The Knowledge Center for Innovative Higher Education (KCIHE) Concludes 21st Interdisciplinary Basic Project
- -Discovering Social Business Ideas to Address Everyday Social Issues
- -The 'PIKACHU' Team Wins Grand Prize with Proposal for Eco-friendly Labels Utilizing PET Bottle Whitening Phenomenon
The Knowledge Center for Innovative Higher Education (KCIHE) held the final presentation of the 21st Interdisciplinary Basic Project on Tuesday, August 13th, at the Mayfield Hotel in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. This project, conducted over two months, was centered around the theme: "Identify and solve 'real' social problems in our daily lives through social business ideas." A total of 42 students from 26 departments formed teams and participated in the project.
The judging panel, composed of renowned experts from various fields, rigorously evaluated the teams based on criteria such as originality, interdisciplinary thinking, feasibility, and presentation skills. The judges included Professor Seol Sang-hoon (Sungkyunkwan University), Professor Shim Kyung-soo (Seoul National University of Science and Technology), CEO Kang Sang-won (ViewRun Technology Co., Ltd.), CEO Bae Joon-ho (Willim Co., Ltd.), CEO Oh Kyung-sik (Glimper Co., Ltd.), and CEO Hwang Yoo-mi (YOLO Co., Ltd.).
The Grand Prize went to the 'PIKACHU' team. This team developed an eco-friendly label using the whitening phenomenon of PET bottles, eliminating the need for consumers to remove the label. Made of the same material as the PET bottle, the label allows for easier recycling by eliminating the label removal process, ensuring high-quality recycled materials.
”ų Lee Se-young, Director of KCIHE(left) and 'PIKACHU' Team
The Excellence Award was won by the 'Challenge of the Wind' team. They proposed an eco-friendly, detachable cartridge made from rice husks, which effectively removes bisphenol (A/S), an environmental hormone found in thermal paper. This cartridge can be attached to existing thermal printers to produce safe, bisphenol-free thermal paper.
The Merit Award went to 'Team 8282,' which developed the 'Mos-quick-do' tape, combining mosquito-repellent properties with inflammation-reducing effects. This tape provides both prevention of mosquito bites and relief from inflammation during outdoor activities.
The Unique Idea Award was presented to the 'Donjo' team. They proposed a compact mini water heater using quicklime as a heating element, designed to address hot water supply issues during winter. This product was particularly aimed at improving the living conditions of vulnerable populations during winter and received attention for its ease of use and high efficiency.
Park Sun-hwa, Senior Researcher at the KCIHE, remarked, "Through this project, students achieved significant results in creatively and practically solving real-life problems. The collaboration among students with diverse academic backgrounds greatly contributed to creating social value."
Lee Se-young, Director of KCIHE, added, "The creativity and interdisciplinary thinking displayed by the students in this project were very impressive. We will continue to focus on helping students develop practical skills to solve social issues through programs like this. Moreover, we will spare no effort in supporting students' challenges and growth, ensuring that the ideas they develop lead to patent applications, startups, and the realization of concrete social value, potentially evolving into innovative businesses."
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