【Office of Social Sciences News】

The NCCU USR “Prosperous Xinglong, Thriving Wenshan” Project (hereafter referred to as the USR Wenshan Project), launched in 2018, will enter its fifth year. Anchored in the Ankeng Community near the university, the project aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 1: No Poverty, Goal 4: Quality Education, and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. It continues to focus on resolving local social challenges. Each year, the project team hosts a major year-end event, such as the 2018 “Year-End Documentary Screening & Tea Gathering,” the 2019 “International Conference on Social Practice,” and the 2020 “A Dialogue Between Theory and Reality—Poverty Issues Forum x Ankeng Community Walkthrough.” These events reflect each year’s core themes and outcomes, aiming to enhance visibility and share achievements with other USR teams and the public.

This year’s event, titled “May You Always Be Ankeng,” was held as a special exhibition from November 15 to 25 in the NCCU Main Library lobby. The exhibition introduced the Ankeng community and the project’s initiatives. An opening ceremony was held on the afternoon of November 15, with invited guests including university leaders, faculty, external partners, and other USR teams. President Kuo Ming-Cheng emphasized NCCU’s commitment to social responsibility, proposed establishing a university press to publish textbooks that instill civic responsibility, and expressed the hope of integrating NCCU’s USR efforts with the Austronesian Studies project to expand internationally, particularly to Southeast Asia.

Dr. Su Yu-Long, former President of National Chi Nan University and current Chief Executive of the National USR Center, praised NCCU’s global vision and the USR Wenshan Project’s achievements. He encouraged the team to strengthen local industry engagement and strive to elevate the project to an internationally linked category in the next phase of USR proposals. In addition to President Kuo and Dr. Su, Vice President and Project Director Wang Wen-Chieh, Vice President Chu Mei-Li, R&D Director Ni Ming-Hsiang, and Dean Huang Chih-Hung of NTUT College of Design also joined in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

During the follow-up tea reception, Dr. Su expressed his appreciation for seeing local government officials, school representatives, and project partners attend the ceremony. Their presence demonstrated the USR Wenshan Project’s successful community engagement. He added that incorporating local industry collaboration and revitalization efforts could further enrich the project’s framework.

The exhibition “May You Always Be Ankeng: Annual Showcase of the NCCU USR Wenshan Project” attracted many visitors from the university, as well as community partners who came to campus to receive this heartfelt year-end blessing during the winter season.

Following the exhibition, the USR Wenshan Project will host its final event of the year—the Glow Film Festival—from December 6 to 12. The festival will feature 13 documentaries from 9 universities. Two “Light Up the Community” screening sessions will take place at the College of Communication Theater, with directors present to discuss their creative approaches and experiences. The festival will conclude with a screening of nominated works and an awards ceremony. For more information, visit the festival’s Facebook page, call the project office at (02) 2939-3091 ext. 69203, or email project assistant Yen-Ning Chang at yenning@g.nccu.edu.tw.

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Original Source: NCCU Campus News