Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) College of Human Ecology, Department of Child Studies child counseling academic club LI-YOU (Advisor Professor Kim Ri-jin) demonstrated the excellence of undergraduate research education by winning the Outstanding Paper Award at the 2026 International Next-Generation Convergence Technology Society Summer Convergence Academic Presentation and Undergraduate Thesis Competition through student-led research activities.

LI-YOU stands for 'Listen to Your Story' and is a child counseling academic club run to train counselors who listen attentively to clients' stories. The club conducts a variety of activities, including counseling theory, play therapy, case studies, paper study groups, and academic presentations, which together enhance students' practical counseling skills and research capabilities.

This award recognized the academic excellence of the study jointly undertaken by Professor Kim Ri-jin and Department of Child Studies students Kim Ga-hyun, Park Seon-min, Baek Ji-hoon, and Jeon Ji-hyun, titled 'Metaphor Analysis of University Graduates' Perceptions of Psychotherapy.'

The research team conducted an in-depth examination of how young people about to graduate from university perceive psychotherapy using Metaphor Analysis. The analysis found that these students tended to view psychotherapy not simply as a means of treatment but as a process that facilitates recovery and care, self-understanding, and cognitive flexibility.

The study is particularly meaningful because it provides baseline data that can be used to promote mental health among young people and to spread positive perceptions of counseling services.

Notably, the students led the entire research process, from selecting the research topic to designing the study, collecting and analyzing data, preparing the poster, and presenting at the conference.

The accumulated undergraduate research experience was evaluated as an educational outcome that simultaneously fostered practical competence for understanding counseling settings and research competence for conducting evidence-based counseling.

Professor Kim Ri-jin said, 'Child counseling is a field in which practical competencies for understanding clients and the research capabilities that support them must grow together. The students' experience of conducting the research themselves and having their work recognized at a conference will be a valuable foundation for their development as future child counseling professionals.'

She added, 'We will continue to actively support undergraduates so they can grow into counseling professionals with both expertise and field experience through diverse experiences that link research and practice.'

Meanwhile, JBNU's Department of Child Studies operates undergraduate research activities linked with extracurricular programs based on student-centered research education. The department continues to support various academic activities to cultivate talents with expertise and research capabilities in the fields of child counseling and play therapy.