The event “Encounter Taipei’s Animal Stars,” co-hosted by the USR Office and the College of Foreign Languages, took place on Saturday morning, September 21. All 60 spots were filled within a day. Despite the rain, 37 participants, including the dean and associate dean, attended and found the experience rewarding.

At the NCCU “International Conference on USR and Sustainable Development,” former Minister of Education SE-HWA WU proposed “Humanistic Innovation 3.0,” urging universities to lead regional innovation and bridge academics with social practice through transformative, entrepreneurial education.

On November 16, Teruki Tsunemoto, Chairperson of the Foundation for Ainu Culture, gave a keynote at NCCU’s USR International Conference, sharing insights on UPOPOY and university–Ainu collaboration.

During COP28 in Dubai, National Chengchi University hosted the “USR × Sustainable Development International Conference,” bringing together experts from Taiwan, the U.S., Japan, and Thailand to explore sustainability through social engagement and humanistic innovation.

At the start of the semester, NCCU’s USR Office joined the Freshmen Focus Workshop to introduce its mission and inspire students to explore self-directed learning and social responsibility beyond academics.

NCCU’s USR project has long offered general education courses on local revitalization, helping students from all disciplines explore foundational concepts in revitalization and spatial planning.

Since 2019, NCCU has introduced a range of interdisciplinary general education courses on local revitalization, encouraging students to explore community development through both theory and practice.

Held on December 17, 2022, the forum Exploring Diverse Approaches to Local Revitalization gathered rural development practitioners to share creative and practical strategies, with the afternoon session highlighting varied paths of action and implementation.

Held on 17 December 2022, the forum Exploring Diverse Approaches to Local Revitalization—co-hosted by NCCU’s USR Office and the Agricultural Technology Research Institute—brought together practitioners from across Taiwan; its morning session, led by NTU sociologist Prof. Dung- Sheng Chen, showcased case studies on how to enter and observe local communities.

Supported by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, NCCU’s “Urban-Adjacent Satoyama” course introduces students to local revitalization through seven field trips—visiting Gongliao, Pinglin, Jianshi, Shiding, and more—to study real-world spatial issues with community partners.

Supported by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, NCCU’s “Urban-Adjacent Satoyama” course brought in five experts—from revitalization projects, public history, and spatial planning—to give students hands-on insights and analytical tools for tackling local issues.

At NCCU’s “Five Years of USR: Review and Outlook” forum, President Li Tsai-Yen affirmed that the university’s mission is to turn academic expertise and talent cultivation into concrete benefits for students, local communities, and society at large.