Social Engagement in Bayer Taiwan

For Bayer, social responsibility is an integral part of its strategy to develop sustainably. Bayer has always identified itself as a member of society and understood that upholding its promises as a corporate citizen means creating an advantageous commercial environment in the future. Bayer is concerned with issues with a global or social impact in countries where it has business operations, and its promises made to these societies are evident in the projects it has initiated around the world, of which some have been planned or sponsored by Bayer for many years. The projects focus on four areas, Science Education at Hospitals, Plant Education and Our Volunteering Work.
Bayer’s pursuit of a sustainable development is based on the principle of responsible care. Being one of the founding members of the Taiwan Responsible Care Association, Bayer Taiwan has proactively introduced an international responsible care system into Taiwan, upholding promises made towards its employees, the safety of Taiwan’s society, citizens’ health, and the environment.
In December 2006, Bayer Taiwan received the Excellent Healthy Workplace Award from the Department of Health, Taipei City Government. For three consecutive years, Bayer worked with and sponsored environmental protection groups and encouraged employees to participate in eco working holidays, earning the Special Award for Community Service. In terms of corporate social responsibility, Receiveing recognition among Taiwan’s core media and demonstrated the fruitful results of its efforts in Taiwan, earning the Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility Award from Common Wealth Magazine and the Corporate Social Responsibility Award from Global Views.
Bayer has been putting effort into the field of science education in Taiwan since 1999. It has sponsored the “Bayer Science Classroom,” which incorporates the European system at two schools in Taipei as well as regularly held science seminars, in the hope of cultivating safety and environmental protection awareness in schoolchildren at a young age through education. On top of that, in order to help young students in Taiwan to gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s eco-system and the importance of sustainability and environmental preservation, Bayer has held the Bayer Science Competition titled “Making Science Make Sense” and a series of science education events on an annual basis since 2007.

In August 2009, Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan heavily, especially devastating Southern Taiwan. Many schools had to find make-shift classrooms. Bayer Taiwan initiated the activity “Bayer Taiwan Education Team Reaching Out” to assist those schools through the science education project. By doing experiments in a safe manner on objects commonly used in daily life, expressing the idea that life was actually a science, and thus were motivated to search for truths through experiments. The activity even extended to the initiation of Bayer’s science education volunteering project, which provides assistance to elementary schools in remote areas and outlying islands.

The science activities have gradually focused in on themes more relevant to Taiwanese culture. To encourage young students to be innovative and creative, starting from 2010, science competitions such as “Bayer’s Little Science Mayor” and “Bayer’s Sustainable Creative Champion” have been held. In 2014, which also marked the 25-year anniversary of Bayer’s business in Taiwan, a 15-year anniversary science fair was held. Combining an exhibition displaying the science history of Bayer in the past 150 years and the themes of Bayer Taiwan’s science competitions, children were welcomed to enjoy and explore the topic. With recognition and support from schools and parents, Bayer’s science education in Taiwan has become even more meaningful.

Apart from the above-mentioned achievements, Bayer has also, with the image of a life science corporation and its core functions in mind, designed corporate social responsibility activities that are tailored to the business units, such as science education for sick children at hospitals, crop protection education and health education for older people, fulfilling the obligations of a leading company in corporate social responsibility.

Connecting patients and an NGO,Bayer Taiwan invites Hemophiliacs from Taichung Veterans General Hospital to bake cookies alongside the mentally changed.

Science Education at Hospitals

Bayer has been cultivating the field of science education since 1999, introducting science education in remote areas’ and outlying islands’ schools and hospitals, bringing interesting science activities to sick kids in children’s wards. Since 2014, Bayer Taiwan’s science education team has officially been visiting children’s hospitals and wards in Taiwan, proving that Bayer’s science education in hospitals has created the new CSR pattern of integrating corporate core competencies into social outreach.

Plant Education

Food shortage is a global issue requiring the attention of corporations for the benefit of the generation to come. Throughout Bayer, the issue of food shortage is now the main corporate focus. It is hoped that through technology R&D, more environmentally friendly agricultural solutions will be found. Bayer Taiwan sees crop education as the main theme, focusing specifically on providing education to elementary school students. With this in mind, the customized event “Bayer Little Farmers” was created. Through thematic introductions to the pest management of crops, and with the help of an educational brochure on crops, the children were able to expand their knowledge in of agriculture. And farmers were taught by plant doctors how to give their plants medicines properly so that they can grow healthily. In 2014 paddy was the theme and in 2015 peanuts; Bayer Taiwan hopes to continue to educate children in Taiwan through introducing them to cash crops/fruits.

Shadow play helps children overcome their fear of MRI

Our Volunteering Work

During Bayer’s outreach activities, it was found “urban-rural gap” in remote areas. Due to the lack of resources at home and school many children did not have the opportunity to visit science education centers and science museums, and understanding or discovering science seemed far-reaching to them.

Therefore, Bayer’s employees started volunteering teams in 2009. Designing activities that incorporated their own professional skills and went to visit elementary schools in remote areas. The next year, Bayer invited science education consultants to instruct and give the employees comprehensive science education training, making them professional science teachers. The teams engaged the children in activities that required them to actually make science by themselves, to cultivate their interest in the subject. The employees also created the “Eccentric Science Doctor” opening show, sparking the students curiosity for science through magic performance. Apart from making efforts in science education, Bayer has also incorporated its other core competencies in creating health education programs for older people. Bayer’s team has visited remote areas to give health education to elder, and introduced the correct methods of using medication through the health education. In 2014, Bayer also worked in the direction of crop science education.

It is Bayer’s wish that resources be evenly distributed in remote areas. Therefore, Bayer researches and chooses those schools that have not received any corporate resources in the past three years. The science education model has been developed for those on the outlying islands. As Hsinchu, Miaoli, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Taitung, Yilan, Matsu, and Penghu to lead science education activities in 2014.

Bayer is the first corporation in the field of medicine, crop science and animal health to put efforts into education. It’s hoped that through these efforts, the new concept of “Science for a Better Life” will be delivered and realized to create a better life for everyone. And now , Colleagues are encouraged to share volunteering information and articles through Bayer’s internal volunteering information platform established in 2016.