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Busan Metropolitan City to Hold the 1st Busan Citizens’ College Honorary Citizen Degree Conferment Ceremony

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it held the 1st Busan Citizens’ College Honorary Citizen Degree Conferment Ceremony yesterday (February 25) at Busan City Hotel.

The Honorary Citizen Degree is a non-accredited degree awarded in the name of the Mayor of Busan to learners who have completed at least 100 hours of coursework at Busan Citizens’ College. Since the introduction of the Honorary Citizen Degree system in 2024, 24 citizens have earned the degree for the first time this year.

Approximately 100 people attended the ceremony, including degree recipients, their families, and university officials. The event featured a congratulatory performance, presentation of degree certificates, and remarks from the recipients, offering encouragement and celebration of the learners’ dedication.

Busan Citizens’ College is a program that systematically provides high-quality lifelong education to continuously enhance individual competencies.

Launched in 2019 as an advanced lifelong education program linked to regional resources, Busan Citizens’ College was reorganized into its current departmental structure in 2022. Beginning with three departments, it has gradually expanded each year, operating 20 departments in 2025. Enrollment increased from 289 students in 2022 to 1,349 students in 2025.

In 2026, the College plans to operate a total of 20 departments—10 in the first half and 10 in the second half of the year—covering diverse fields such as Busan’s strategic industries, artificial intelligence (AI), English, liberal arts, and university-specialized programs. In April, it will begin recruiting students for the first-half courses through the Busan Lifelong Learning Platform (lll.busan.go.kr).

During the ceremony, time was given to hear reflections from the degree recipients who completed the Busan Citizens’ College program.

Among them, Ms. Kim Soo-jung, who completed 480 hours—nearly five times the 100-hour requirement for degree conferral—recorded the highest number of completed hours among the recipients. She shared, “It was a meaningful experience to embark on a journey of choosing the meaning and direction of aging for myself together with Busan Citizens’ College,” adding, “I hope that the valuable connections and achievements in learning gained through this program will continue throughout my life.”

Ms. Jo Il-sun, who developed a strong interest in senior welfare and earned a social worker certification from a cyber university at the age of 63, focused on completing the Silver Healthcare program at Busan Citizens’ College. She expressed her aspirations, saying, “Through what I learned at Busan Citizens’ College, I felt rewarded by knowing that I could be a source of strength to someone, and I hope to become a person who brings warmth to various fields.”

Kim Gui-ok, Director General of the Youth-Industry-Academia Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “We expect this ceremony to serve not only as a celebration of the learners’ achievements but also as an opportunity to expand citizens’ participation in lifelong learning,” adding, “We ask for your continued interest and participation in Busan Citizens’ College, which offers a wide range of programs.”