An Academic Approach for Private Gerontechnology Certification and Establishment of Gerontechnology Graduate Schools in Korea

Abstract

Participants: Ye-Jong Lee(Korea), Woo-Joung Shim(Korea), Sun-Ja Chang(Korea), Hong-Gyun Kim(Korea), Chun-Hee Choi(Korea). ISSUE Gerontechnology is a design aimed at improving the lives of older people. In Korea, the average life expectancy exceeds 80 years, with many older individuals living beyond 90. Socially, retirement begins before the age of 60, and over 8 million baby boomers are entering retirement. These individuals have 30-40 years or more of life ahead of them, and it is essential to guide them on how aging will progress, how to prevent and compensate for aging, and how to improve their quality of life by evaluating and organizing relevant technologies. In particular, in the case of caregiving, it is crucial to address the reluctance of individuals to become care recipients and their inability to actively respond to such needs. Therefore, it is important to promote the dissemination of Gerontechnology experts, including scholars, researchers, and other professionals, who can address these issues from the perspectives of the individuals involved, consultants, and providers. We aim to introduce and operate Gerontechnology Planners in Korea and gather key figures responsible for establishing Gerontechnology Graduate Schools to discuss what needs to be done from an academic perspective. STRUCTURE Woo-Joung Shim will present on the establishment and operation plans of the Gerontechnology Graduate School and compare it with other courses. Based on the roles and research directions of Gerontechnology researchers, he will propose the educational goals, course composition, curriculum, degree requirements, industry-academia-research network plans, and ISG collaboration strategies for the Gerontechnology Graduate School. Sun-Ja Chang will present a private certification for Gerontechnology Planners, including job contents, the criteria for qualification assessment, and the curriculum for planners. She will also mention the potential of the Gerontechnology Planner and the competencies that policymakers, researchers, and suppliers need to possess. Hong-Gyun Kim will explain the Gerontechnology toolkit used by users and planners. He will mention comprehensive tools aimed at improving life by setting and solving life goals, beyond just product services. Chun-Hee Choi will present cases of Gerontechnology planning. Utilizing the Gerontechnology tool kit, she will showcase life improvement planning conducted by Gerontechnology users, researchers, suppliers, and consulting experts. She will also discuss the issues with the tools and their potential development directions. CONCLUSION In the context of the aging paradigm and rapidly evolving scientific and technological era, the introduction of certification programs and the operation of a graduate school to train experts in innovating later life are timely and expected to contribute significantly to the advancement of Gerontechnology. Successful aging is a response to the combination of the aging of society and rapidly emerging new technologies, and training in Gerontechnology must be dynamic and expansive¹. The establishment of a Gerontechnology Graduate School and the introduction of certification for Gerontechnology Planners are good initiatives. Therefore, it is essential to have ongoing, in-depth discussions on various visions, objectives, practical experiences, and development directions related to these introductions.

References

1. G. Gutman (Convener) (2018). Beyond master classes: Other innovative opportunities for training in Gerontechnology. Participants A. Sixsmith (Canada), Y-L Hsu (Taiwan) H. Kort (Netherlands). Gerontechnology, 17(s),200s. https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2018.17.s.195.00

Keywords: Gerontechnology Graduate School, Gerontechnology Planner, Gerontechnology Tool Kit

Affiliation: ¹KAPASS Gerontech Institute, Republic of Korea. ²Dept. Social Welfare, Gimcheon University, Republic of Korea.

Corresponding Author Email: Woo-Joung Shim; fskorea@hanmail.net, Ye-Jong Lee; claton@hanmail.net