Empowering the Community While Enriching Students’ Academic and Intercultural Competencies

Abstract

Community Service Programs (KKN) are part of the Tri Dharma of higher education. Specifically the third pillar, community service. Students are required to apply the knowledge and skills they acquire in class to real-life contexts. Hong Kong presents a unique and strategic environment for the implementation of a community service program due to its distinctive social, cultural, and economic characteristics. Several reasons make Hong Kong an appropriate setting for such an academic and social engagement. Hong Kong is home to a highly diverse population including local residents and a significant number of migrant workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, and other countries. This multicultural context provides students with opportunities to interact across cultural boundaries, enhance intercultural communication skills, and develop inclusive community-based programs. Indonesia is one of the largest contributors of migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong. Many of them face challenges related to health. Conducting KKN in Hong Kong allows students to directly contribute to improving the well-being of Indonesian migrant workers through health promotion, legal awareness, psychosocial support, and skill development programs.