College of Future Life: Leading Innovation in Lifelong Learning at Kyungnam University

1. Background and Educational Philosophy

  Kyungnam University’s College of Future Life was established to equip adult learners with the skills needed for a happy and fulfilling life. Guided by its philosophy of nurturing “Life Artists,” the College helps students design balanced lives across family, 
community, career, and retirement. In addition to awarding degrees, it serves as a community-centered learning hub that supports personal growth and the practical pursuit of happiness.

2. Specialized Majors and Program Features

   College programs are designed around four core life areas—family, community, career, and retirement—and cover themes such as lifelong learning, local development, job creation, and healthy aging. The College operates evening and weekend classes to help students balance work, family, and study, and it recognizes prior experience through a credit-for-prior-learning system.

  Departments include Lifelong Education, Counseling and Care, Local Creator, Leisure Life Business, Business Consulting, Total Beauty Design, and Active Senior, each offering certifications and career or start-up opportunities. Through these programs, learners are empowered to design fulfilling lives across all stages of adulthood.

3. Student Support and Regional Linkage

  The Regional Innovation System & Education (RISE) project provides learning design, career management, and vocational education through its specialized teams. The College also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Changwon City Residents’ Autonomy Council to build a “Happiness + α Industry” ecosystem, strengthening regional connections through second-career pathways, local hiring, and entrepreneurship support.

  Via customized non-degree programs developed and operated under the RISE project, the College continues to lead lifelong education initiatives and community empowerment in the region.

4. Career Prospects and Future Vision

  Graduates pursue customized career paths that integrate their studies with lived experience, contributing to Gyeongnam’s “Happiness Industry.” With their “life-proven learning ability,” they grow into true Life Artists.

  The College envisions an open, lifelong learning platform where anyone can “learn what they want, when they need it, at their own pace.” Professor Park Ji-hye noted that the goal is to become a “university growing together with the community”—discovering challenges, designing solutions, and sharing achievements together.