IGEE at Yonsei University

Yonsei University provides courses on environmental sustainability to faculty staff as well as students. These courses are open to everyone, free of charge.

Especially, IGEE Yonsei has been releasing all sessions from Global Engagement and Empowerment Forum on Sustainable Development (GEEF) via LearnUs (click, online education platform run by Yonsei University) and the official YouTube Channel. IGEE aims this wide range of discourses to be promoted and circulated within the public, which thus can raise and maintain awareness of sustainability. 

IGEE also runs courses dedicated to sustainability and ESG at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels:

▶ Understanding Sustainable Development with BKM (Undergraduate)
▶ Understanding Sustainable Development (Postgraduate)
these courses are open to all students, regardless of majors.

Click more below to view the details on the education achieving environmental sustainability.

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Yonsei students have been actively engaging in sustainability-driven initiatives across various fields, including inclusive education, climate resilience, community development, and smart environmental solutions. Below are some of the outstanding student-led initiatives:

★ Establishing Sustainable Villages by Addressing the Issues of Mongolian Gers (2024)
This project aims to address the challenges faced by Mongolian herders who have lost their livelihoods due to mass livestock deaths from desertification and climate change. As a result, many have migrated to Ulaanbaatar, creating informal settlements known as Gers. The goal of this project is to propose solutions for establishing sustainable, self-sufficient villages by addressing the increasing population in urban slums and improving living conditions. The project also focuses on identifying sustainable and clean energy solutions to combat air and soil pollution caused by the growing slums, and aims to develop effective strategies for desertification prevention and climate adaptation.

★ Smart City Solution Based on Cigarette Butt Disposal System with AIoT Technology (2024)
The goal of this project is to address both environmental pollution and public safety issues by introducing an AIoT-based cigarette butt management system in urban areas. The research will verify the technical feasibility of the system using existing Proof of Concept (PoC) data and analyze the market adoption potential in different countries. It will also quantitatively assess the environmental and economic outcomes. Specifically, during the Social Engagement Fund 2024 period, the research aims to evaluate the system's feasibility in the European and North American markets and measure its social impact in terms of environmental and economic performance.

★ Guiding Star: A Sustainable Future and Me – Integrated SDG Career Education for High School Students in Seogwipo (2024)
This project aims to support high school students in Seogwipo in designing their future careers through a better understanding of sustainable development. It also seeks to promote a more structured approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Korea and reduce regional disparities in career development opportunities. Given Seogwipo’s economy heavily depends on the environment and faces limited job diversity and mobility, the team designed an educational program that integrates sustainability with career exploration tailored to the region’s needs.

Click here to view the student research presentation in Global Engagement and Empowerment Forum on Sustainable Development (GEEF) 2025.

★ Student Volunteer Clubs
Yonsei students voluntarily organize groups to deeply engage with community and people in need. There are 12 clubs in action, hosting various events in and outside of the campus.

• These clubs are:
  180 Degrees Consulting Yonsei, Life Is Art (L.I.A.), VC (Volunteer Coordinator), YNBLUE, Rhythm of Hope, BonBon, Seium (Yonsei Habitat), Aurin DB, Yongreen, YDMC (Yonsei Dream Major Conductor), Euicheong, Yonsei Hope

Click here to see more details of each club in the website of Institute for Higher Education Innovation (IHEI) at Yonsei University.

Three teams introduced above

• Research on Solutions to Coral Bleaching Caused by Global Warming and Coral Ecosystem Restoration Strategies
• Research and Application Development to Promote Sustainable Feminine Hygiene Products
• Health Counseling for North Korean Women

were part of Social Engagement Fund (SEF) organized by Institute for Global Engagement and and Empowerment (IGEE) at Yonsei University. Click more (IGEE website) below to see the details of the research design and outcomes.

