Can the Humanities Survive? The Answer Lies in Disciplinary Convergence

The humanities in Korea are in crisis, paling in popularity compared to majors associated with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The number of students choosing humanities majors at universities across the country has consistently declined in recent years. The entrance quota of humanities departments at universities nationwide decreased from 44,947 in 2013 to 35,905 in 2023, according to data released by Seo Dong-yong, member of the Education Committee at the 21st National Assembly on Oct. 18, 2023. However, many experts have said that despite the humanities seeing fewer students than ever, it is certain that that STEM programs should incorporate more humanities content. Combining STEM with the humanities helps people better understand the world. Ultimately, all scientific disciplines need the humanities to some extent because science and technology are limited in their prospects for bettering our lives without accommodating our actual feelings and behaviors. In this issue, the Chonnam Tribune looks into the importance of the humanities in an era of science and technology, exploring how disciplinary convergence education programs at Chonnam National University cultivate multidisciplinary talents.

Humanities Enrich Science & Technology
The humanities, as facilitators, provide narratives and questioning skills to science and technology. They add values and narratives to otherwise lifeless equations and materials. Kim Sung-keen (Professor, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies), who majored in the philosophy and history of science, said, "In periods of shifting paradigms within science, the ability to create humanistic thinking, or narratives, has always been necessary." He added, "Today, customers don't only consider the smartphone’s performance. Recognizing technology as a brand, they began considering its identity, unique design, and management philosophy. It means that the smartphone needs its own unique narratives." Such narratives come from the humanities, enabling them to truly influence science and technology. Ultimately, the humanities interpret science's stories for human hearts and minds.

Meanwhile, with the steady emergence of AI-related technologies, the ability to find information through resources such as Gemini, Bing, and ChatGPT has become crucial. It is critical to choose the right questions to find the right answers among immeasurable terabytes of data available through the internet and other resources. According to Rhee Jee-sun (Professor, Dept. of Philosophy), the ability to create appropriate questions enables efficient information searching. "In Dialogues of Plato, Socrates constantly asks people questions. Rather than passing on existing knowledge, he leads them to embrace the docta ignorantia (recognition of ignorance) enabling them to acquire new knowledge through questions." It is clear that studying humanities, such as history, philosophy, and literature, will help people learn how to ask better questions.

The humanities, as watchdogs, provide science and technology with the right direction and ethics, up to and including applying the brakes when reckless development threatens to go too far. Studying the humanities can break down scientific worldviews which prioritize technological progress (regarded as rational) regardless of its potentially severe side effects. Professor Kim said, "Of course, we may need rationality in a scientific society, but I have questions about whether rationality in science is an appropriate ultimate goal of our lives." He warned that today's scientific and technological developments can confuse society if misused. “We all know we've paid a high price for abusing technology. For example, during World War I, chemical knowledge used to develop fertilizer was exploited to develop poison gas, injuring and killing many people. The study of atoms led to the development of atomic bombs during World War II. Even today, such problems still exist. We must prepare for this by constantly raising ethical questions."

Interdisciplinary and Convergence Majors
Integrating the humanities with science and technology can further highlight the advantages of humanities, such as creating stories, asking questions, and examining ethical issues. CNU offers convergence majors designed to advantageously incorporate the humanities into STEM curricula.

One such program is convergence humanities, which is an interdisciplinary course of study combining the humanities, computer technology, design, and culture. The College of Humanities founded the program as part of the its Research and Education (CORE) Initiative, a Korean government financial project that ran from 2016 to 2019. Th convergence humanities program aims to cultivate multitalented professionals able to effectively utilize information, communication, cultural, and design technologies. Kim Jin-gyeong (Junior, Dept. of German Language and Literature), who chose convergence humanities as a second major, said, "Since it is a complex major that includes not just the humanities but other fields like science and engineering, I can develop my competencies and broaden my perspectives." Yang Seo-yeon (Senior, Intelligent and Immersive Media Convergence) said, "I took classes including ‘Humanities in the Age of AI’ to complete the humanities and convergence major course. Once, we dealt with issues of responsibility for autonomous car accidents. The class provided an interesting opportunity to share thoughts on various topics." In this way, the convergence humanities program offers classes that examine ethical issues associated with science and technology.

