Beyond Competition, Learning Together: Why We Need Cooperative Education
Back when I was in school, getting into a prestigious university was considered life’s ultimate milestone. To achieve that goal, my days stretched late into the night — staying at school for mandatory self-study sessions, rushing to private cram schools (hagwons), and studying in silent cubicles at reading rooms. Once in college, preparing to enter the workforce meant another frantic race: collecting certificates, polishing credentials, and accumulating internships. From my teenage years through early adulthood, I lived under constant pressure to prove who I was and what value I could demonstrate. From what I hear and observe today, life for the younger generation has become even more demanding. In my work reporting from the frontlines of social innovation, I have had frequent opportunities to meet young people in their twenties and thirties. They carry fresh, diverse ideas for changing society. Yet, alongside that drive, they wrestle with deep uncertainties: Is this t...
