Hanyang University's Global Social Innovation Foundation Collective Impact Center, SSIR KOREA Team (hereinafter referred to as Hanyang SSIR KOREA Team), participated in the “SSIR Global Summit” from October 23 to 29.

The “SSIR Global Summit” is a meeting where Local Language Edition (LLE) Teams of Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) gather once a year to share SSIR production experiences and discuss overall production and operation. The recent program is a convening that brought together global teams operating SSIR (Brazil, China, Japan, Español, Korea) at Stanford in the United States, and three students selected through the editorial team and judging led by SSIR KOREA participated. The Hanyang SSIR KOREA Team represented Korea at the “SSIR Global Summit” held at Stanford University in the United States, providing an introduction to SSIR production experiences and the know-how of operating student-participatory programs.

SSIR stands for “Stanford Social Innovation Review,” a prestigious academic journal in the field of social innovation published by Stanford University. Hanyang University has been publishing the Korean edition of SSIR for six years since 2018, and this is the only case where a university has contracted the rights for publication. The publication of the Korean edition of SSIR is a project led by the Social Innovation Center, Professor Shin Hyun-sang from the School of Business Administration, Professor Seo Hyun-sun from the Major in Social Innovation, and Kim Hyun-joong, the content manager, comprising the SSIR KOREA team.

At this year's “SSIR Global Summit,” global leaders in social innovation from various countries participated, covering discussions on the future of social innovation, the role of SSIR knowledge as researchers, comparative studies on nonprofit organizations, and social innovation in Africa. They introduced the social innovation environments and stories from each country. The SSIR headquarters emphasized that social innovation should not be confined to definitions but should break down the boundaries between social innovation and the external world, explaining phenomena as knowledge, and bridging the inside and outside of social innovation. Additionally, teams from Brazil, Español, China, and Japan shared studies and cases conducted by their respective teams. The SSIR KOREA team focused on operational practices, highlighting participatory activities conducted with students.

In particular, the SSIR KOREA team had students who participated in SSIR production attend the conference, presenting their production experiences to global teams. Kim Ki-hyun, who delivered the presentation, expressed, "Meeting social innovation leaders like this makes me feel closer to social innovation." During the Q&A session, when asked, "How do you encourage student participation in Korea?" student Lee Ye-woon responded, "By doing various activities together and learning about social innovation, students feel more involved rather than finding it difficult."

The team also visited Google.org, where they heard about case studies on predicting and recovering from disasters using AI technology. This provided them with an opportunity to experience the connection between technology and social innovation. A lively discussion on AI-based article translation followed. After all the sessions concluded, Professor Shin, who serves as the editor-in-chief of the SSIR KOREA team, stated, "This opportunity was a great time for students to learn more about social innovation."
 

Despite being the smallest team among the global teams currently producing SSIR, the enthusiasm felt by the SSIR KOREA team is the most fervent after the SSIR Global Summit. Professor Seo, who serves as the associate editor-in-chief of the SSIR KOREA team, expressed, "This moment seems crucial, and there is much to do when we return to Korea," scheduling a meeting with the Español team to ignite further enthusiasm. Kim Hyun-joong, the content manager of the SSIR KOREA team, stated, "Now is the time to strategize and fill in the gaps," expressing determination. Additional stories related to SSIR KOREA can be found on their Instagram account (@ssir_korea).

Meanwhile, Hanyang University's Major in Social Innovation provides numerous opportunities related to social innovation. Through the multiple major programs of Major in Social Innovation (application period: November 13 (Mon) to November 17 (Fri) until 17:00), students can address social issues in their surroundings beyond lecture-style classes and learn about recent social innovation trends such as ESG and SDGs. More detailed information about social innovation can also be obtained through the ongoing 8th Seventeen Hearts Festival, which began on the 14th.