Special Section on Asian Research

Service-learning has been around in the United States since the 1960s. It has grown and spread around the world to many countries. This section is devoted to capturing some of the research and service-learning activities across Asia, with the hope of demonstrating the kind and caliber of work that is being done in that part of the world. Despite the fact that service-learning’s modern history began in the United States, its traditions and concepts date back centuries. Some suggest that the writings/teachings of Confucius actually capture many of the ideas and constructs embodied by service-learning theory and practice. Confucius had five ethical/moral principles that describe what human interaction and the goals of citizen development are all about. They were: