The University of Utah Asia Campus (CAO: Gregory Cash Hill) held the 2nd Social Impact Challenge, a webpage design contest, with the official sponsor Adobe. This year’s theme focused on Jikji, the world’s oldest metal type print book, highlighting its significance globally. Despite its historical importance in print history and Korean cultural heritage, Jikji’s value remains underrecognized. In collaboration with Adobe, the University of Utah Asia Campus organized an event on April 19th, 2024, at the Incheon Songdo campus to raise awareness about Jikji.

Over 40 students, divided into 15 teams, utilized Adobe programs from April 11th for about a week to create web pages promoting Jikji.

An expert panel of 10 judges, including faculty members such as Professor Byung-Gyu Gong from the Department of Information Systems, Professor Hak-Yoon Kim from the David Eccles School of Business, Professor Carina Pals from the Department of Psychology, and Professor Paul Rose from the Department of Communication, evaluated the submissions based on UX design, storytelling, marketing skills, and presentation.

After two hours of presentations, Kang Kim, Jireh Kwon, and Nathaniel Walter emerged as the winners, receiving scholarships for their outstanding performance.

Professor Byung-Gyu Gong, who planned the event and is a faculty member of the Department of Information Systems at the University of Utah Asia Campus, stated, “This year, we organized the Adobe Social Impact Challenge targeting global students to promote Korean cultural excellence and values through a more Korean-themed topic.” He further emphasized, “The significance lies not only in enhancing students’ skills in Adobe programs and web development but also in their contribution to creating social value through technology.

The event demonstrated the commitment of the University of Utah Asia Campus to fostering innovation and social responsibility among its students while promoting Korean cultural heritage on a global stage.