2013 Fifth Youth Leadership in Social Development Summer Camp Successfully Concludes

Sponsored by Beijing Normal University, the University of Hong Kong and National Taiwan University, organized by School of Social Development and Public Policy(SSDPP) at Beijing Normal University, the Youth Leadership in Social Development Summer Camp is a key youth welfare project supported by the Ministry of Education and has been successfully held five times.

On July 1, 2013, a summer day in the blazing sun, 57 young students from Beijing Normal University, University of Hong Kong, University of Macau, National Taiwan University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Yunnan Normal University and Kunming University of Science and Technology gathered in Yunnan with their summer-like warm heart and devoted into the social welfare practices of the Fifth Youth Leadership in Social Development Summer Camp.

Relevant school leaders and experts attended the opening ceremony and gave the attendants wonderful lectures, including Mr. Zhang Qiang, Vice President of School of Social Development and Public Policy(SSDPP) of Beijing Normal University, Director Gao Yongxian of HKU Gallant Ho Experiential Learning Centre, Vice President Yu Guanting of China International Tea Culture Institute, Director Gao Dingqi of  Tea Culture Research Centre, China Tea Culture Management Association, Secretary-general Bai Chengyu of China Association of Microfinance (CAM) of China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), Director Guo Hong of Sichuan Shangming Public Welfare Development Research Centre of Sichuan Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, and Yang Hailong, head of Volunteer Service Team of Yunnan Red Cross, etc.

With the theme of“improving the livelihood of local farmers and tea growers”, the camp was launched on July 1 and ended on August 3, lasting for 34 days. The camp participants carried out research activities in Kunming City, Mangshi Town, Lianghe County, Longchuan County, Santaishan Deang Town, Tengchong County and Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, covering more than 3000 kilometers, and conducted field research in a donzen of villages, including Guangxiang Village, Limin New Village, Guogaishi Village, Mukang Village, Mangpai Village, Bingmao Village, Mangyuanxia Village, Dongfu Village, Moshigou Village, Chudonggua Village, etc, aiming to understand the living conditions of local farmers and the agricultural development situation of local area. Through knowledge learning, field research, tea picking and teamwork, the young students prepared eight creative social enterprise programs with their innovation thoughts, aiming to improve local livelihood, education situation and the income of local farmers with the mode of operation of social enterprises.

In the summer camp, the young students not only carried out research and interviews, but lived together with local villagers and experienced farmers’ life. Through these activities, they not only had an in-depth understanding of the local situation, but practiced themselves in the process, enhanced their self-confidence and sense of teamwork and improved their capacity for communication, organization and coordination and their self-management skills. Meanwhile, the event made students from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan communicate and exchanges ideas, understand different cultures and build real friendship between each other.

Praised by the university partners and all circles of society, the event has become an innovative platform for the growth and social practices of young people from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and a brand project of our school for communication between young people.