Solving Real-World Problems with 'Living Lab', Practicing at 'Doing University'... Dongmyeong University Fully Committed to 'True Education'

Military Science Department Conducts Safety Patrols and Data Collection in Neighborhood Where Female College Student Was Murdered

Living Lab Teams Increased from 6 in 2018 to 24 in 2019 and 29 in 2020

‘Do-ing University’ Flourishes with No G

Students from the Department of Military Science at Dongmyeong University are operating a living lab team to conduct night patrols in Nam-gu, Busan.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] #. In 2019, a female college student was murdered in a one-room apartment area in Daeyeon-dong, Nam-gu, Busan.

What can we do to prevent such incidents from happening? To find a solution, we launched a ‘Living Lab.’ Only through practice and action can anything be resolved.

We are students from the Military Science Department at Dongmyung University. Our team name is ‘Dongmyung Safety Patrol Leader.’

Initially, eight members jumped into ‘Doing.’ To help Nam-gu residents return home safely, we operated a patrol team in secluded alleys. The first activity took place from early October to December 2020 due to COVID-19.

Military science students performed night patrol duties during vulnerable nighttime hours to assist safe returns home.

The team consisted of eight members divided into three groups. Each patrol lasted about three hours.

After patrols, we accumulated result data. The patrol areas were pre-analyzed using Google Maps, and we prepared light batons, reflective vests, flashlights, whistles, etc., before deployment. Contact information for nearby police stations and police boxes was shared in case of emergencies.

When encountering female college students, female high school students, elderly, or disabled persons, we accompanied them to their destinations. We did not skip rainy days either. This year, activities are planned to resume from September.

‘Patrol Leader’ is a talent donation activity by the Military Science Department at Dongmyung University to identify and solve real-world problems through the Living Lab, and it is a ‘Doing’ project learned through practice.

Dongmyung University, which established the nation’s first 3-No (No Grade Level - No Credits - No Teaching) ‘Doing University,’ has many students from various departments engaged in Doing projects.

Despite COVID-19 and the heatwave, 176 students are actively involved in team (Living Lab) activities that identify and directly solve various social issues beyond the campus, leveraging their department’s characteristics. They pour their passion into this for seven months until the end of the year.

The Living Lab, meaning a living laboratory, is a real-world convergence activity that goes beyond campus fences, identifying problems on the ground and finding direct solutions.

Dongmyung University is in its fourth year of operation this year, increasing its contribution to the local community.

In the first year of Living Lab implementation in 2018, 6 teams with 28 members participated; in 2019, 24 teams with 131 members; and in 2020, 29 teams with 172 members participated.

This year, from last May to the end of November, about seven months, 35 teams with 176 members are active.

Students from 21 Living Lab teams totaling 148 members from departments such as Counseling Psychology, Social Welfare, Speech Therapy and Audiology, Military Science, Media Communication, Advertising PR, Global Cultural Contents, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture, Aviation Service, Tourism Management, Architectural Engineering, Sports Rehabilitation, and Food and Nutrition are working hard on the ground.

Separately, 14 Living Lab teams with 28 members are supporting marketing for local small business owners.

Living Lab projects include promoting youth institutions and youth activity programs (Counseling Psychology), safety patrols in vulnerable areas and facilities in Nam-gu (Military Science), producing surfing boards for promoting small businesses in tourist areas (Industrial Design), helping the silver generation understand and use digital devices (Aviation Service), developing lunchboxes for the elderly (Food and Nutrition), and preventing decline in healthy physical activity (Sports Rehabilitation). These projects are especially notable as they fit well with the prolonged COVID-19 situation.

President Jeon Ho-hwan said, “It is an era that requires talents who not only accumulate knowledge but also fully ‘demonstrate’ their capabilities in reality,” adding, “Our goal is to nurture practical Doing talents who can ‘live through any world that comes’ based on challenge passion, communication empathy, and respect consideration.”

Doing University is a college established to shift the educational focus from knowledge delivery to acquiring practical and execution (Doing) capabilities.

Next year, three majors will be added. The Entrepreneurship major cultivates challenging entrepreneurial spirit and capabilities to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution society.

The YouTube Creator major is a course to secure the ability to create unique content and operate channels in the YouTube world, which is the trend of the times.

The Digital Performing Arts major develops the ability to combine the artistic sensibility of Hallyu, such as K-pop, breakdance, and acting, with digital technology.

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