The annual Commons Award is given to individuals selected by the C.O.D.E. (Commons, Openness, Diversity, and Engagement) corporation to praise the achievements of organizations that promote openness, diversity, and engagement. Specific requirements that determine the winner of the award include the connection of all individuals and inclusivity through the value of diversity. This year, the Commons Award was given to Korea University (KU)’s Diversity Council for its efforts in promoting inclusiveness.

The KU Diversity Council is the university’s main body in analyzing the status of diversity and determining what policies and practices must be implemented for improvement. Notably, it is recognized for its programs that encourage students to have autonomy over themselves and actively make connections with people in different areas. This includes creating an open space for communication on social media platforms so that students can share their unique experiences to people outside of KU.

The prize is particularly meaningful as the KU Diversity Council has been expanding its role on promoting experiences outside of the university, which gained a lot of attention from other organizations including the University News Network (UNN). One example includes the collaboration for a more transparent society where differences are recognized with sectors of both the public and private fields. Another example includes the collection of data from surveys from both the KU Seoul and Sejong campuses for the creation of inclusive learning and working environments that can give feedback on improving diversity.