Responsible blogger
By Li Weitao (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-08-28 16:00 In July, Sully visited China to review HP's community projects in Beijing
and Shanghai. She then went to HP's US Headquarters for meetings to share
information about the impact of its worldwide programmes and initiatives as well
as provide feedback.
"It is perhaps easy to assume that the outcomes of
these discussions and strategy meetings occur easily," she wrote. "Instead, it
is a rather complex and complicated process to work through."
"In the
case of social investment programmes there are so many intangibles to consider,"
she wrote. "The approach is to establish a global framework and then develop
programs that are relevant locally."
Sully's discussions in China were
encouraging to her. In Beijing, she reviewed the Pathways to Higher Education
(PHE), an initiative launched by HP, Ford Foundation and Fuping Development
Institute.
The PHE initiative, contributing technology infrastructure to
10 universities in Western China, provides poor students with a variety of
programs ranging from computer literacy to life skills.
"Lively, candid
and informative dialogues" with 40 students aided by PHE "presented a different
perspective for both groups about the value of technology skills development and
how corporations can genuinely contribute to social development," Sully
says.
"It was a great opportunity to clarify what community investment
means and to also understand the concerns of these students," she says, "which
resulted in a better understanding of each others goals."
In Shanghai,
Sully talked to the team from Youth Business School (YBC), where HP donated a
training centre designed to assess potential micro entrepreneurs and provide
them with relevant technology skills training.
Following all the visits
and discussions, Sully found "HP's technology donation at this stage contributes
a relatively small part to the overall social benefits of these micro
entrepreneurs." She thinks there should be a more enhanced relationship between
HP and YBC.
(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
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