澳大新語 • 2023 UMAGAZINE 28 66 書院發展 • RC DEVELOPMENT and learning about their working conditions in Macao, the students managed to debunk various stereotypes and misconceptions about them. This experience fostered a more diverse and inclusive perspective among the students. Addressing a Broad Spectrum of Social Issues The concrete examples mentioned above illustrate the concept of service learning, a significant aspect of SHEAC’s educational ethos. The college provides a range of social services, including collecting leftovers from markets, beach clean-ups, supporting fundraising efforts for poverty alleviation organisations, volunteering with animal welfare groups, and organising activities for children with special educational needs. These initiatives address a broad spectrum of social issues, including global economic disparity, climate change, poverty, vulnerable groups, and animal rights. However, overemphasising diversity in service-learning activities may run the risk of reducing recipients of student services to mere ‘consumer commodities’ that cater only to our students’ personal growth. If our interactions with the elderly living alone are limited to annual visits, then these encounters will be nothing more than eye-opening experiences. We strongly believe that the essence of social services lies in this continuous commitment. Only through ongoing service learning can students truly understand the needs of those they serve. Imagine how those elderly living alone would feel if every time they were visited by a new group of students who only engaged in introductory small talk rather than in-depth conversations. As exemplified by the students mentioned at the beginning of this article, a one-time service-learning experience can be eye-opening but it fails to provide participants with a deep understanding of the scavengers’ situation. Recognising this, we continue to partner with our students to provide sustained support and care to underprivileged groups in Macao, including monthly visits to grassroots elderly people and regular interaction with ethnic minorities. In What to Study at University (original Japanese title: 大学で何を学ぶか), renowned Japanese sociologist Taizo Kato encourages university students to find interests that they are passionate about and that they can continue to develop throughout their four-year academic journey. The professional knowledge students acquire in faculties at UM may be the ‘interest’ they wanted to pursue when they enrolled at the university. However, we aspire to offer another possibility. Through diverse service-learning activities, we aim to broaden students’ horizons and help them identify ‘interests’ to which they are prepared to devote themselves without feeling constrained. They may ultimately incorporate these interests into their habits and attitudes, thereby nurturing a lifelong commitment to serving society. 陳宇威是澳門大學何鴻燊東亞書院駐院導師、澳門研究中心客席講師，擁有澳大社會學博士學位，研究領域包括 外地勞工與新移民，以及貧窮與福利制度。 Saul Chan is a resident fellow in Stanley Ho East Asia College and an adjunct lecturer in the Centre for Macau Studies at the University of Macau (UM). He holds a PhD in sociology from UM. His research interests include migrant workers and new immigrants, as well as poverty and welfare systems. 「書院發展」為投稿欄目，內容僅代表作者個人意見。 RC Development is a contribution column. The views expressed are solely those of the author(s). 澳大於2010年引入住宿式書院系統。書院作為多元文化與多元學科融會貫通的知識整合學習平台，致力培養學生具有公民 責任心、全球競爭力、知識整合能力、團隊協作、服務與領導、文化參與和健康生活的七項勝任力。 UM launched its residential college (RC) system in 2010 to create a multicultural and multidisciplinary learning platform for knowledge integration. RC education aims to cultivate seven competencies of students, namely responsible citizenship, global competitiveness, knowledge integration, teamwork and collaboration, service and leadership, cultural engagement, and healthy lifestyle. 住宿式書院系統網站 Website of the Residential College System
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