Academic Forum Inviting GB Experts from St. John’s College at Incheon National University

Incheon National University (President In-jae Lee), together with the Haksan Library (Director Young-don Yoon) and the INU Great Books Center (Director Seung-hyun Hwang, hereinafter the GB Center), successfully held the “Academic Forum Inviting Great Books (GB) Experts from St. John’s College” over two days, December 5 (Friday) and December 6 (Saturday).

The forum was organized to explore the future of discussion-based, humanities-centered education grounded in classical texts in the AI era, by inviting GB experts from St. John’s College (SJC), USA, and to build an education cooperation model linking universities and local communities.

Held at the Diamond Hall of Bridge Hotel, Songdo, Incheon, the event was attended by approximately 60 participants, including Young-don Yoon, Director of the Incheon National University Library; Seung-hyun Hwang, Director of the GB Center; GB-participating faculty members (including Professor Yong-hwa Lee of the Department of English Language and Literature at Incheon National University, a reciprocal visiting faculty member to St. John’s College for the second semester, who joined via Zoom); Professor Patricia Locke (Tutor) from St. John’s College; officials from the Incheon Human Resources Development Institute for Lifelong Education; faculty from Kangwon National University; teachers from nine local middle and high schools; and representatives from George Mason University Korea, Yonsei University International Campus, and The Catholic University of Korea.

In the first session on December 5, Director Young-don Yoon delivered an opening presentation titled “Education in the AI Era,” emphasizing the importance of reading the classics by stating that “the uniquely human quality that AI cannot replace lies in our capacity for empathy and suffering (Homo Patiens).”

This was followed by a presentation by Professor Patricia Locke of SJC, who shared the message “Think for yourself, think with others,” underscoring the core of discussion-based education—not in finding predetermined answers, but in expanding intellectual horizons through collective inquiry.

During Sessions 2 and 3 (December 6), participants discussed concrete case studies as well as models for regional collaboration and inter-university linkage. Presentations included: ▲ Ji-hyun Kim, Section Chief at the Incheon Human Resources Development Institute for Lifelong Education, on the successful case of an elementary school vacation English camp (GB discussion camp) linked to the Incheon Global Leadership School; ▲ Seo-jeong Yoo, teacher at Samsan High School, on the outcomes of the GB collaborative curriculum between Incheon National University and local high schools; ▲ Hyeong-gyeong Son, teacher at Gyeolmaru Future School, Incheon’s first public future-oriented alternative school, who introduced GB practices, operational outcomes, and policy suggestions; ▲ Professor Jong-hwa Ahn, Head of the Office of Educational Innovation at Kangwon National University, who presented cases and future plans for GB (text-centered discussion) programs.

Subsequently, ▲ Director Seung-hyun Hwang presented the current status of GB program operations and strategies for regional education collaboration; and ▲ Professor Yong-hwa Lee discussed future directions for the development of GB programs between SJC and Korean universities.

Participants reached a shared understanding of the importance of a governance framework linking universities, local governments, and regional schools, and agreed on sustainable cooperation agendas, including tutor exchanges, joint curriculum development, and the expansion of high school–university linked seminars.

Building on its educational cooperation channel with St. John’s College, Incheon National University plans to expand a Korean-style Great Books ecosystem and to implement practical initiatives in a phased manner.