[17.4.3.] Education for SDGs in the wider community 2024

Have dedicated outreach educational activities for the wider community, which could include alumni, local residents, displaced people

Pusan National University(PNU), a national flagship university, delivers SDG education to current students, alumni, and local communities, including socially marginalized groups, enabling the whole community to act as agents of the SDGs.

1. Broad-based SDG education for the community (current students, alumni, marginalized groups, local citizens)

1) The PNU Lifelong Education Center offers SDG?related lectures to residents, including students, alumni, persons with disabilities, national meritorious persons, and basic livelihood security recipients. Representative lifelong programs include strength training(SDG3) and citizen gardener education(SDG11). The senior program “Kyeong-heon Silver Academy” features activities such as Geumjeongsan nature conservation, senior civic participation, and volunteer work. “PNU Dream Blossom College” for individuals with developmental disabilities, provides cultural arts and career programs. In 2024 the Center also hosted a free lecture by the Director of KOICA for university members and residents interested in overseas volunteering.

2. SDG Education Support for Children from Multicultural Families, North Korean Defectors, and Migrants

1) PNU operates the annual “Multicultural and North Korean Defector Student Mentoring Program.” In summer 2024, the program offered instruction on smart farming and recycling. In winter 2024, in collaboration with local children’s centers, it provided lessons on digital ethics, nature-friendly sensibilities, and marine debris remediation.

3. SDG Education Support for Graduates

1) PNU supports SDG education for international students and alumni through the International Student Graduate Bridge Alumni Association. This network promotes sustainable development values after graduation. In 2024, the Vietnamese alumni association visited a temple under the theme “Together for Peace,” engaging in nature and meditation (SDG 11) and celebrating Korean traditional holidays to experience traditional values and community. The Kazakhstani alumni association visited the Busan 119 Safety Experience Center to strengthen disaster personal-safety response capabilities (SDG 3, SDG 11).

2) PNU opened the History Hall and Saebyeok Courtyard in April 2024, providing campus members and local communities with opportunities to experience history and nature. These facilities support participation and education on the university’s democratization history and foster a sustainability community for the General Alumni Association and the Democratic Alumni Association. In March 2024, PNU hosted an alumni lecture on the Korean Peninsula situation and the unification movement.

3) The PNU Lifelong Education Center sets tuition-reduction eligibility per its regulations. By including graduates among eligible groups, the institute encourages active SDG learning and practice among PNU alumni.