Pukyong National University

PKNU student won the ‘grand prize’ at the 3rd university student (inc. graduate) idea contest in Busan

- Ma Hwi-Mun and Jo Hye-Joon, the students won 2 million won cash prize

△ Awardees. Ma Hwi-Mun (left) and Jo Hye-Joon

“How about recycling the acrylic partition used to prevent the spread of coronavirus as a public sculpture?”

Recently, as the spread of coronavirus has slowed, the idea of recycling the acrylic partitions used to prevent the spread of corona virus indoors into public sculptures has attracted public attention.

It is 'the afterimage of coronavirus’ that won the grand prize at the 3rd university student (inc.graduate) idea contest in Busan held by the Busan institute for talent & lifelong education, the idea submitted by Ma Hwi-Mun (2-year student) and Jo Hye-Joon (3-year student) from the department of civil engineering at Pukyong National University.

This idea of Pukyong National University students was recognized as the most timely and excellent idea in this contest, which was held for the purpose of spreading the awareness of community participation among university students and to discover solutions to local issues, and was selected as the grand prize of 2 million won cash prize.

Pukyong National University students received the most outstanding evaluation as an idea that can be recycled without throwing it away, since transparent acrylic partition used to prevent the spread of coronavirus has a low recycling rate because it is made of a mixture of various plastic materials.

Their idea is to recycle transparent acrylic partitions to make 'mood lamps' and use them as public sculptures to decorate the walls of the street. Especially, the students suggested that by installing it on a dark street where security lights are needed at night, it can be used as a work of art during the day and as a lighting facility to illuminate the road at night.

Ma Hwi-Mun said, “By using this idea, I expect that it will be able to beautify the streets and prevent night crimes while reducing the cost of garbage disposal for institutions and individuals.”

In the meantime, Pukyong National University's student team of Kim Mun-Jeong, Kang Hee-Jin, and Oh Seung-Hyeon received an encouragement award with 1 million won cash prize, and the student team of Kim Na-Hyeon, Oh Soo-Min, and Seol Yoon-Jeong and Lee Joo-Hyeon were selected for the 500,000 won cash prize. <Pukyong Today>

△ An example image of an acrylic partition mood light.