Location

MD204, Paul Cardinal Shen Medical Building, Fu Jen University

Start Date

29-5-2015 10:40 AM

End Date

29-5-2015 11:50 AM

Description

This paper, based on participatory observation and critical reflection on the students' field trips to Tangra, Kolkatta, India, aims, firstly, to reflect the different formats of cultural exchanges taking place within students’ service learning activities; and secondly, to examine the processes of mutual self-empowerment through the social practices both at home and abroad.

Tangra, located with eastern Kolkatta, India, where thousands of Hakka Chinese once populated, has received, in the past four years, the service-learning delegations from Fu Jen Catholic University. The research will look into how the delegation, while taking care of all necessary logistics, manage to hold activities like offering Chinese-Teaching camp, volunteering at Missionary of Charity, partnering with local Jadavpur University, visiting various religious institutes and NGO-day care center, all within a time spectrum of three weeks.

From Taiwan to India, from domestic non-Hakka ethnic groups to Hakka-dominant Tangra, the service-learning delegation has bridged over cross-cultural gaps in communicating with domestic fund-raised donaters and students' parents, as well as dealing with thorny and complicated histories of the India-Chinese relations. The paper will target at those aspects to further evaluate the promising and illuminating future of the project for the years to come.

Recommended Citation

Tang, A. (2015, May). Inter-Asian and inter-Chinese: FJU service learning at Kolkata, India. Paper presented at the 5th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning: Love Journey: Community Engagement through Service-Learning, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan.

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May 29th, 10:40 AM May 29th, 11:50 AM

Inter-Asian and inter-Chinese : FJU service learning at Kolkata, India

MD204, Paul Cardinal Shen Medical Building, Fu Jen University

This paper, based on participatory observation and critical reflection on the students' field trips to Tangra, Kolkatta, India, aims, firstly, to reflect the different formats of cultural exchanges taking place within students’ service learning activities; and secondly, to examine the processes of mutual self-empowerment through the social practices both at home and abroad.

Tangra, located with eastern Kolkatta, India, where thousands of Hakka Chinese once populated, has received, in the past four years, the service-learning delegations from Fu Jen Catholic University. The research will look into how the delegation, while taking care of all necessary logistics, manage to hold activities like offering Chinese-Teaching camp, volunteering at Missionary of Charity, partnering with local Jadavpur University, visiting various religious institutes and NGO-day care center, all within a time spectrum of three weeks.

From Taiwan to India, from domestic non-Hakka ethnic groups to Hakka-dominant Tangra, the service-learning delegation has bridged over cross-cultural gaps in communicating with domestic fund-raised donaters and students' parents, as well as dealing with thorny and complicated histories of the India-Chinese relations. The paper will target at those aspects to further evaluate the promising and illuminating future of the project for the years to come.