Wenzao Ursuline University Volunteers Honored by President for English Tutoring Program for Indigenous Children in Malaysia

(Central News Agency, Kaohsiung, June 9) The English tutoring program of the Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages volunteer team was recognized by President Lai Ching-te on the 8th. Wenzao University is promoting its University Social Responsibility (USR) project, using online English teaching to assist indigenous Iban children in Malaysia, expanding their international perspective through language.

Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages issued a press release today stating that the USR team, through the mediation of the Mustard Seed Christian Social Welfare Foundation, began serving at local elementary schools in Sarawak in 2025. The program combines English education with environmental sustainability (SDGs) and health promotion, designing interactive courses, group activities, and cultural exchange content to help local students learn English in a cross-cultural context.

Wenzao University stated that 13 student volunteers are participating this semester, coming from departments including English, French, Japanese, and Translation. The volunteer team has completed 18 online sessions, gradually establishing a cross-border educational companionship model to help local indigenous children learn languages and expand their international horizons. The Wenzao volunteer team was received and recognized by President Lai at the Presidential Office yesterday.

The university pointed out that Associate Professor Liao Chun-fang from the Department of International Business Administration serves as the overall project director. The Sarawak curriculum is planned by Zhang Chun-hua, a teacher in the English Department and Director of the Indigenous Resources Center, with support from Associate Professor Chen Hung-hsiu from the Department of Translation and Associate Professor Lan Mei-hua from the Department of Foreign Language Instruction, integrating cross-departmental professional resources to build a distance learning model.

"The power of education comes from sincere companionship and continuous connection," shared a participating student. They initially thought it was simply teaching English, but later found that companionship was more important than teaching progress. Through long-term interaction, they gradually understood that education is not just about knowledge transfer, but also about building relationships and exchanging life experiences, redefining the meaning of international volunteer service.

Li Xin-en, the volunteer team leader who represented the group at the presidential reception, said that through exchanges with young people from various countries, she deeply felt the preciousness of resources supporting youth international services in Taiwan, backed by the government and schools. She expressed her commitment to continue engaging in cross-cultural education with humility and a learning attitude, making language an important bridge connecting the world.

Wenzao University noted that this summer, with support from the Ministry of Education's Youth Development Administration's "Youth Overseas Volunteer Service Team Program," seven students and two teachers will travel to Sarawak for their first in-person camp service, deepening educational companionship and cultural exchange, and extending the interactive relationships built online to in-person collaboration.

Zhang Chun-hua stated that insufficient equipment and infrastructure in remote areas are the biggest challenges for online teaching. They have encountered power outages, unstable internet, and a lack of equipment, with some students even having to share laptops for class. The team is currently planning to raise funds for portable projectors and audio equipment, hoping to improve local learning conditions and ensure uninterrupted educational companionship. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150609