On June 19, NYU Shanghai was recognized by Lujiazui Financial City with a Warm Heart award for community engagement and contribution expressed through the dedicated service work of the Deans’ Service Scholars (DSS) program.
Chancellor Yu Lizhong was presented with the honor at the Shanghai International Convention Center at the 2017 Lujiazui Financial City Charity Rankings Awards—a ceremony commending local companies and institutes for their outstanding support of education, charity and donation, social responsibility, community engagement and inclusive finance.
The DSS program stood out for nurturing the development of students as responsible global citizens, providing them hands-on opportunities to learn about and appreciate the value of social development while playing a proactive role in service.
“By engaging in classroom discussion, research and reflection, and through a short-term service experience in China rural areas or abroad during spring break, students are better equipped to contribute to their local communities—especially here in Shanghai,” said Adam Ebnit, Director of Student Life.
NYU Shanghai’s Deans’ Service Scholars have recently taken part in wetland conservation at Dalian Lake in Qingpu District in Shanghai, taught English language classes at schools in Hunan, assisted families living with HIV in Henan, and contributed to reforestation efforts in Yunnan. In total, 38 students were selected for the DSS outreach program in 2015-2016.
“It is an honor to be among many great organizations and programs that have received a Warm Heart award by Lujiazui Financial City,” said Ebnit. “Together, each recipient represents a coalition that aims to improve the communities in which we live, and we are proud of the many NYU Shanghai staff and students who contribute in such a positive way.”
Other NYU Shanghai outreach activities that cultivate community engagement include participation in last fall’s Shanghai Special Olympics Unified Run—literally joining students with pupils from Shanghai Pudong Special Education School for a synchronized three-legged charity race—as well as a “Vertical Run” race to the 57th floor of the International Financial Center in Lujiazui to raise money for the Shanghai Children’s Health Foundation.
The ceremony was co-organized by the Lujiazui Administration of China’s (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, Lujiazui Financial City Authority, CBN, and Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) of SJTU.
Click here to find out more about volunteering and community engagement at NYU Shanghai, or email shanghai.involvement@nyu.edu.
