Right from the early years of its establishment, the Board of Presidents of Ho Chi Minh City Open University (HCMCOU) has identified community service in higher education as one of the university's four core values, with important strategic significance: It is built for each individual in the school to have enough qualities, the ability to live and work, and a sense of responsibility for themselves, the living environment and society.

The role of community service work at school

The definition of higher education institutions in the Law on Higher Education (amended in 2018) has also shown the role of community services work in higher education: “A higher education institution is an educational institution belonging to the national education system, performing the function of training higher education levels, scientific and technological activities, and serving the community".

Each higher education institution takes the form of a miniature society. Under the roof of HCMCOU, students have access to flexible and professional training methods, scientific research, and community service activities that are always interested and invested in by the school's management board. With the desire to provide quality, talented and virtuous human resources for the society, from the generation of lecturers, staffs, and students, the University always strives to promote tolerance and kindness, a sense of personal responsibility, humanity towards the surrounding living environment, and a sense of responsibility for community cohesion, building a harmonious - civilized and sustainable society.

Reviewing the outstanding community service work activities of Ho Chi Minh City Open University

In 2019

In March 2019, HCMCOU’s delegation organized the launch of the 130th Green Sunday with many meaningful activities such as cleaning the Long Binh Tan campus, cleaning the premises of the learning facilities, contributing to build a beautiful, healthy, and responsible lifestyle for the surrounding environment.

Starting in 2019, the work of environmental protection and community service at HCMCOU was shown more clearly when the OU Green Plus Club was officially established, an environmental club. with the mission of building consciousness - connecting the community - spreading strength". On July 8, 2019, OU Green Plus launched with an environmental team, joining in the spirit of volunteering and contributing to the Green Summer campaign, aiming to raise people’s awareness of environmental protection.

The cross-cutting activities are: Designing and implementing the used battery storage boxes for classrooms of the University's learning facilities and mobilizing students to participate in collecting the used batteries in classrooms, electronic waste at home then transferring them to the treatment division. Limiting the use of plastic bottles, plastic cups, and single-use plastic products.

Year 2020

Following the success of 2019, environmental protection and community service work activities at HCMCOU are still spreading and carrying many different values. Prominent is the coordinated activities between internal and external units joining hands for the goal of community building and sustainable development.

On March 8, 2020, the Faculty of Law of HCMCOU in collaboration with the Youth Union of Ward 10, Go Vap District, organized Green Sunday activities to propagate the prevention of acute respiratory infections caused by corona virus in the community.

In October 2020, HCMCOU’s delegation coordinated with the Law Propaganda Club to organize the Green OU contest, attracting the participation of more than 1200 students.

The project of living green with movies was organized by the HCMCOU’s delegation in the first 2 weeks of March with the desire to convey the message "Green living" to Union members and students about the sense of environment resource protection.

Year 2020 is also the first year that OU Green Plus Club carries out a series of activities in response to World Environment Day and Action Month for the Environment, with organizing and coordinating activities: Launching OU Thanks Day to help students show their gratitude to the janitors and security guards at the school by actively participating in helping the janitors clean up the classroom and campus; The program on Planting trees to create forests – Developing green areas was participated by civil servants and students of HCMCOU to plant 150 trees in Can Gio; The bicycle Roadshow program in District 3 aims to convey the message of reducing air pollution, right awareness and actions to students and surrounding people; Garbage collection activities to protect the marine environment in the coastal area of ​​Can Gio, with the participation of HCMCOU’s teachers and students, contributing to raise the students' awareness and responsibility in limiting use of plastic items, nylon bags and throwing garbage into the environment...

Simultaneously, contests bearing messages for nature and the environment within the framework of World Environment Day: Contest "Creative ideas of learners to act for nature and environment", contest "Awards Measures to protect clean water sources", the contest "Drawing posters for the environment" and the contest "Collecting images of the Party, State and people working together for the environment" have received many positive responses. from HCMCOU students in particular and the student community in general.

Marking the last station of Year 2020 is the activity of Renovating the old wall in combination with environmental protection propaganda at 7a/5/34 Thanh Thai P14, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City by OU Green Plus Club in collaboration with the Women's Union of Ward 14, District 10 and the Built Environment Association.

Some pictures of the activity:

Garbage collection activities to protect the marine environment of civil servants and students of HCMC Open University

Planting trees to cause forests – Developing green areas in Dan Xay eco-tourism area, Can Gio

Year 2021

At the beginning of the environmental protection story in 2021, the Green team of HCMCOU participated in cleaning trash on the beach and forest edges during the Spring Volunteer campaign in Binh Chau commune, Xuyen Moc district, Ba Ria province. - Vung Tau. In addition to the act of returning beauty to nature, young volunteers have left beautiful images in the hearts of local people.

The imprint of OU volunteers remains in the hearts of the people of Saigon, where the wall from the corner of the wall of the International Works intersects with Pham Ngoc Thach Street, marking the success of the collaboration with the HCMC University of Fine Arts and officials of the District 3 Youth Union Association, carrying out the activities to renovate the old walls, combining with environmental protection propaganda, and serving the community in 2021.

On March 21, 2021, OU Green Plus Club and 15 Volunteers had the opportunity to participate in the campaign "Let's clean the sea" in Can Gio, and at the same time They had the opportunity to visit the sprouts previously planted at the site at  Dan Xay eco-tourism area, Can Gio district, 2019. On the same day, the Faculty of Law of HCMCOU coordinated with the Youth Union of Ward 16, Go Vap District to carry out the youth project "The journey of a tire".

In 2021, it is also the way that OU Green Plus Club will carry out a series of activities in response to World Environment Day and the second month of action for the environment in the general situation that the whole country is facing the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic. The activities are converted to online form by the school, both to ensure a training environment, to community engagement for students, not only to ensure the health but also safety of the community and learners.

Possible activities are: Launching the OU Thanks activity, encouraging students to actively clean up their personal trash after each class; Organizing an online exhibition of works sponsored by NSNA Hoang Thach Van in order to raise awareness and responsibility of each individual about the preservation of environmental sanitation, protection of natural beauty, culture and people; Organizing an online Talk show named SWITCH "Sow a consciousness - Get a future" on an online platform via ZOOM and broadcast live via Facebook is part of a series of activities to share current human and environmental knowledge, improve students' awareness and format the proper behavior towards the environment.

Along with that, there are contests to encourage the students to train and practice a green lifestyle at home, such as: "Share Your Green" photo contest - 7-day green living challenge, "OU Go Green" contest. Poster design contest “Global warming is a bad warning”. Sponsored gifts for the series of activities to respond to World Environment Day and Environmental Action Month 2021 of OU Green Plus Club, HCMCOU, Saigon Co-op Logistics Company Limited (SC) Logistics.

HCMCOU’s students participate in the prevention of Covid-19

As Uncle Ho's precious advice: " The Youth must be the backbone of the country"; "must not be afraid of suffering, not afraid of difficulties, to perform where young people are needed, where it is difficult we have young people". Youth of HCMCOU is proud to be a meaningful piece in the community picture. In the past 3 years, HCMCOU has successfully completed the propaganda, community service and environmental protection activities with enthusiasm, sincere and practical volunteering.

HCMCOU continues to serve the community's interests in training, research and other school activities with the cross-cutting mission of propagating and spreading responsibility to people and society, learners at school.