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Yonsei University is a leading higher edcuation institution, aiming to acehive sustainability. Click more below to view Yonsei's Commitment toward sustainable development.
Following are the key indexes:

[Page 13] Education for SDGs: Commitment to Meaningful Education
Supporting courses and student-led extracurricular activities based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• Courses (undergraduate, postgraduate) dedicated to sustainable development, which is open to all majors
  - Understanding Sustainable Development with BKM (Undergraduate)
  - Understanding Sustainable Development (Postgraduate)
• Social Engagement (SE) Courses
• Social Innovation Competency Courses and Workstations run by the Institute for Higher Education Innovation (IHEI) at Yonsei University

[Page 15] Education for SDGs in the Wider Community
Online courses focusing on sustainable development, which is open to general public in LearnUs (education platform run by Yonsei University)

• Understanding SDGs (click)
• Entire sessions from Global Engagement and Empowerment Forum on Sustainable Development (GEEF, click)
• Official YouTube channel (click) of the Institute for Global Engagement and Empowerment (IGEE) at Yonsei University

[Page 17, 22] Water Reuse Policy and Sustainable Water Extraction on Campus

1. Construction and promotion of water reuse facilities
2. Water collection from precipitation

[Page 25] Employment Appeal Process
Yonsei University firmly opposes all forms of discrimination. All students and faculty staff can report ethical violation cases through Head of Ethical Management.

[Page 33] Promoting Sustainable Commuting
Yonsei University provides free shuttle buses to students and faculty staff.

1. Sinchon Campus (click)
2. Sinchon Campus ↔ International Campus (click)

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Carbon Emissions on Campus
The total carbon emissions in Yonsei University (2024) was 43,695 tCO2e.
Please click more at the bottom to check out the detailed information.

Reporting Carbon Emissions (Baseline Year of the Reporting)
Yonsei University has been reporting the amount of carbon emissions since 2021 (click, 39,984 tCO2e) equivalent to Scope 1 and Scope 2 of the GHG protocol and track the status of carbon credits.
Yonsei is dedicated to minimizing carbon emissions by

1. Promoting and installing LED lighting throughout the campus
2. Operating "Campus Energy Efficiency Project (캠퍼스 에너지 효율화 사업)"

Promoting Campus-Wide Energy Efficiency
Yonsei University has been operating Energy and Greenhouse Gas Management Committee (에너지 및 온실가스 관리위원회, hereinafter referred to as "Committee") in order to 

1. Encourage reasonable energy use to students and faculty staff
2. Reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Committee members are comprised of Senior Vice President, Vice Presidents, Deans and professors from the relevant fields.
Click here to view the full text of the regulation (Korean, open access).

Gross Internal Area of Yonsei University campus: 675,913m²

Renewable Energy Generated on Campus
Yonsei University has been generating energy using solar panels since 2007.
The total amount of renewable energy in 2024 was 988,295kWh.

Click more to view the detailed information on relevant regulations, gross internal area of Yonsei University, the amount of renewable energy in monthly basis, and Carbon Reduction Target Covering Scope 1 and 2 Emissions by 2050.

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Institute for Higher Education Innovation (IHEI) at Yonsei University has assessed its impact on education programs (curricular, extra-curricular) aiming for social innovation. This Report ("Report on Impact Assessment 임팩트 측정 보고서", click) has been published online and everyone can access this resource.

IHEI encourages faculty and students to actively participate in social innovation activities in the following two ways:

Curricular: Social Innovation Competency Courses
IHEI encourages lecturers to design courses that can help students deal with practical issues, and these courses are titled "Social Innovation Competency Courses."
IHEI collects feedback surveys from faculty and students to improve the quality of lectures and promotes outstanding student projects.

Extra-Curricular: Workstations
"Workstation" is a student-led project team that aims to resolve real-world issues based on problems define by student themselves.
IHEI provides feedback on research models, special lectures which can develop problem-solving capabilities, and networking events among fellow students.
IHEI categorizes workstations based on Sustainable Development Goals, helping students to improve awareness on SDGs and suggest guidelines on their activites.

Click more below to view the details on impact assessment and efforts by IHEI to improve quality of education programs.

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Center for Global Sustainability is a research organization under the Institute for Global Engagement and Empowerment (IGEE), which focuses on various themes surrounding sustainability.

Visit the respective links (IGEE website) to view the detailed information:

1. Organization of the IGEE (click)
2. Introduction to Center for Global Sustainability (click)
3. Information on SD (Sustainable Development) Fellows (click)

SD Fellows consist of professors/researchers in Yonsei University who

• play pivotal roles in organizing Global Engagement and Empowerment Forum on Sustainable Development (GEEF)*
• give lectures in undergraduate/postgraduate courses on sustainable development
• cover diverse research topics on sustainability

* An annual international conference hosted by Yonsei University with Ban Ki-moon Fondation for a Better Future and Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens.

Click more below to check out the information on undergraduate/postgraduate courses on sustainability.

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