Developing a Convergence Education Model for Humanities-Social Sciences Talent in the Digital Risk Society

Abstract

This study examines how higher education can respond to the challenges of the digital risk society by developing convergence education grounded in the humanities and social sciences. Conceptualizing digital risk as a socio-technical condition characterized by uncertainty, institutional mediation, and normative contestation, the study proposes an analytical framework composed of three core competencies: technological system understanding, social problem-solving, and ethical and human-centered creative capacity. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research analyzes educational practices at Stanford University and the University of Tokyo. The findings show that both institutions move beyond technology-centered training by embedding ethical reasoning into technical curricula, linking digital education with governance and public problem-solving, and fostering creative capacities oriented toward human-centered and future-oriented innovation. These cases demonstrate that effective digital risk education requires institutional integration across disciplines rather than peripheral ethics instruction.