【Shenzhen】Shenzhen Urban Village Business Support and Planning Initiative

Shenzhen Urban Village Business Support and Planning Initiative

Assisting Urban Villages in Finding Their Optimal Role in the Modern City through Innovative Business Planning!

In Shenzhen, there exists a unique phenomenon known as the "urban village." These urban villages have played a crucial role in supporting the city's rapid development, accommodating around two-thirds of the city's population and showcasing its diversity and inclusivity. However, as the city continues to urbanize, these urban villages are facing a wave of transformation. While they may no longer be youthful, the dreams of the millions who reside in these urban villages remain as vibrant as ever. They encompass street vendors, construction workers, recent college graduates, and the children of migrant workers, among others. Huaide, a community within Shenzhen, epitomizes this urban village phenomenon. Volunteers will venture into the Huaide community, where they will encounter a blend of traditional cultural elements such as ancestral halls and private schools, lion dance martial arts, and Cantonese opera, coexisting with modern recreational activities like square dancing, Tai Chi, and fitness routines. Volunteers will explore the distinctive cultural characteristics of Shenzhen and interpret the urban village from a business perspective. They will investigate how to enhance the integration of existing urban village elements with the modern metropolis in various dimensions, including economics, philanthropy, culture, and architectural transformation. By gaining a multifaceted understanding of these urban villages, volunteers aim to propose a future that unlocks unlimited possibilities for the city.

Public Service Mentorship Team

1. Mentor Profiles: Head of a social public welfare workshop; Senior brand design and event planning specialist; Senior architect and mentor for exploring urban villages in Shenzhen through the "Guan Zhu" ( 观筑 ) program.
2. Professional Workshops: Workshops covering topics such as cultural and creative design, business plan writing, public speaking and presentation skills, product promotion, and Asdan simulated interviews.
3. Ongoing Guidance: Comprehensive guidance throughout, including pre-trip academic training and 1-on-1 guidance in charitable research during the trip.

Core Project Highlights

1. Engaging with Stakeholders: Engaging with stakeholders relevant to the research topics, including residents of Shenzhen's urban villages, leaders of cultural and creative factories, and mentors specializing in business plan skills.
2. Unique Experiences: Conducting on-site visits and research in urban villages, visiting cultural and creative product manufacturing factories.
3. Visualized Outcomes: Delivering results through Asdan online reports, producing cultural and creative products from urban villages, and submitting business plans to local communities and relevant platforms.

Click to know more about "Volunteering + Research" >

"Volunteering + Research", exclusively designed by ASDAN China, is an academic growth model that combines research-oriented learning and voluntary service. We refer to the authoritative theory of education, admission requirements of universities, 10 years of project experience, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to design our programs. ASDAN "Volunteering + Research" Programs cover four categories: Teach for Rural Areas, Community Support, Wildlife & Environment Conservation, and Cultural Heritage Conservation. Volunteers will experience rich and unique service scenarios and learn from different topics of research workshops concerning real social problems. We aim to guide volunteers to discover problems, propose solutions and report to the public, improve volunteers' research learning ability, meet the requirements of volunteers' personal growth and further education, and enhance their sense of social responsibility.

When it comes to voluntary services, admission officers of universities think highly of sincerely caring about society and comprehensive qualities and skills, such as proposers of innovative solutions, leaders of public welfare projects, and the continuity and depth of voluntary services. 62.1% of colleges would like to see applicants show a record report reflecting the whole process of volunteering. The world's top universities emphasize community commitment with problem-solving ability. Every high school student needs volunteering service experience that combines public welfare emotion and social problem-solving ability.