KIHASA is collaborating with the University of Oxford and the Korean Academy of Family Social Work to host an international forum on child and family policy. The forum is scheduled for May 3rd from 5:00 to 7:00 pm and will be conducted online via Zoom with simultaneous translation.

• ■Time: Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023, 5:00 to 7:00 pm

• ■Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86457981048 (Active only on the day of the event.)

The forum brings together domestic and international experts in child and family support policies to discuss ways to improve Korea's policies in child and family support by studying European systems and best practices.

The forum will kick off with opening remarks from KIHASA President Lee Tae-soo, followed by congratulatory remarks from Professor Mary Daly of Oxford University and welcoming remarks from Professor Jeong Jae-Hoon, President of the Korean Academy of Family Social Work.

After the Opening Ceremony, the forum will feature four presentations from 5:10 to 6:30 pm. The presentations will cover the following topics:

• ●"Innovations and New Thinking in Child-related Policy in Europe and Beyond," Professor Mary Daly, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford

• ●"Labour-Care Reconciliation and Marriage Delays in Low- and Middle-Income Individuals," Choi Sunyoung, KIHASA

• ●"Parenting Leave Policies in OECD Countries: Gender and Social Inequalities," Dr. Ivana Dobrotic, Department of Social Policy, University of Zagreb (Associate Member of the University of Oxford)

• ●"Work-Life Balance and Satisfaction with Life among Korean Workers: Focused on Gender and Family Characteristics," Byoun Soo-Jung, KIHASA

Following the presentations, Professor Jeong Jae-Hoon of Seoul Women's University will moderate the general discussion from 6:30 to 7:10 pm. The panelists are Choi Eun Young, Professor of Child Welfare, Choongbuk University; Cho Sung-ho, Associate Research Fellow, KIHASA; Ryu Sun Woo, School of Social Policy, Oxford University; and Theodoros Papadopoulos, Director, Center for the Analysis of Social Policy, University of Bath.

"The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs is celebrating its 53rd anniversary this year. It has served the country for more than half a century by developing policy recommendations to improve people's lives based on sound research. At this forum, I hope that by jointly studying the policy environments and changes in Europe and Korea regarding children and families, we can find some implications for solving the biggest problem facing Korean society, which is the declining birthrate," said Lee Tae-soo, President of KIHASA.

Professor Mary Daly of Oxford University said that at a time when many countries, having survived the COVID-19 crisis, are trying to build a resilient policy structure, it is very timely to hold this forum, where we should ask ourselves whether we are providing adequate support for different types of families and whether we are doing enough to protect our children. She also expressed her hope that this forum would foster a more vibrant international research exchange between Europe and Asia.

Dr. Jung Jae-Hoon, Professor of Seoul Women's University and President of the Korean Academy of Family Social Work, highlighted the importance of reformulating child and family policies in response to demographic changes, which are one of the major challenges facing European welfare states. According to Jung, the presentations of the two European scholars at this forum are particularly relevant to the Korean situation, especially in light of Korea's recent policy experiments on work-life balance. Jung looks forward to a lively discussion in which European experiences will be combined with the Korean context to generate creative ideas on family policy, child policy, and work-life balance.