Seoul Women’s University
Urban Innovation School and Local Living Lab: Connecting Student Learning with Community Practice
Finalist, Student engagement
About
This initiative bridges student learning with real-world community challenges through the Urban Innovation School and Local Living Lab. Since 2020, students have engaged with local residents, organisations, and public partners in areas facing housing vulnerability and population decline.
Over time, the programme has developed into an ongoing collaboration involving universities, local government, NGOs, and industry partners. Rather than short-term projects, it focuses on building relationships and sustained engagement.
Students not only learn in classrooms but also engage in real-world contexts, working alongside residents to co-create responses to local challenges. Many begin to see themselves as active participants in their communities. Student reflection journals collected over several years, along with related academic research, show consistent changes in students’ perspectives, sense of responsibility, and engagement.
Top 3 learnings
- We learned that long-term engagement builds deeper trust and more meaningful community impact.
- We learned that co-creation with residents leads to more relevant and sustainable solutions.
- We learned that collaboration across sectors strengthens implementation and long-term sustainability.
Sustainable Development Goals
| 2026 | |
| Student engagement | |
| Finalist, International |
