On June 22, the “Industry Coupled Problem/Project Based Learning (ICPBL) Connect & Share Project” developed by Hanyang University (HYU) was successfully certified as an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) project by UNESCO. After the evaluation started from March to May, the result for the certification was announced at the 26th regular conference of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO. 

      According to the IC-PBL Center for Teaching and Learning, the IC-PBL Connect & Share Project of HYU is a learning process aiming to improve students’ problem-solving capability and create social value for the sustainable development of society. The project consists of IC-PBL courses, a problem-oriented educational model where students can interactively explore social problems and communicate to carry out innovative resolutions, cooperating with the university and industry. 

     The Korean National Commission for UNESCO has been facilitating the “Korean UNESCO ESD Official Project” since 2011, to discover various ESD examples and disseminate specified ESD strategies practiced in Korean society. ESD encourages individuals and groups to strengthen knowledge, attitude, and competency to holistically address environmental, social, and economic issues. This project is to promote the Korean model of the ESD both domestically and internationally. 

      Ham Seung-hwan, a director of the Center for IC-PBL Teaching and Learning of HYU, said that this certification acquirement is meaningful in that it became an exemplary case in which international professional organization has recognized the educational value, as well as the effectiveness of HYU’s ICPBL education. HYU’s IC-PBL Connect & Share Project will reach out worldwide and be introduced as part of the official project of UNESCO for the next three years.