-Tasks and challenges of higher education institutions of developing countries in response to the global pandemics COVID-19
-Conducted in Webinar, on web and mobile application and streamed live on YouTube across the world
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(Photo) Video of President Soon-Heung Chang on webinar during opening ceremony
On June 11th, 2020, Handong Global University (President Soon-Heung Chang) hosted a webinar on ‘COVID-19 educational challenges that higher education institutions of developing countries are facing.
A webinar is a combination of the words ‘web’ and ‘seminar’ and are conducted online. On web and mobile application, the webinar was streamed live online across the world on the web and mobile applications.
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(Photo2) Presidents of universities from 7 different countries and 11 staff members attending webinar
In this webinar, presidents of 7 different countries including Nepal, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Mongolia and Peru discussed about responses to the COVID-10 pandemic and Post-Corona era and the challenges and tasks of the higher education institutions.
During opening speech, President Chang said, “It’s actually hard for revolution to occur when society and the economy are stable. Even though COVID-19 has negatively impacted our society as a whole, the pandemic has accelerated the 4th industrial revolution.” “During the this pandemic, we could make use of this time, and seize this opportunity to search for the future direction of the higher education.”
Lee Jong Seo, professor of Seoul National University in Sociology presented the issue on ‘COVID-19 impacts it had on higher education institutions” and also remarked that higher education institutions can reinforce the prospect of cooperation among universities. Former president of Tribhuvan University in Nepal discussed the necessity of technological development and improvement of educational quality in Nepal and how Nepal can overcome the challenges they are facing in higher education. Also, the president of Assumption University in the Philippines Joselito Henson shared the need for plans to develop online education, cooperation with the government and the challenges the higher education of the Philippines is facing.
7 staff from the educational field participated and about a hundred online panels attended this event. Topics on the role and responsibilities of higher education institutions and governments, and online education were discussed.
Professor Kee-Seon Yoo from HGU said, “During the outbreak of COVID-19, Korean education is transitioning from face-to-face education to untact education. Especially in the field of education, we need to predict the post corona era and search for different directions we can go in order to turn this time of pain into the fruitful results.
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(Photo 3) President of San Palblo Catholic University Herman Chaves answers questions on YouTube Live.
Also, the president of San Pablo Catholic University in Peru Herman Chaves said, “It is apparent that the field of remote learning is being reinforced. However, for developing countries which lack infrastructures, distance learning is not as easy as it sounds. Due to Covid-19, the gap of digital education can be widened. In order to close the gap of knowledge, we need to come up with resolutions of different aspects.”
At the face of COVID-19, Handong has been implementing untact programs to support developing countries and their increased capability such as webinars, and online education. Moreover, Handong will reinforce the easier accessibility to higher education institutions for developing countries with accelerated digitalization and reinforced online infrastructure to close the gap of knowledge.
* UNESCO UNITWIN (UNITWIN: University Twinning and Networking) is a program created by UNESCO in 1992 with the goal of reducing the knowledge gap by supporting University education and research institutions through a network of Universities between advanced and developing countries, raising the self-sustaining capabilities of developing countries. Handong Global University was selected as the first UNITWIN supervising University of Republic of Korea in 2007.
* * Moreover, Handong Global University is stepping up to promote internationalization being designated as Korea's first OECD Intern Dispatch University (2008), leading UN ACADEMIC IMPACT-sponsored university (2011), leading UN-sponsored library operation university (2014) and leading UN NGO conference university (2016). Handong Global University opened the UNAI Ban Ki-moon Global Education Center (2019) and more.
