Cultivating self-directed convergence talents

In 2024, the government emphasized the expansion of liberal arts majors to foster convergence talents to lead the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the expansion of liberal arts majors is now a “must, not an option. Yuhan University was the first university to introduce a free electronics department in 2021, and the department has recently attracted the attention of colleges and universities nationwide as it has successfully established itself.

Freshmen in the Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Yuhan University will experience two to three majors in the first semester of their freshman year, and then be assigned to their own departments from the second semester of their freshman year to continue their university life. During this process, students are provided with a wide range of support to help them achieve the desired outcomes by equipping them with broad and deep knowledge and skills in their majors.

The main success factor of the Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences at YU is that students have ample time to explore and find their own majors by first experiencing various departments and majors through the process of “exploring first, choosing later” after admission. At this point, students can choose their majors without being restricted by their majors through autonomous and in-depth self-directed learning. The Department of Electrical Engineering at Yuhan University is a place where you can find the majors and studies you want to pursue, and experience new convergences that are difficult to pursue in traditional majors.

In the first semester of the first year, students take the major design and major exploration classes in the department, as well as classes in various other majors, to help them decide which major they want to pursue. During the major selection process, students are closely mentored by two lifelong advisors, as well as mentoring and coaching from seniors in the department, and various programs to improve their major competencies, such as 'Pre:Listen' and 'Major Study Tutoring' to fill in gaps in their majors, to maximize their potential and continue to support their adaptation to the major. In the process of selecting a major, the department also offers the DISC personality type test, career development test, and college life adjustment test to help students set a career path.

From the 2021 academic year, when the new majors were established through the pre-exploration and post-selection process, to this year, 100% of all current students (excluding those on leave) have been assigned to their desired majors. In the 21st academic year, 24 majors were assigned, in the 22nd academic year, 14 majors were assigned, in the 23rd academic year, 17 majors were assigned, and in the 24th academic year, 14 majors were assigned.

Hee-yong Kwon, who entered the department in 2022 and was assigned to the Fashion Design Department after exploring majors, said, “I was able to work harder because I chose my major after exploring my career path, and I won the ‘Korea Textile Design Competition President's Award’ and ‘International Fashion Illustration Encouragement Award’. I hope that juniors will also find their dreams and visions through the department,” he said, emphasizing the excellence of the department.

“Recently, many universities are establishing free warfare departments, but our strength is that we have the experience and know-how as the first 'original free warfare department' in a vocational college,” said Jeong Ye-ji, chair of the department. ”We will help students to be more confident in their future designs through the sharing spirit of YU and the self-directed creativity of the department.”

Meanwhile, YU has increased the number of students admitted to the department to 45 (from 34 in the previous year) to meet the demand for creative and convergent talents required by the future society. YU plans to select 37 new students in the first round of rolling admission that began on September 9, seven in the second round of rolling admission that began on November 8, and one in the regular admission.

[News source: Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea]

[Korea Edu Press]