Source: School of Sociology and Anthropology
Written by: School of Sociology and Anthropology
Translated by: Yang Qing
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

From July 5 to July 23, the Fifth “Liberal Arts Education — Scientific Investigation and Voluntary Service in Wenchuan Post-Earthquake Reconstruction”, hosted by the School of Sociology and Anthropology of SYSU, was held in Sichuan. This activity was carried out in four places: Nanba, Shuimo, Santai and Jinbo. Although these places suffered from the floods caused by heavy rain, on the premise of ensuring personal safety, 39 volunteers made up of teachers and students, in the spirit of “service and learning” and “helping others and helping oneself”, accomplished the mission successfully.
In Nanba, Professor Zhou Daming led the volunteers to study the change of residents’ ideology after the earthquake. In Shuimo and Santai, guided by Professor Luo Guancui, the volunteers provided the “school-family-community” social work service for the post-earthquake rural community. The activity in Jinbo, led by Professor Zhang Heqing, was severely affected by the massive mudslide on July 10. The road, electricity and communications were all blocked out. The place was cut off from the outside from 5 am on July 10, and until 5 pm on July 14, the first group of five students walked out of the "isolated island" after a 7-hour journey. The University leadership gave high priority and sent two teachers to Sichuan to help the volunteers. Upon learning that all volunteers were safe, Secretary Zheng Detao, President Xu Ningsheng, Executive Deputy Secretary and Vice President Chen Chunsheng, and Deputy Secretary Zhu Kongjun sent their congratulations and greetings to the students and teachers respectively.

This activity integrates the resources of sociology, anthropology and social work to serve the local places and is of significance to the cultivation of humanistic care, public spirit, practice and innovation capabilities for SYSU students.