Xiamen, China--Aramco Asia, China Daily and Xiamen University recently launched a joint corporate social responsibility (CSR) program to support students of Xiamen University who are interested in clean energy, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development, as well as ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The partnership came under the context of the Aramco Asia’s continuous endeavor to enhance energy innovation, sustainability and community engagement. It was the third consecutive year that the company offered financial support in the form of donations to benefit students.
Being a global energy enterprise, CSR is at the top of Aramco Asia’s priority list. The company constantly pushes itself to be among the frontrunners in CSR activities. Since the establishment of the Asian headquarters in 2012, Aramco Asia has started CSR efforts to promote sustainable social, knowledge and environmental development in areas where it has a presence, and has made remarkable achievements.
Speaking at the program commencement in Xiamen University on June 15, Mahir M. Showdari, Aramco Asia Chemicals director and Xiamen branch manager, noted, “Under this agreement, we will offer our professional and technical support to the students at Xiamen University, enhancing their innovative experience and academic aspiration in terms of energy and environmental protection. We will collaborate to transform ideas into sustainable solutions and provide long-term value for the local community. I do hope the program will enable students to combine ingenuity with practicality.”
Saudi Aramco believes innovation connects people, ideas and energy to realize the full potential of our resources, amplifying their benefits to power opportunities. More importantly, the knowledge-based innovation was also defined as one of the key elements by Saudi Vision 2030, which is complementary to China’s “Belt and Road” initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping in advancing regional cooperation.
“I want to thank everyone involved in the planning and implementation of this program,” said Deng Jingyang, deputy director of the Modern Education and Training Center, Xiamen University. “I think this event provides a unique opportunity for students of Xiamen University to show their talents. It will fire students’ interests in the development of new energy and environmental protection, with innovation playing a key role. My appreciation also goes to Aramco Asia, who lent us great support.”
Over the years, Aramco Asia has focused its strategy on leveraging its core capacities to amplify the benefits and opportunities it created. This not only reflected the dedication and commitment to local communities, but also helped to address environmental and sustainability challenges.
The program represents the latest effort under the framework of Aramco Asia’s CSR strategy in China. It follows the successful implementation of “Opening a Window to the World for Needy Ethnic Minority Children,” a youth program that brought 30 children from needy families in Yunnan Province to Beijing in 2015, and “A Journey of Art” that benefited 40 art loving kids of ethnic minorities from less fortunate families in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region earlier this year.
Photo caption: Mahir M. Showdari, Aramco Asia Chemicals director and Xiamen branch manager, received a certificate from Xiamen University after the program commencement ceremony on June 15, 2017.