“︁We serve while we all learn from each other through mutually beneficial collaborations”︁
In today’s interconnected world, fostering social awareness and civic responsibility among students, as well as unlocking their potential to create a positive community impact, is of paramount importance in cultivating a unique learning experience at the University. The efficacy of community engagement and service-learning has been recognized widely. They can provide significant values for student learning, cultivate collaborative partnerships, benefit the common good and enhance students' understanding on social issues. (Eyler & Giles, 1999; Dirksen, C., 2020; Richard et al., 2022; Valarmathi et al., 2024).
For this reason, Student Affairs Office (SAO) has launched Service-Learning programmes since 2019, aiming to provide students with service-learning experience that integrate their knowledge with social responsibility to contribute to the community. In 2023, SAO integrated student community engagement concepts and organized various programmes to raise students' awareness on specific social & global issues and create positive impact on the community through empowerment & student-led projects. As of May 2025, SAO has collaborated with over 35 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social partners to co-organize more than 40 service projects and activities, benefiting more than 2,000 students and individuals.
The SCES-L team aims to develop students’ social awareness and civic responsibility through various community service opportunities. It serves as a bridge between students and the community, enhancing their understanding of specific social and global issues. By collaborating with external organizations and community partners, students receive training and service opportunities to comprehend the challenges faced by different vulnerable groups in society, nurture their personal development, and make a positive impact through empowerment and student-led projects.
Key components of Service-Learning are also instilled in our works to build reciprocal partnerships between students and the community, and to encourage critical student reflections to enrich their learning experiences and foster self-understanding. This integrated framework provides a comprehensive approach to student development and community involvement, promoting whole-person development, and achieving self-actualization. It is not necessarily integrated into the academic curriculum with participants joining based on their personal interests and passions. We strive to explore students' service interests and personal abilities beyond academic boundaries.
Develop students' civic & moral responsibility through community services or projects locally or globally with on-going guidance.
Provide critical & structured reflection platforms to cultivate students' positive personality traits and personal development for self-actualization, such as integrity & ethics, empathy, self-management, forgiveness, gratitude, respectfulness, capacity to love or be loved and kindness.
Foster students' self-understanding and nurture students' social awareness and intelligence from diverse and open-minded perspectives on different local and/or global issues.
Empower students to create positive social impact and benefit the community according to their service interests and personal abilities beyond academic boundaries.
