"Shearn Cafe" of Sripatum University Social Responsibility

Today I was invited to the first lunch talk by the new group called University Social Responsibility initiated by Dr. Janya, assistant to the president of Sripatum University, Bangkok, Thailand. The Shearn Cafe is named from the combination of the two words of "Sharing and Learning" (a clever name calling, which means "to invite" in the Thai language). Here, the objective is to invite teachers and staff members to come share their experiences in teaching and other things concerning social responsibility. Then, they learn from one another vicariously through those experiences. I have to admit that this luncheon was a very good initiative in order to create new ideas and exchange valuable viewpoints in making our teaching career come to prosperity under the topic of the talk of "Spiritual Friendship (in the workplace)" The concept of USR is to give things back to our society without receiving anything in return. Especially, in the academic arena where education for students seem to be the most concern, administrators and academia seem to forget that people in the community are also another element that should be focused. By helping society, teachers, staff members and students become united in order to help think of good projects to run and things to do to make our academic life better and grateful.

Through the kind of unofficial lunch meeting or talk, I felt that this was what we should have regularly among us teachers. It's like having a happy hour. Juxtapose this to business environment or Business for Social Responsibility or so-called Corperate Social Responsibilty (CSR), USR conveys similar fundamental concept (yet different intention since our outcome is not to promote for marketting or any means to gain profit). Taking the direct idea from the founder, it is...

University Social Responsibility (USR) is a brand new concept currently (2008) being put forth by its creator, Dr. Junya Pookayaporn, assistant to the president of Sripatum University, Bangkok, Thailand. The business/corporate world has lately been pushing public relations efforts to improve their image by starting up programs collectively known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Dr. Pookayaporn, having a radically different point of view from that of the self-aggrandizing, profit-seeking, business/corporate world, because of her many years in the non-profit university environment, offers an intrinsically pure-minded and distinctly opposite concept of social responsibility. With the understanding that the principle role of universities is to educate people, she believes that social responsibility should become the well-grounded basis of all university teaching. In other words, every graduate should not only be well versed in his or her specialty, but that the students' minds should encompass their learning with the absolute, selfless desire to be socially responsible, without any desire for reward of any kind other than the realization that what he or she does is ultimately helping mankind and the entire Earth. Thus Dr. Pookayaporn wants USR to become a permanent part and essential heart of the university teaching structure. Excitingly, its chance of becoming such seems at this time to be good inasmuch as CSR is already a topic of much discussion within universities throughout Thailand itself.



Historically, CSR can be said to have had its outset with the teachings of
Dr. Pookayaporn's father, Dr. Sook Pookayaporn, the founder of Sripatum University, who taught his children, who now are all SPU officers, to be responsible for themselves, for society and for their nation. Universally, Thai citizens are taught not to just claim their social responsibilities; they take action from within their hearts. And from these teachings of the founder, and from this national precept, university social responsibility will now become formalized as the motto for the entire Sripatum University.

Dr. Junya Pookayaporn ultimately hopes that her formalized structure of USR, as now used in Sripatum University, will be used by all educational institutions throughout Thailand and ultimately all universities throughout the world.

All the talking and eating truly stimulated my spirit in seeking more opportunity and alliance in helping our society, country and world to become a better place. In doing so, this semester my students in English Business for Negotiation are going to run a charitable project to raise money for charities of student's choices. We are planning to hit it off by the end of November. This project, which I hope, we help my students to use the theoretical studies in working together, solving problems, bargaining, and persuasion to good use. On another note, I also hope they will learn more about what life is all about and the power of giving!