Gokseong-gun and Jeonnam Science University Expand Collaboration for Crisis Overcoming and Mutual Growth

Published 21 Dec.2021 14:47(KST)

2021 3rd Industry-Academia-Local Development Council Meeting for Mutual Growth and Win-Win Cooperation

Gokseong-gun and Jeonnam Science University Expand Collaboration for Crisis Overcoming and Mutual Growth

[Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-sun] Gokseong County and Jeonnam Science University held the 3rd Industry-Academia-Local Development Council of 2022 on the 21st and discussed cooperation plans for mutual development, Gokseong County announced on the 21st.

The council was attended by about 20 people, including the chairpersons of both institutions?the Planning Director of Gokseong County and the Director of the Industry-Academia Cooperation Group at Jeonnam Science University?as well as related collaboration staff. The attendees reviewed the status of ongoing collaborative projects such as the university dormitory student support project, job support project, and youth farmer cultivation.

They also discussed plans for collaborative projects to be promoted next year.

Both institutions formally launched the council in 2017, recognizing the necessity of industry-academia collaboration for regional development.

Since then, they have continued regular meetings and jointly promoted various community return projects including public contest projects, education, events, and volunteer work.

A representative collaborative project is the Jeonnam-type Companion Job Project and the Youth Job Cafe Philip (必立), which have been promoted since 2018. Gokseong County supports the project administratively and financially, while the university operates the project.

So far, customized vocational education, professional certification acquisition, job counseling, and special lectures have been provided to 1,330 residents and university students, creating a total of about 150 jobs.

Since 2020, a “one city, one specialized cultivation project” has been underway. This project selects superior varieties and verifies production capacity of Gokseong’s specialty product, Gokseong taro.

The plan is to complete the project by 2022 to develop and distribute superior varieties, thereby helping farmers create high added value.

Within the university, a youth farmer cultivation base called the “Youth Farmer Incubating Hub Center” has been established, providing annual cultivation technique lectures and technical information.

Through this, they continue to consider regional revitalization measures such as youth farmer cultivation, youth population inflow, and agricultural technology improvement.

In addition, various exchanges have continued, including lifelong education operation, Hope Mobile Service for eyeglasses and eye exams volunteer work, festival evaluation services, SNS supporters operation, drone science festival, and volunteer activities.

From next year, collaboration will be further expanded. The county, university, education office, and Future Education Foundation plan to jointly operate a lifelong learning council.

They will systematize the regional education system by sharing lifelong education information promoted by individual institutions.

Also, new educational projects will be jointly discovered through the council. It is expected that this will enhance both the efficiency and effectiveness of regional education.

A county official said, “Going forward, both institutions will continue collaboration to find regional development plans as agents of innovation to overcome population decline and the crisis of regional universities.”