‘The 6th Korean-Chinese University Student Forum’
Hosted by Academy of East Asian Studies (AEAS)
& Sungkyunkwan University China Research Institute (SKKU-CRI)

On 2012 Oct 24 (Wed), the 600th Anniversary hall of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) was filed with various ideas to solve worsening environmental problems like desertification and shortage of water. ‘The 6th Korean-Chinese University Student Forum’ is co-hosted by Sungkyunkwan University China Research Institute (SKKU-CRI) and Korea-China Youth Cultural Organization (Future Forest) and Beijing Youth Federation. An estimate of 200 students from Korea and China attended the forum and debated enthusiastically.

This forum is held biyearly once in Korea and once in China. During the forum, future leaders of each country discussed about cooperative measures in cultural, social fields. This year, there were 3 topics: Role of Youths for Sustainable Environment, Youths with City Development, Past 20 Year Long Relationship between Korea and China. The most heated theme was ‘Sustainable Environment: What Korean and Chinese youths could do to perverse the environment?’

A team composed of Min Joo Nam (22ㆍSchool of International Studies, Peking University), Bon A Ku (23ㆍSchool of Journalism and Communication), Jiang Huan (21ㆍCommunication University of China), and Li Shi Whan (22ㆍBejing Normal University) commented that “As a result of surveying 67 Korean/Chinese students, it shows that there are strong environmental-minded people with little action” and added that “the ‘Earth Hour Campaign’ which turns off lamps for 1 hour every year in March is not enough. Youths from Korea and China should engage is spreading the campaign like turning off lamps every August 8th, too”.

Team of Jang Eui Min (23. , School of Mass Communication, Chung-Ang University), Wang Di (21, Department of Korean Language and Culture, Peking University) insisted that we change our meat based eating habits because “according to International Water Management Institute (IWMI) it requires 9000L of water to make 1 pound of beef while it only requires 100L of water to make 1 pound of tomato” They also suggested that we should “expand vegetable restaurant managed by Seoul National University, and popularize tending vegetable gardens.”

The team of Chinese students including Liu Ying(21) Danna Wang(18) Yang Hui Hwang(24) stated that “If you buy one less clothing, it could reduce 2.5kg of CO2” and added that “we should plant more trees bec