Event set for Nov. 12 at Haenuri Town as preview program for 'Y Education Expo 2027'
Lecture to explore cultural and artistic value of education and creative thinking in the AI era
Free registration opens Monday on the district's lifelong learning portal; Korean simultaneous interpretation provided
Yangcheon-gu in Seoul is inviting Sam Richards, a sociology professor at Pennsylvania State University, to shed light on the value of K-culture and the future direction of education.
The district announced it will hold the "Y Education Expo Next Global Luminary Special Lecture" on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at Haenuri Hall on the second floor of Haenuri Town.
The event serves as a follow-up to the Y Education Expo 2026 held last May and offers a preview of "culture, arts and sports" — the central theme of next year's expo. Richards, who delivered an online lecture at the previous expo, will visit Yangcheon-gu in person this time to meet with residents.
Richards is a sociology professor at Penn State and a TED speaker known for interpreting cultural and social phenomena through a sociological lens. He has built a following in South Korea particularly through his lectures on the originality and global influence of K-culture, rooted in his deep interest in Korean culture.
The lecture is titled "The Value of K-Culture That Koreans Don't Know." It will examine Korean culture through a foreigner's eyes, highlighting the appeal and competitive strengths of Korean culture that locals may have overlooked precisely because it is so familiar to them.
The lecture will also explore the educational significance of culture and the arts in the AI era, and discuss the importance of an open perspective toward diverse cultures and creative thinking. Through this, the district plans to chart the direction of future education that Y Education Expo 2027 aims to pursue.
The lecture runs two hours, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Any interested resident may attend free of charge. Registration opens Monday on a first-come, first-served basis through the Yangcheon-gu lifelong learning portal. The lecture will be delivered in English with Korean simultaneous interpretation provided.
Launched in 2023, the Y Education Expo has grown into a nationwide education event encompassing future education experiences, career and academic guidance, lifelong learning and education forums. Yangcheon-gu incorporates new education agendas each year to expand the expo's scope, and plans to accelerate preparations for Y Education Expo 2027 — starting with this special lecture — as it explores creative thinking through culture, arts and sports and the possibilities of future education.
"It is meaningful to welcome Professor Sam Richards in person this time, after connecting with him online at the previous Y Education Expo, so that he can engage directly with our residents," Yangcheon-gu District Mayor Lee Ki-jae said. "I hope this lecture becomes an opportunity to view our familiar culture from a fresh perspective and discover the educational value of culture and the arts."
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