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University of Manchester China Centre in Covid-19 echoes social responsibility commitment

日期:2020-07-16 浏览:624作者:曼彻斯特大学中国中心

Manchester is the only university in the UK to have social responsibility as a core goal. For our alumni and staff, this means we have long been committed to social responsibility.

A new SR initiative: staff and alumni act actively to help “those with special needs”

On June 22nd 2020, led by China Centre Director Sherry Fu, a delegation of University of Manchester alumni and China Centre staff joined ‘UoM goes to HSH NoW’ initiative organized by University of Manchester China Centre and SORSA UoM Alumni Association. By organizing a visit to Home Sweet Home (HSH) – a local charity to equip those with special needs, we strived to get assistance into the hands of those whose source of income are affected tremendously by the COVID-19 pandemic and increase awareness of and tolerance for “those with special needs”. HSH has a mission to rekindle homeless and disabled people’s confidence to live on their own for a better and dignified life by equipping them with English, computer, textile and embroidery skills. As one convention speaker put, “Give a man a fish and you feed him one meal. Teach him to fish and he can feed himself for many meals.” Following China Centre and HSH's initial collaboration in 2017 where the China Centre and HSH worked together in designing and producing limited edition charity t-shirt and caps for UoM alumni, this was our second time reaching out to HSH for a good cause.

The University and its Manchester community

The University and its Manchester community are contributing to the fight against coronavirus in many ways: more than 450 medical and social care students across Manchester have stepped forward in less than a week to support NHS workers while they tackle the Covid-19 pandemic; University Researchers are using their expertise in immunology to better understand how the COVID-19 behaves and affects individuals; Manchester mathematicians are using computer modeling expertise to advise the government on how to best protect the UK population during the coronavirus emergency; the University is 3D printing safety equipment for frontline NHS workers; Manchester museum has curated ‘Manchester Museum in Quarantine’, uploading some of its most engaging digital content onto a mobile site so everyone can explore and enjoy the museum in their own homes. All aim to bring together the research and innovation strengths of the University’s partnerships in an unprecedented way to focus on this public health crisis.

The University of Manchester China Centre

On the other side of the continent, The University of Manchester China Centre is committed to social responsibility and striving to help however it can to those in need during the epidemic. In line with the charitable initiative proposed by Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association (SORSA) and Shanghai Charity Foundation, China Centre also acted together with Huanyu Global Health Group, World Chinese Youth Entrepreneur Committee, Big Ben Award Committee, Golden Arrow and other institutions in supporting global initiatives to fight against the epidemic.

Over the months, the China Centre has worked continuously in communicating the University’s messages, decisions and academic arrangements out to the Chinese alumni community.

On 4th February, among world’s first universities to send greetings to its Chinese alumni community, a warm message from Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester was communicated out bilingually on China Centre’s official platform to encourage all members of the University community to rally together in supporting each other through this difficult time.

Sherry Fu, Director of University of Manchester China Centre returned to work amid widening coronavirus outbreak with a continuous effort in communicating and coordinating with Manchester team and overseas centres in adjusting workshop arrangements for overseas students.

The China Centre soon launched “UoM act NoW” Social Responsibility Alumni Project Amid COVID-19, including 6 alumni sharings built in relevance to dealing with personal and corporate issues emerging from the outbreak in the fields of health, legal and finance, various global insight sessions online to promote accessible lifelong learning especially at this difficult time. The newly launched story-telling initiative received global submissions sharing about their life during the epidemic and how they contributed to the fight against coronavirus, both in Mandarin and English; the ongoing fundraising campaign for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) sold nearly 100 alumni charity products to Centre staff and alumni, raising over 1,400 pounds so far.

The China Centre promptly reports and shows alumni’s action taken in the fight against the epidemic via official and social media platform to demonstrate their love and support. For instance, our alumnus took charitable action in leading his company in helping hospitals on the front lines across China with indoor air quality purification and ventilation by donating and installing equipment; our alumni worked hard in deploying all possible resources to increase PPE supplies through every and all potential avenues and then deliver them globally with an generous offer to help with PPE for Manchester University by donating10,000 masks.

As a long-standing member of the British business community in China, the China Centre has been supporting Sino-British educational, cultural, and business cooperation and cares deeply about Sino-UK relations. During the city of Wuhan’s lockdown period, China Centre proactively curated content from Manchester and released news regarding the city’s community efforts in helping its sister-city Wuhan, China to cope through this difficult time as well as updated latest action taken and messages sent amid Covid-19 through Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Manchester, University of Manchester, Chinese Students and Scholars Association UK and SORSA.

Another year supporting charity ‘Dialogue in the Dark’(China), July 18th 2020 will once again welcome “Manchester Day of Action” to Shanghai, a global volunteer activism campaign aligned with the University’s social responsibility strategic goal.  Together with alumni and staff, the China Centre will continue its commitment, serving the University’s social responsibility strategic goal and further maintaining and strengthening the University’s image as an educationally and socially responsible institution in China.