Celebrating 10 Years of Community Engagement
Spreading Happiness - Serve 25
In celebration of HKUST's 25th anniversary in 2015, we launched the Serve 25 campaign to increase civic awareness among students. Through this campaign, our students were educated on major challenges facing Hong Kong society and encouraged to act on them.
We work hard all week studying and revising. When I interact with the people I volunteer to work with, I learn about the society. I feel I am the one that is benefiting; I am being influenced in a positive way.
Oscar CHAN
BBA in Professional Accounting, Year 3
Participants pledged to perform 25 hours of community service in the 2015-16 academic year to contribute to solving social issues such as hunger, poverty, and education. Serve 25 was a radiant example of the 1-HKUST spirit spreading grace and compassion to those in need. Serve 25 is an ideal way for students to participate in the HKUST 25th anniversary celebrations, while they enrich their education experiences, and further strengthen the university's engagement with the wider community.
"This is our 25th anniversary. In many ways…HKUST has been doing pretty well. We do well not only just academically, I think we are a university that is supposed to be a leading force for society...of things including and beyond academic matters. The things we do today define who we are and show we are not only just interested in societal matters but participate directly and proactively."
Prof. Wei SHYY
President of HKUST
In just 8 months, over 800 students contributed nearly 7,400 local direct service hours through Serve 25. Students volunteered to serve the elderly, young children and youth groups, the mentally and physically challenged, animal welfare groups, and environmental groups. Those that successfully completed 25 hours of direct community service were awarded a certificate of appreciation and meal vouchers to be used at catering outlets on campus.
Volunteering allows students to gain new experiences, and develop technical, social, and academic skills outside of the classroom environment. HKUST Connect professionals lead debriefing with volunteers after each service opportunity to consolidate their insights and learning. In some cases, the reflective process changed their lives.