▲ Intro video of NYCU’s Jullay Group & BAT Group
For Distant Needs-Service-Learning and International Volunteer Groups
In the summer of 2024, Jullay Group & BAT Group of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) visited Ladakh in India, where the altitude exceeded 3,000 meters, and the outskirts of Phnom Penh in Cambodia, where the temperatures surpassed 34 degrees Celsius. Their mission was to serve more than 500 children and residents. Both serving journeys covered education and public health, bringing knowledge and care to these economically and educationally disadvantaged areas.
Unlike other international volunteer groups at universities, NYCU’s volunteer groups are part of the “Service-Learning” lesson. Participating students must be selected and trained by the Service-Learning Center and go to India and Cambodia to serve under the guidance of professional leaders. Combining academic and practical work embodies NYCU’s “people-oriented” core value and allows students to put their knowledge into practice and contribute to society outside the classroom.
The Director of the Service-Learning Center of NYCU, Professor Sai-Keung Wong, points out that Service-learning is not only an extension of learning but also a bridge for students to understand the needs of society. “Service-learning is a platform for students and faculty to grow together as participants and to understand the needs from the perspective of others.” This experience not only allows students to apply what they have learned, but also deepens their understanding of social responsibility.
Jullay Group: to Cultivate Knowledge Hand-In-Hand and Bring Hopes
Since its establishment in 2010, the Jullay Group at NYCU has gone through 14 years. Professor Mei-Lin Pan, an instructor at Jullay Group and a professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at NYCU, is one of the key initiators of this service project. During her research project in India, Prof. Pan observed the plight of the Ladakh region, which faces severe challenges in terms of geography, infrastructure, education, and economic development. Prof. Pan is fully aware that if the local Jamyang School could receive adequate support, it would be able to provide stable, long-term educational resources for underprivileged children. Since then, the Jullay Group has focused its annual service program on improving the education of local children.
Over the years, the Jullay Group’s educational services have included English and popular science courses, improved local teachers’ digital competence, and collected learning resources such as teaching materials, board games, and computer equipment for the Jamyang School. In addition, the group has developed fundraising programs to assist local students pay for their living and educational expenses. They also utilized “recycled art” to create a variety of teaching activities to promote the concept of reusing resources.
The Jullay Group’s service model has evolved significantly over time. Bella Tseng, the Project Manager of the Jullay Group, recalls that from the initial relationship to the systematic service at later stages, through the challenges of the COVID-19 epidemic, the team transitioned to long-distance courses and delivered teaching material kits. In 2023, they returned to Ladakh to provide on-site services once again. These experiences taught the students how to cope with emergencies and fostered communication and inheritance among different schools and students. Bella also shared the transformation of students who participated in the service. She said, “Although the training was challenging, once they arrived in India and experienced the culture of Ladakh firsthand, interacting with local teachers and children, the students from NYCU felt deeply inspired by the experience. They thought of themselves as ‘givers’ with their palms down. However, after the service, they realized they were actually companions and sharers, holding each other’s hands as they moved forward together.”
Joanne Hsu, a member of Jullay 14 and a student of the Department of Information Management and Finance of NYCU, served as the vice leader of the Jullay Group this year (2024). She recalled her service experience in Ladakh, facing several challenges, including altitude sickness. Joanne also experienced various impacts during her time there and gained many insights. She stated, “Local resources are very limited. The children do not have their own textbooks and often need to share them. As a result, they have developed the habit of taking notes. The beauty, completeness, and attentiveness of their notes, as well as their proactive attitude of answering and asking questions in the classroom, have made me aware of the significant disparities in educational resources across different areas.” She was touched by the children’s enthusiasm and motivation to learn despite the lack of resources. She also realized that “service” goes beyond her previous notion of “helping.” It is not just about imparting knowledge; it’s also an opportunity for personal growth and cross-cultural exchange.
BAT Group: An Accompanied Road from “Establishment” to “Health”
Since its founding in 2019, the BAT Group has focused on serving impoverished communities on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Initially, the group combined its expertise in architectural engineering of the Chiao Tung Campus to collaborate with locals in constructing public spaces that addressed infrastructure needs. As these hardware needs were gradually met, BAT Group shifted its focus to public health education in the community. By integrating public health specialists from the Yang Ming Campus into their programs, they concentrated on women’s physical and mental health and basic environmental hygiene. Their goal was to enhance the locals’ understanding of public health and promote overall physical and psychological well-being.
This year, Rita Chen, a member of BAT 6 and a student of the College of Nursing of NYCU, who serves as the program leader of BAT Group, reflected on her service experience and shared, “We taught the locals to make their own simple and effective detergent, as well as the concept of diet and nutrition, and also organized a workshop on cloth menstrual pads. Many local aunties and mothers learned conscientiously and completed various tasks with us. They even wanted to share what they learned with more people, which made me very happy. I also established a meaningful connection with them throughout this process.” This experience has given Rita a deeper understanding of “sharing.” She said, “At first, I thought it was a unidirectional knowledge transfer, but after the actual service, it is a bidirectional learning process.
During these two weeks of service, Rita better understood the importance of the nursing knowledge she had acquired, which inspired her sense of mission in public health. She understood different cultures more openly and respectfully, avoiding stereotypes, and deepened her understanding of the various public health concepts in light of cultural differences.
Rita Wu, the Project Manager of BAT Group, also shared that the BAT Group’s service program in Cambodia received high praise from local partners. She mentioned, “They (the social workers from the Fund for Children and Families) noted that the community residents learned valuable knowledge they had not been exposed to before, including topics of the balanced diet, women’s physiological care, and emotional awareness and management. These lessons significantly impact improving self-care for health in the local community. They look forward to continuously collaborating in the health education field in the future.”
International Volunteers — Best Practices in University’s Social Responsibility
From October to December each year, Jullay Group and BAT Group will recruit volunteer students on campus for the upcoming year. Direct Wong expressed his hope that more students will join the Jullay Group and the BAT Group in the future and work together to expand the depth and scope of the service program. “Our vision is to provide not only short-term services, but also to enable the local residents to become the service providers and community leaders step-by-step through long-term commitment towards achieving sustainable development.”
Director Wong also pointed out that the core objective of Service-learning is to cultivate students’ reflecting abilities. Service-learning helps them observe societal issues and needs through their service experiences, learn how to solve problems, and give back to society. International volunteers, on the other hand, enable students to step outside the classroom and contact Taiwan with different social needs and cultures to truly understand the richness of global diversity. He emphasized, “If education is limited to the campus, we cannot fully understand the diversity and needs of society. Participating in international volunteer service allows students to find their values while learning about the world, which is the important responsibility of university education.”
Special thanks to Prof. Sai-Keung Wong (Director of Service-Learning Center | Professor of Department of Computer Science), Prof. Mei-Lin Pan (Instructor of the Jullay Group | Professor of Department of Humanities and Social Sciences), Joanne Hsu (Jullay 14 member | IMF, NYCU), Rita Chen (BAT 6 member | College of Nursing, NYCU), Bella Tseng (PM of Jullay Group), and Rita Wu (PM of BAT Group).
Interview | Sunai Kiboo
Translation | Yi-Chen Emily Li
Editing | Hsiu-Cheng Faina Chang
Photographs | Derek Lin and Yen-Yu Shih / ZDunemployed studio