The 2023 USR joint training special interest group was held on September 12 (Tuesday) under the theme of “USR Education Design: Who needs to act?”. The event was co-organized by the Ministry of Education Center for University Social Responsibility and the Interdisciplinary Features Development Center, NPUST. Taking place at the International Conference Hall on the 4th floor of the NPUST Library and Exhibition Hall, the event also allowed for wider participation through a live Youtube broadcast. A total of 304 people participated physically or online, and the response was enthusiastic.
A number of speakers were invited to share on USR course design, including Professor Jui-mao Huang of Tamkang University and Professor Ying-Mei Liou of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (attending online), Chairwoman Wei Ying Lan of the Education Support for Taiwan Foundation, and Assistant Professor Li-Ya Chang of National Chi Nan University. The presentations were followed by a comprehensive discussion hosted by Chairwoman Wei Ying Lan, and co-moderated by the above-mentioned speakers. Jwu-Ting Chen of the Center for University Social Responsibility and Professor Hsu-Yang Kung of NPUST also added to the discussion on USR curriculum design and implementation. In addition to PAR/PBL model USR classes, time was spent exploring looked at other potential approaches.
NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang said: “National Pingtung University of Science and Technology will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. We are encouraging the school to move towards sustainability, and are also working with local actors in the Pingtung area, and helping teachers, students and local partners to take action together. We hope that in this ever-changing environment, we have the resilience to quickly adjust and the ability to adapt to new trends so that we can educate talent that is aligned with the needs of the times. Therefore, in its approach towards education, NPUST is promoting cross-domain learning and practical experience. On the industry end, it is also working to enhance industry-university connections and joint talent cultivation. Finally, with respect to local activity, it is promoting cooperation with schools and communities on the ground level, and encouraging teachers and students to participate in and practice social responsibility”.
Center for University Social Responsibility Project Director, Yuhlong Oliver Su, said “the biggest feature of USR education is “learning by doing” through community involvement. It is about connecting teaching with real situations to help students develop knowledge and skills through an integrated learning process. At the same time, we must also think about the USR project’s “sustainable development” element. Each of the USR projects has an end point. So the way to help the results of USR continue to spread, is to transform the practical experience into courses, and use good curriculum design to allow USR literacy to take root in the hearts of university teachers and students, and to shape school culture and daily life.”
NPUST is committed to applying its expertise in science, technology, agriculture, and ecological industries in order to help solve various local problems. It is not only working to cultivate national talent, but also to enhance the way in which universities care for and provide services to local communities. These are also two important axes of development in the academic affairs at NPUST. For example, the “USR Satoyama Economy” team led by Professor Meihui Chen of the Department of Forestry began assisting Wutai Township with the development of the under-forest economic activities after a major typhoon devastated the village. The projects they initiated helped the tribes people to continue to pass on their culture and create vitality for their native communities. The activities were also designed to apply concepts of sustainability, and help protect mountain and forest areas. Another example is the “185 Tropical Organic Mountain Corridor USR Project”, of which NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang and Professor Hsu-Yang Kung participated in. The project, which aims to create eco-friendly industrial economic development, brings together the College of Agriculture, College of Management, and the Professional College, and uses the energy of alumni and agricultural research institutions to jointly promote the digital transformation of local tropical agriculture. At the same time, social practices are being integrated into the related course design so that as the students are engaged in cross-domain learning, they can also learn to care for the local community.
Although the “USR Education Design: Who needs to act?” SIG event was only half a day long, hopes are that it’s impact will be significant and that in the future teachers will be better equipped unite learning and social practices. The process of service helps students develop independent thinking and problem-solving abilities, and allows them to cultivate positive connections with the local community and fulfill the university’s social responsibility. This year, the Center for University Social Responsibility took a special inventory of 251 third phase USR projects. In total, 171 of the projects offered related courses, such as interdisciplinary, PBL, and capstone courses. In reality, there are still many challenges to be overcome when it comes to curriculum design. This SIG event was organized to help address the challenges. To help with this effort, an invitation was extended to NPUST to jointly explore the feasibility of integrating “participatory action research” or PBL into social practices and curriculum design. Hopes are that by practicing USR, university teachers can begin to connect teaching with social participation, and allow the learning process to become more pragmatic and innovative.
