History beyond textbooks: Ajou University students record elders' hidden modern history

Ajou University's history department has launched an innovative project where students meticulously documented the life stories of elderly residents in Suwon, transforming them into autobiographies. This initiative bridges the gap between the grand narratives of Korean modern and contemporary history found in textbooks and the concrete realities of individual lives.

Working in 11 teams under Professor Han Sang-woo, 38 students conducted in-depth interviews with 11 elderly individuals from the Woncheon Jugong Apartment senior center near the university campus. Over two and a half months, from mid-March to late May, students not only recorded the elders' stories and collected personal documents and photographs but also transcribed and organized the oral histories into autobiography manuscripts.

“

It was moving to feel like my personal life was being evaluated for its historical value.

A notable aspect of the project was the students' integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). They employed AI tools for tasks such as organizing interview content, refining the writing style of oral testimonies, and designing book covers and illustrations. Crucially, students rigorously cross-referenced AI outputs with the original transcripts to ensure factual accuracy, demonstrating a responsible approach to leveraging technology in historical documentation.

This semester-long endeavor resulted in 11 unique autobiographies. The project received support from Ajou University's 'Dynamic-PBL Curriculum Operation Support Project.' In mid-June, 150 printed copies were presented to the elderly participants. The head of the Woncheon Jugong Apartment seniors' association expressed deep emotion, stating it felt like their individual lives were being recognized for their historical value. A participating student shared that witnessing the personal struggles behind the historical periods they had only read about was a profound experience.

“

It was a special moment to vividly witness the lives of individuals who endured that era with their whole beings, hidden behind the history I had only encountered in books.