanyang University.

Heejeong Kim, Chairperson of the National Assembly Education Committee, delivered a video message with the theme “Woomunhyeondap: The answer to our problems always lies in the field.” Haesook Lee, Director-General of Higher and Lifelong Education Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Education, presented “The Direction of IC-PBL in the Era of the AI Great Transition.” Wonhwa Hong, Chairperson of the National Research Foundation of Korea, delivered a speech titled “The Future of Universities: Reinventing Industry-Academia Cooperation,” and Jae-Won Choi, President of Pusan National University, gave a talk on “University Educational Innovation and New Horizons for Regional Universities through Industry-Academia Integrated PBL Education.” Each delivered an insight speech on their respective future education visions.

Through these discussions, experts representing education, industry, and policy convened to discuss innovation in future education and the role of universities. In addition, Minhyeon Jeon, President of Inje University, Dongwoo Shin, President of the Hanyang University Alumni Association, Woohyung Park, Advisor for the City of Gwangmyeong, Jeongtaek Kim, Director of Ansan Greeners FC, and Sangyun Lee, President of Seosan Agricultural Cooperative, participated in the event.

During the “10 Years of ERICA IC-PBL Educational Innovation Journey” session held as part of the event, a total of 109 individuals received distinguished service plaques, appreciation plaques, and certificates of commendation. Among them, appreciation plaques were awarded to eight organizations that have been actively involved with IC-PBL, including Ansan City Hall, Gwangmyeong City Hall, Anseong City Hall, Kakao Corp., Canon Korea Inc., GeoSystem Research Corp., Seosan Agricultural Cooperative, and Ansan Greeners FC.

In the subsequent “ERICA NEXT HORIZON 2039” proclamation, five visions were presented for future-oriented education based on the achievements of 10 years of ERICA IC-PBL educational innovation: strengthening local cooperation (LOCAL), expanding convergence education (CONVERGENCE), reinforcing global networking (GLOBAL), enhancing education based on advanced technologies (INTELLIGENCE), and strengthening student competencies (CAREER), enabling students to take on real-world challenges, connect knowledge and experiences across boundaries, find new solutions using AI, and grow from local communities to the global stage.

Through these efforts, Hanyang University ERICA announced its intention to expand beyond the past 10 years in which IC-PBL has demonstrated the potential for educational innovation and to build a new decade of expanded possibilities. The participation of universities such as Inje University and Pusan National University on site, as well as the video message from the National Assembly Education Committee, highlighted how IC-PBL is expanding into a future education model to be developed jointly with universities and institutions across Korea, beyond just the educational innovation model of Hanyang University ERICA.

Donghyun Baek, Vice President of Hanyang University ERICA, evaluated the 10th anniversary event in his closing remarks as a meaningful occasion to reflect on the achievements of the past decade and to share new strategies and directions for the future. He extended his gratitude by saying, “Thanks to the professors who connected real-world issues with coursework, the students who searched for answers on their own, and the industry and community partners who have been steadfast educational collaborators, IC-PBL has flourished as the representative education model at Hanyang University ERICA.”

He continued, “Even amid the rapidly changing environment of AI and technology, the value of practical education that solves real-world problems and connects people and society will shine ever brighter. Based on the achievements of the past ten years, we will transcend the boundaries of knowledge and open new horizons for educational innovation where learning leads to real social value.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.