2025 Spring Conference of the Korean Society for Creativity Education

On Saturday, June 21, Incheon National University (President Injae Lee) successfully hosted the 2025 Spring Conference of the Korean Society for Creativity Education, drawing over 300 researchers, teachers, and academic representatives.

The conference, held under the theme “Extension! Coexisting with Local Communities through Science Culture in the AX Era – Expanding Creativity through Invention,” presented new directions for creativity education in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and explored the evolving potential of regional science culture. The keynote and thematic lectures, which were the highlights of the event, emphasized a view of creativity not merely as an individual capability but as a form of social practice and cultural expansion.

In the keynote address, Professor Kisoon Han of the Department of Creative Human Resource Development at Incheon National University emphasized that “Creativity is the power to ask better questions, the ability to connect and empathize, and must now be embraced as a cultural norm.” She introduced various initiatives—including science culture outreach for marginalized children, seniors, and women returning to the workforce, and local community-based entrepreneurship programs—framing creativity as “a force for overcoming social inequality and restoring human relationships.”

In the first thematic lecture titled “Creativity: From ‘I’ to ‘We’,” Professor Yongmin Lee of Duksung Women’s University argued that creativity education in the AI era must evolve from a focus on individual creativity to one centered on “creativity for coexistence.” He stated, “Creativity doesn’t begin by asking questions to AI, but by asking AI about one’s own thoughts,” and introduced student-led action projects as examples of “creativity for a sustainable future.”

Through invention projects tackling everyday challenges (using CPS), and board game development based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through design thinking (DT), students were able to cultivate creativity, collaboration, and social sensitivity simultaneously. Professor Lee emphasized that creativity education should now focus not on “doing better than others” but on “how to create together with others.”

The second thematic lecture, titled “Unfamiliar Encounters, New Imaginations,” was delivered by Professor Yooseon Kwon of Chungkang College of Cultural Industries, who proposed a model of integrative creativity education that transcends boundaries between art and technology, generations, and disciplines. Based on specialized education in cultural content at Chungkang College and global collaboration examples—such as the CK ANI Workshop, CTNX International Expo, and regionally integrated performances—she emphasized that creativity must begin with the sensitivity to imagine and respond to others’ emotions and contexts. She stated, “Beyond technology-centered creativity, fostering creators grounded in human existence is the true direction of creative education,” and underscored the importance of emotional sharing, intercultural collaboration, and social responsibility in creative learning.

This conference presented a new framework for creativity education in the AX era, illustrating a meaningful transition from individual-centered creativity → coexistence-centered creativity → creativity as cultural practice. These insights offer valuable implications for science culture policy, local creative talent development, and the future direction of creativity education in higher education.

President Injae Lee of Incheon National University stated, “We are very pleased to host the Spring Conference of the Korean Society for Creativity Education here at Incheon National University,” and added, “We hope that invention and creativity will be recognized as essential competencies and as cultural values that shape our future society, and that the value of creativity will continue to spread across all areas of life.”

Additionally, the science culture participation booth program, jointly organized by the Center for Science and Culture in Incheon, received high interest and engagement. The booths served not just as activity spaces, but as open platforms for communication and exchange among participants.

The Center for Science and Culture in Incheon, operated since 2021 in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity (KOFAC), Incheon Metropolitan City, and Incheon National University, has served as a key hub for regional science culture dissemination and community engagement. As of 2024, the center has partnered with 122 institutions in Incheon and delivers science culture programs to over 130,000 citizens annually.