Young People Find Rest and Work in Local Downtown! ... Daegu University Professor Yang Jin-oh Publishes Book 'Learning Discovered in Local Old Downtown'

‘Recording the University on the Street: Bukseongro University Project’

Book cover of "Learning Discovered in the Local Original Downtown" published by Professor Yang Jin-oh of Daegu University.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yeo Jong-gu] An intriguing book has been published suggesting that the old downtown area of Daegu can become a creative learning space for local university youth.

The book is titled "Learning Discovered in the Local Old Downtown," authored by Professor Yang Jin-oh of the Department of Culture and Arts at Daegu University. The subtitle of the book catches the eye.

In the book, Professor Yang focuses on the humanistic potential of the local old downtown, emphasizing that it is not merely a place preserving dead heritage from the past.

For example, Hyangchon-dong in Daegu’s old downtown was a cradle of Korean exhibition culture in the 1950s, and the story of the associated poet Gu-sang can be revived as moving content, according to Professor Yang Jin-oh’s theory.

So far, Bukseong-ro is repeatedly described in the book as a historical site where one can learn not only about Daegu but also about the turbulent modern history of Korea.

The book stresses that Daegu’s old downtown can be a resting place and workplace for local youth who favor retro tastes.

Professor Yang believes that local youth should broaden their experiences by working with local experts active in the old downtown through social enterprises and cooperatives.

Against this backdrop, since 2018, Professor Yang has been running a humanities community called "Bukseong-ro University" in the handmade shoe alley of Bukseong-ro.

The book "Learning Discovered in the Local Old Downtown" documents the Bukseong-ro University project, including collaboration with local experts, public lectures, student startups, storytelling field trips, and reading clubs.

Professor Yang Jin-oh said, “To overcome the crisis of humanities in local universities, professors need to turn their attention to the local old downtown,” adding, “Humanities should not be confined to university classrooms and research labs; professors must first understand the ‘local’ to revive local universities.”

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