In 2012, I learned that a group of professors, including both of you, jointly launched a course named "Creative Thinking and Life." I believe that there must have been a specific motivation at that time.

Professor
Sungook Hong During a conversation with the director of the Faculty of Liberal Education about creativity at that time, we concluded that a new type of course was necessary to foster students' creativity. I successfully launched this course in collaboration with several esteemed professors, including Professor KyungChul Jou. Due to the uniqueness in expertise of each professor, we were required to discuss how to structure the curriculum through several meetings because we aimed to devise a course that integrates various fields. We discussed in depth how to design and operate a course on creativity, ranging from the definition of creativity to educational approaches through various means, such as breakfast meetings, discussions, and presentations. Ultimately, we launched this course in the first semester of 2012.

I wonder how the course “Creative Thinking and Life” proceeded.

Professor
KyungChul Jou In the first session, all the professors gathered in the classroom to broadly introduce the direction and meaning of the course, and then they took turns leading the class on creativity before students participated in group projects. For example, I had assigned a theme for the project as Holocaust, in which the Nazis mass-murdered the Jews. I mulled how to memorialize and express this event and instructed the class to produce the most effective content in a student-elected format, such as fiction, short film, music, and webtoon. Other professors also searched for elements that could cultivate the creativity of students in their respective major fields and incorporated them into group projects.

Professor Hong Of course, taking this class will not immediately accelerate the growth of creativity. This course, in my opinion, fosters creativity in students who have dedicated their secondary school years to college entrance, by presenting them with a fresh course format and encouraging them to think creatively. In this respect, the seed of creativity sown through this course may sprout and flourish someday along the course of students’ lives.

Professor Jou This course facilitates the growth of professors’ creativity to a certain degree. It must be a rare experience for experts from different fields to gather under a single theme and design a joint course. This new challenge clearly stimulates the creativity of professors as well as students. One could consider the book of the same title, published in November 2022, as a compilation of these ideas and experiences.

Why do you think creativity is necessary in your fields of study, and how would it blossom?

Professor Jou Typically, people inquire about the link between history and creativity. In simpler terms, they may ask, “Is creativity required in the study of history?” At a deeper level, the study of history involves significant creativity and dynamic thinking. This is because today may be differently interpreted depending on historians’ viewpoints. Take the climate crisis as an example. The recent emergence of the climate crisis as a global issue has piqued the interest of more scholars in the history of climate, a subject previously considered uninteresting. For example, during the reign of Louis XIV, also known as the “Sun King,” the winter temperatures in Paris dropped to 20℃ below zero for two consecutive years. During this period, approximately two million people died, which is more than the number of French people who lost their lives in World War I. This case demonstrates that climate occasionally causes more casualties than wars or revolutions. History can reveal completely different facts depending on perspectives, and in this respect, it is a discipline requiring a high level of creativity. In the same line, my recent study is to contemplate history from the perspective of the ocean, which covers 70% of the Earth, rather than the existing land-oriented history.

Professor Hong Science studies is a discipline that comprehensively examines sciences across history, philosophy, technology, society, and policy. In science studies, which involves a comprehensive examination and integration of various fields related to sciences, creativity is just as important as the sciences themselves. Just as Professor Jou sees history from the perspective of the ocean, I am also striving to interpret humanity and the world from that of technology. Metacarpals, a unique structure in human hands that connect fingers and wrists, are not present in other primates. As humans began to use tools or technology, the metacarpals also began to develop, and as the metacarpals developed, so did technology. Just as humans have created technology, technology has also shaped humans. This interaction is currently ongoing. Artificial intelligence (AI) created by humans is creating mankind who are adept at utilizing AI. This interesting fact can only be realized by seeing sciences and science studies through the lens of creativity.

What should we do to increase our creativity and actively exercise it?

Professor Jou Creativity does not involve waiting for an epiphany to occur. It occurs in the moment when something like learning and experience naturally overflows beyond the existing boundaries after long-run accumulation and maturation. Creativity can emerge from the ground with a strong foundation laid. As everyone recognizes, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a genius musician. However, what if he had not been exposed to various music while traveling around Europe with his father since childhood? His ingenuity would not have led to creativity. The stage of creativity precedes a solid establishment of a strong foundation, expertise, and experiences.

Professor Hong There must be areas that creative people cannot think of. This is because one person cannot cover all the fields in the world. To exercise creativity that has a significant and beneficial impact on the world, collaboration with others, integration with other fields, communication skills, and a harmonious attitude are essential. This is why the Creative Thinking and Life course primarily relies on group projects. In other words, close collaboration is the primary means of developing creativity. Even the people who seemed to accomplish outstanding achievements through their creativity alone had links in the form of inherited knowledge, many masters and pupils, and multifaceted social interactions. Thus, creativity and collaboration are inextricable.

I am curious about what efforts you are implementing to foster the creativity of students taking your course.

Professor Hong Despite their apparently close connection, intelligence, commonly represented by the “intelligence quotient (IQ),” and creativity are distinct capabilities. Although there are divergent opinions on whether IQ increases according to effort, the majority is of the opinion that creativity can increase as much as one endeavors. The amount of effort and the improvement in creativity may not be proportional, but effort can indeed enhance creativity. I often talk about this point to students during class.

Professor Jou It is rare to explicitly mention the term “creativity” during the class. However, as Professor Hong said, because collaboration is an essential element in expressing creativity, I strive to give students as many opportunities as possible to discuss issues and produce results. Furthermore, I offer advice that “students learn more from each other than from me.” Simultaneously, I add that students should study together as much as possible to learn and teach each other, while it is also vital to study hard on their own.

What message would you like to deliver to students who feel a lack of creativity within themselves?

Professor Jou To exercise creativity, one should be fond of what they do or study and be enthusiastic about anything. All creative innovations in the world are born through this process Before addressing creativity, one should first comprehend which field and what type of tasks they like. Despite significant improvements, the education system up to high school is still centered around college entrance exams. Thus, it is common to fail to capture interest and propensity beforehand. If contemplation and active exploration could lead to resolving this issue, creativity would naturally emerge someday.

Professor Hong I would suggest students to be patient. You can find your aptitude in college. In my case, although I decided to major in physics because I liked math and physics, I am currently working on science studies, which is at the interface with philosophy, history, and society. If you look into various fields, you will be able to find a job that motivates you to exercise creativity. One of my former students, who had taken Creative Thinking and Life course, went on to become a professor at a university in Seoul, following a period of alternating between employment and research. The job the student truly liked enabled the student to fully exercise creativity. Find your aptitude and lay a foundation diligently. You will soon find yourself emerging as a creative talent.