Community-Driven Corporate Social Responsibility Through Educational Outreach: A Case Study of Open University Malaysia’s Rural Engagement Projects

This study explores two Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects conducted by Open University Malaysia (OUM): “Learning is Fun†and “Jiwa Komuniti Madani.†Both initiatives target rural and indigenous communities, aiming to promote educational enrichment through engaging learning activities focused on mathematics, science, robotics and English. “Learning is Fun†focused on rural school children, encouraging curiosity and participation through games, group tasks, and charades. “Jiwa Komuniti Madani†extended the outreach to indigenous communities, working collaboratively with schoolteachers and local leaders to foster critical and creative thinking in children using context-sensitive content. Data were collected through structured feedback from students and semi-structured interviews with teachers and community leaders. Using a qualitative case study approach, the findings indicate strong positive responses, a demand for continuity, and evidence of OUM’s potential to contribute to sustainable development through educational outreach. The results highlight how CSR in an Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institution can be meaningfully aligned with broader educational and social goals. The paper concludes with reflections on sustainability, institutional visibility, and strategies to embed CSR within OUM’s long-term planning.