About
The university's educational philosophy of creating a cultural world aligns with ESG management. Kyung Hee pursues the core values of scholarship and global peace and has made efforts to find concrete solutions of sustainable world issues.
For example, the 2022 Peace and Beyond Forum(PBF) focused on the discourse of climate disasters, with the theme "Finding a Way Out of the Beginning of Catastrophe." Human society is facing a crisis of collapse due to extreme heat waves, flooding deserts, massive wildfires, melting glaciers, severe drought, and etc. We also face the rapid spread of pandemics, unstable international relations, and the possibility of nuclear war. We believe that a new understanding and action toward humanity, nature, civilization, and the universe are necessary for a paradigm shift, and we must fulfill our mission as an educational institution.
Kyung Hee has been striving to practice the UN SDGs. As many of the SDG items overlap with ESG, we believe that our university's various activities pursued as part of our educational philosophy have been recognized, and we have recently ranked 74th in THE Global Impact. However, we must continue to devote ourselves to become a world-class university.
Recently, professors in the university have been dedicating to education, research, and practical implementation related to ESG and SDGs. When we surveyed our full-time professors' interests, we found that they have a diverse range of interests in various fields. Therefore, the university will combine and connect our professors' strengths to achieve even more outstanding and greater results in ESG.
No. | SDG | Number of Responses |
---|---|---|
1 | No Poverty | 8 |
2 | Zero Hunger | 9 |
3 | Good Health and Well-being | 37 |
4 | Quality Education | - |
5 | Gender Equality | 15 |
6 | Clean Water and Sanitation | |
7 | Affordable and Clean Energy | 23 |
8 | Decent Work and Economic Growth | 29 |
9 | Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | 18 |
10 | Reduced Inequalities | 36 |
11 | Sustainable Cities and Communities | 18 |
12 | Responsible Consumption and Production | 48 |
13 | Climate Action | 41 |
14 | Life Below Water | 6 |
15 | Life on Land | 6 |
16 | Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | |
17 | Partnerships for the Goals | 32 |
Total | 326 |
ESG is now an undeniable spirit of the times. If it is, we must make efforts to move forward. However, there are still some members who think that ESG is an activity only for companies or something unrelated to them.
Nevertheless, We believe that this is a time to reflect on the essential values of universities. Universities should not only have a great responsibility in terms of outstanding education and research achievements but also take practical aspects that the times and society demand. We should become lighthouses that reflect on the era and suggest the direction that society should take. We need to turn on warning lights and shed light on the dangers lurking in human society.
To turn the tide in the current crisis, a new perception shift and practice are needed for human beings, nature, civilization, and the universe. Therefore, we must fulfill our mission as an educational institution. ESG is not just a matter of simple ethical awareness. It is a value and index that is directly linked to the survival of the present and future generations. Specifically, it needs to be quantified as KPI in management studies and developed through research so that it can be measured and evaluated. ESG should overflow into everything around us in our daily lives to realize the essential role and value of ESG.
Recently, I know that many students at our university have shown interest in ESG and are engaging in practical activities. Personally, I think it is desirable, and I am grateful for it. I hope that more members of our university will show interest in ESG and demonstrate it in education, research, and practical fields. I also hope that it will be more reflected in the educational curriculum, more research results will be presented, and more members will engage in practical activities in various parts of society. To this end, the university headquarters will make more efforts and provide more support, and we will communicate and exchange more.