JOURNEY
Learning Actively through Knowledge-based Appreciation for Youth
LAKBAY means "journey" in Filipino.
LAKBAY provides immersive, community-oriented, and cross-cultural learning experiences for students from Taiwan and the Philippines. Through fieldwork, cultural interaction, sustainability workshops, and visits to international organizations, LAKBAY cultivates young people with a global perspective, enabling them to understand the importance of community needs, local resilience, and international cooperation.
Our breeding goals
Through several days of immersive learning and thematic exchange forums, LAKBAY enhanced the following aspects:
1. International Perspective
Visit international organizations such as ADB, IRRI, ACB, SEARCA, and UPRI to help students understand global development issues and sustainability architecture.
2. Community Participation
Visit wood carving villages, hand embroidery communities, churches, and community development foundations to gain a deeper understanding of the true face of Philippine society, culture, and environment.
3. Cultural exchange
The activities include: interviewing rickshaw drivers, participating in local festivals (such as Paligong Poon), and sharing traditional Taiwanese and Philippine games, songs, and performances with local residents.
4. Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Learning
Through workshops such as PAGTANAW 2050 and Sustainable Shared Growth Seminar, students are exposed to environmental practices related to biodiversity, sustainable farming, and community foundations.
5. Leadership and Talent Development
Through training in reflection, cross-cultural communication, and collaborative problem-solving, students develop the essential skills needed to become future community and youth leaders.
2025 Project LAKBAY Philippines Winter Camp
2025.02.04-2025.02.14
The 2025 LAKBAY Winter Camp will combine students from Taiwan and the Philippines for an 11-day immersive cross-cultural exchange. The curriculum focuses on sustainable development, community learning, and international perspectives, using site visits, group discussions, scenario-based learning, and field observation to help students gain a more concrete understanding of the local community context and cultural landscape.
Throughout the diverse program, students interacted with local residents, youth organizations, and international institutions, deepening cross-cultural understanding in real-world settings and accumulating skills for future cross-border cooperation through shared reflection and dialogue. The program not only strengthened youth exchanges between Taiwan and the Philippines but also laid a foundation for continued cooperation between the two countries.
2024 iUSR Lakbay Kaohsiung International Forum
2024.09.26
The 2024 iUSR Lakbay Kaohsiung International Forum, co-hosted by Kaohsiung Medical University and the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), aims to deepen cooperation between Taiwan and the Philippines and promote collaboration between educators and community leaders from both countries to drive social development and achieve global education goals. The forum not only promotes the development of International University Social Responsibility (IUSR) but also provides a platform for scholars, professionals, and community members to share experiences, jointly explore solutions to problems, and cultivate resilient human capital to meet challenges.
2024 Project LAKBAY Philippines Winter Camp
2024.09.26
Through a nine-day intensive program, medical students from Kaohsiung University gained in-depth learning on issues of international education and sustainable development. The program included visits to ADB, IRRI, ACB, SEARCA, UPRI, and local communities, covering topics such as food security, biodiversity, community development, environmental governance, and intercultural communication.
Participants gained an understanding of local Philippine culture and social realities through "community-oriented learning," "cultural exchange activities," "sustainable agriculture workshops," and "field research." Finally, through presentations and sharing of findings, students enhanced their reflective abilities and international perspectives. This program fulfills Kaohsiung Medical University's goals of promoting iUSR and community sustainable development, deepening the collaborative connections between Taiwanese and Filipino youth.
Voices of Growth and Achievement
Student feedback
Through LAKBAY, I had my first in-depth experience engaging with Filipino communities. My visits to IRRI, ACB, ADB, and the San Antonio community offered a unique international perspective, different from textbooks. Hearing residents' genuine concerns about their hardships and experiencing the labor of trolley pushing gave me a deeper understanding of the helplessness and resilience under structural problems. The journey also significantly improved my English skills and cross-cultural confidence, becoming a crucial milestone in my growth.
Jiang, Taiwan
Department of Physical Therapy, KMU
I initially participated with the mindset of "practicing my English and seeing the world," but the ten-day trip yielded a far deeper learning experience than I expected. From sustainable farming and the operation of international organizations to contextualized thinking about community issues, it broadened my understanding of public health and social issues. The community visit to San Antonio was particularly impactful and reminded me of the humility and sensitivity I need when I dedicate myself to healthcare in the future. Ultimately, I also overcame my language barrier and was able to communicate freely with Filipino students.
Zhang Lin, a student from Taiwan Medical School, KMU
From initial nervousness and anxiety to gradually adapting to the all-English environment and immersing myself in fieldwork and community visits, LAKBAY allowed me to witness the inadequacy of healthcare resources in the Philippines, community challenges, and the role of international organizations in sustainability issues. Interviews in the San Antonio community further prompted me to reflect on the importance of inequality and social support. Towards the end of the trip, I began to communicate more confidently in English and gradually built cross-cultural self-confidence. This experience has become a rare and profound learning journey in my student life.
Xue, Department of Pharmacy, Taiwan, KMU
Support the LAKBAY project
Your support will help to continuously advance LAKBAY's educational and cultural exchange programs, providing students and cross-border learners with opportunities for language enhancement, professional training, community visits, and cross-cultural interaction. Through donations or volunteering, you can collectively promote youth learning and growth in a cross-cultural environment and support long-term connections between Taiwan and the Philippines in education, sustainability, and international cooperation. We invite you to join us in nurturing future talent with a global perspective and social responsibility.