CNU's College of AI Convergence also offers a program in intelligent and immersive media convergence. The goal of this major is to foster creative media content planners who use cutting-edge technology based on multidisciplinary curricular systems. Cho Sho-hyun (Senior, Faculty of Economics), who chose this as a second major, said, " Content planners who know how to create computer programs have a wider understanding of content production, and can judge the feasibility of content more effectively, compared to those without such technological skills. Above all, we can create content directly without a developer." She added, "I think AI is just a tool, not an end. What we create is more important. Convergent thinking is what makes it possible.” The major focuses on creating immersive media content using AI-based tools. Therefore, the major’s students have trained to provide narratives for the both disciplines in each of their classes.

Convergence Extracurricular Activities

In addition to major programs, students participate in multidisciplinary programs to cultivate their creative talents through diverse activities on and off campus. One of those programs is “Gwanghee,” a history-based content production team which aims to support education programs at the College of Humanities. This project was designed to develop and promote the humanities by providing the college’s students with opportunities to improve their employment competencies and to choose career paths while participating in diverse extracurricular programs. As part of those programs, the CORE project financially supported students’ club activities.

Financially supported as part of the CORE project, Gwanghee's mandate is to provide the public with useful and interesting information about history and culture. Since 2017, team members have uploaded history-related mobile-friendly "card news" features weekly on social media and visited local radio station “Gwangju FM”, to air history-themed broadcasts. They have also created history-related videos for several competitions. In other words, uniting history and technology through different forms of content is their primary work. Shin Choon-sung (Professor, Graduate School of Culture) believes that such media content, which produces humanities-based information as text, video, or sound and delivers it to users, is a perfect convergence of three disciplines - the humanities, science, and technology. "In the digital age, media content is expanding creation areas through generative AI. If these trends effectively incorporate the humanities and social sciences, I think the value of their products will increase."

However, clubs such as Gwanghee require technical support to produce complex humanities-based content. Kim Hee-soo (Sophomore, Dept. of History), Gwanghee's team leader, said, "When it comes to filming a video, there are limits to what we can accomplish using smartphones. We need equipment such as cameras and video editing programs that are crucial for our activities. As funding does not consistently flow into College of Humanities departments, we tend to subscribe to editing programs for one year at a time upon applying for and being selected for big projects such as the now long gone CORE Project." In order to sustain important work like that done by Gwanghee, humanities convergence programs like the CORE Project need to be maintained.

More Support for Convergence Education Needed
Kim Yang-hyun (Professor, Dept. of Philosophy), who served as the head of the CORE Initiative at CNU, expressed disappointment at the fact that there hasn't been any systematic humanities support project at the university since the CORE Project ended in 2019. "After the CORE Project, we made a development plan and submitted it to the university administration, but it was not approved. As a follow-up measure to the CORE Project, we established a 10-year humanities project plan and visited various government agencies, but we weren't able to get it off the ground. It's a regrettable situation."

The Korean government has emphasized the importance of research and development, but as Professor Kim's interview plainly shows, little support has been given to the humanities. The coexistence of the humanities and the sciences makes people's lives not just prosperous but worthwhile. No amount of technological of economic progress can provide substantive happiness or fulfillment without the moral and social perspective offered by the humanities. It is time to strive for a greater balance in funding between these two crucial kingdoms of academic inquiry.

American biologist Edward Wilson said in his book “The Origins of Creativity” that the humanities are in crisis, facing problems because they are trapped within the narrow confines that they established. He asserted that the more facts that science reveals, the wider the scope of the humanities can be expanded, expecting that the humanities would regain their past power and reputation when the convergence of humanities and sciences was achieved. According to him, the value of the humanities can exercise great strength when it is fused with science and technology. The convergence of humanities, science and technology is inevitable. They are essential human knowledge, which must be subject to human needs. The former should not be an end in itself, nor should the latter be an end in itself. Such awareness will be the first step toward true convergence.

By Choi Daniel, Reporter