Taiwan Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao visited National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) on May 12 (2026) for this year\u2019s \u201cCelebrity Lecture Series\u201d hosted by the NPUST Student Association. Delivering a keynote titled \u201cNavigators of the Future: Youth Public Participation from a Combat Cat\u2019s Perspective,\u201d she discussed the vital role of youth in public affairs and the government\u2019s commitment to listening to young voices. She encouraged students to face the future with confidence, embrace the \u201cCombat Cat spirit\u201d, and remain dedicated to the goal of \u201cmaking Taiwan better.\u201d The Vice President also highly commended NPUST for its excellence in practical R&D and talent cultivation. NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang stated that the event provided a rare opportunity for students to gain insight from a national leader\u2019s perspective while showcasing the university\u2019s industry-academic research energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO PUBLIC AFFAIRS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n During her lecture, Vice President Hsiao divided her insights into four core themes: \u201cDiverse Participation in Public Affairs,\u201d \u201cthe Philosophy behind Combat Cat Diplomacy,\u201d \u201cLocal Industry Transformation Cases,\u201d and \u201cPersonal Intentions and Learning in Politics.\u201d She emphasized that public participation is broad and does not strictly require running for office. Those hesitant about elections can still contribute to policy-making as staff members, researchers, or technical bureaucrats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sharing her famous \u201cCombat Cat\u201d philosophy, she explained how the traits of a cat\u2014flexibility, creativity, confidence, and keeping claws sharp (building strength and leverage)\u2014apply to Taiwan\u2019s difficult diplomatic situation. She noted that Taiwan demonstrates resilience through creative diplomacy, such as the \u201cPeace Cocktail\u201d approach, and leverages its critical position in the global chip supply chain to secure international support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using a local example, she cited the transformation of Pingtung\u2019s betel nut industry into cocoa (chocolate) production. She encouraged youth to turn their studies into action, noting that a successful policy requires a cross-disciplinary ecosystem of agricultural experts, fermentation scholars, brand designers, and marketing professionals\u2014all of whom are cultivated at NPUST.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DIALOGUE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In a Q&A session moderated by Student Association President Kuang-Chieh Lan, the Vice President reflected on her journey from serving in Hualien and the Legislative Yuan to becoming the Representative to the U.S. and eventually Vice President. When asked if she was \u201chappy\u201d on this journey, she humorously replied, \u201cIf you are happy, I am happy.\u201d She explained that this was no joke; her goal is to ensure the next generation never loses hope in the country. She urged students to be lifelong learners and not to be limited by their majors, as a commitment to Taiwan\u2019s progress will allow them to adapt to any role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n EXPERIENCING NPUST\u2019S TECHNOLOGICAL ACHIEVEMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the lecture, accompanied by university president Chin-Lung Chang, and faculty members, the Vice President took a ride in an autonomous experimental vehicle developed by students under the guidance of Assistant Professor Pin-Yung Chen from the Department of Vehicle Engineering. The ride was an opportunity for NPUST to highlight the leadership role it is taking in autonomous vehicle verification and technical development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tour continued to the Green Energy Bio-Factory, where Assistant Professor Hsing-Ying Chung of the Department of Plant Industry showcased the university\u2019s achievements in agricultural technology. The Vice President even was given a firsthand rose harvesting experience. Finally, she visited the NPUST Consumers\u2019 Cooperative to see the full \u201cfarm-to-table\u201d process\u2014from R&D and production to final sales. There, she joined students in tasting internship-produced treats, including milk br\u00fbl\u00e9e, Job\u2019s tears milk, and the famous soy sauce ice cream, witnessing the deep integration between NPUST\u2019s technological prowess and local industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":9705,"template":"","genre":[],"colleges":[82],"visions":[32],"sdgs":[14,18,19,21,22,27,28],"class_list":["post-9704","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","colleges-office-of-secretariat","visions-blue-economy","sdgs-quality-education","sdgs-decent-work-and-economic-growth","sdgs-industry-innovation-and-infrastructure","sdgs-sustainable-cities-and-communities","sdgs-responsible-consumption-and-production","sdgs-peace-justice-and-strong-institutions","sdgs-partnerships-for-the-goals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainability.npust.edu.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/9704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainability.npust.edu.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainability.npust.edu.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sustainability.npust.edu.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/9704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainability.npust.edu.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainability.npust.edu.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"genre","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainability.npust.edu.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/genre?post=9704"},{"taxonomy":"colleges","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainability.npust.edu.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/colleges?post=9704"},{"taxonomy":"visions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainability.npust.edu.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/visions?post=9704"},{"taxonomy":"sdgs","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainability.npust.edu.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sdgs?post=9704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}