Measures to support school and university graduates discussed at the seminar on the youth policy at the Korea — Russia Dialogue Forum
The Korea — Russia Dialogue Forum, together with St Petersburg University and the Korea’s National Youth Policy Institute, has held the 8th seminar for experts in youth policy. The theme of this year’s event was measures to support young people at the start of their career.
On behalf of St Petersburg University and the Rector of St Petersburg University, Vladimir Savinov, Vice-Rector for Educational Activity at St Petersburg University, welcomed the participants of the seminar. He mentioned the 11th ‘Youth Dialogue’ held in August in Tashkent, which brought together university students from Russia, the Republic of Korea, and Uzbekistan. The participants held a series of discussions on the following topics: "Creativity and IT technologies"; "Creativity and business"; "Creativity, social projects and education"; and "Creativity and international cultural exchange". This year, under the auspices of St Petersburg University and the Korea — Russia Dialogue Forum, the Club of Korean Students of Russia was opened and the next meeting of the Youth Discussion Club was held, where Russian and Korean students discussed issues relating to: the cultures of the two peoples; the institution of marriage; financial independence of the younger generation; and career orientation and implementation of career pathing in the academic environment.
The Forum continues to strengthen ties and develop cooperation between our countries in the humanitarian, political, trade, economic, scientific, technical and other fields. The issues relating to the challenges facing young people today in Russia and Korea are by no means an exception.
Vladimir Savinov, Vice-Rector for Educational Activity at St Petersburg University
According to Lee Kyu Hyung, Chair of the Coordinating Committee on the Korean side of the Korea — Russia Dialogue Forum, ex-Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Russian Federation, young people are faced with the life challenges. ‘As young people are becoming adult, they face challenges, including finding a job and becoming independent. Young people in many countries are going through a difficult time, especially as companies announced hiring freezes due to the effects of the pandemic and the overall economic recession,’ commented Mr Lee Kyu Hyung.
In the context of unstable and extended period of transition from youth to adulthood, it is essential to identify policies and goals that can help young people make a smooth transition to adulthood. Today’s event is therefore of special significance.
Lee Kyu Hyung, Chair of the Coordinating Committee on the Korean side of the Korea — Russia Dialogue Forum, ex-Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Russia
Kim Hyun Cheol, President of the National Institute for Youth Policy, supported the previous speakers and said that the transitional period from youth to adulthood is extended today and it is a global trend. He added that this issue calls for careful and detailed consideration to develop solutions for each country. ‘For us, when we are talking about bilateral interaction, it is vital to consider this phenomenon from different points of view, taking into account cultural and social specifics,’ concluded Mr Kim Hyun Cheol.
The seminar featured reports by Roman Volkovskii, Senior Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Youth Policy and Interaction with Public Organisations of St Petersburg, and Chang Keunyong, Senior Research Associate at the National Institute for Youth Policy. They spoke about measures to support the employment of university graduates in Russia and the Republic of Korea. The moderators of the meeting were Vladimir Filippov, Head of the Youth Dialogue working group from the Russian side, the President of the Patrice Lumumba People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), and Jin-won Lee, secretary of the Youth Dialogue working group from the Korean side, Director of the Korea Youth Work Agency.
Liudmila Iatina, Senior Deputy Head of the Office for Youth Work at St Petersburg University, took part in the discussion that followed the presentation of the reports. She told the meeting participants about how to support students who are in early adulthood and need professional and social adaptation. Liudmila Iatina mentioned the importance of project activities at universities and the format of clinical practice, during which students, even during their junior years at university, are introduced to the labour market and gain real practical skills even before receiving a degree. She also mentioned major professional contests, in particular the Olympiad "I am a Professional", which is set to help talented students to start a career.
The seminar also featured reports by Daria Vasina, a coordinator of the activities of the Association of International Students of RUDN University; Anastasiia Iliushina, a chief specialist-expert at the department of international activities at the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs of the Russian Federation; and Kim Mungil, Senior Research Associate at the Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs; and Sun Young Park, Professor at the Korean National Sport University, member of the Youth Dialogue working group.