【Report by Mei Wang, Office of University Social Responsibility】
The presentation slides and video recording of this lecture are publicly available with the consent of former Minister of Education SE-HWA WU Presentation Slides｜Video Recording
Former Minister of Education and NCCU President SE-HWA WU, who is often described as resembling Rodin's famous sculpture "The Thinker"—constantly reflecting, contemplating, and practicing—delivered a keynote speech at the "USR International Conference on Sustainable Development" held at NCCU on November 15. He addressed the challenges and transformation of modern university education, proposing the "Implementation of Humanities Innovation 3.0 in Higher Education." He emphasized that while Taiwan strives to become a technological powerhouse, it must also construct Humanities Innovation 3.0 and develop university-centered regional innovation systems that move academic research toward social practice. WU expressed high expectations for higher education workers as “entrepreneurial change-makers.”
What is Humanities Innovation 3.0? Simply put, it is a people-oriented thinking model that focuses on "people" and uses practical value as its core, returning to local concern. Unlike traditional business models, initiators of Innovation 3.0 often lack the vast resources of corporations. Instead, individuals or groups with shared ideals create platforms that bring in external resources, allowing the ecosystem to operate successfully and sustain long-term development.
Traditional Innovation 1.0 and 2.0 following the Industrial Revolution centered on maximizing corporate benefits through market monopolization and focused on technological patent development to ensure organizational growth. Especially after the Third Industrial Revolution, the global spread of economic and technological development forced humanity to deepen its relationship with technology. Yet as economic progress peaked and smart technology began to challenge humanity, we started to ask: “Has technology really brought higher well-being? If humans can be replaced by AI, what is the point of being alive?”
WU pointed out that since the 1980s, the knowledge economy has become mainstream, and industrial innovation has been globalized with professional division of labor. Large enterprises now develop their own R&D—such as Amazon, Huawei, and TSMC—without relying on universities for basic science. However, due to imitation and competition, universities have become increasingly homogeneous, trying to provide both liberal arts and professional education. While everyone works hard, the capacity has become overloaded. With over 28,000 universities worldwide, the volume of research papers has grown, but their relevance to local development has declined. In other words, universities must redefine their roles in the global innovation value chain, and it is becoming more difficult.
At the NCCU USR International Conference, participants engaged in active discussion on the roles and functions of universities. Most innovators face the challenge of rigid university structures. WU suggested starting with small experimental projects. Higher education should go beyond the 48 hours of classroom instruction per semester. It must participate in social practice, changing how knowledge is transmitted and what students learn. The teacher-student relationship should not just be about teaching and learning but about jointly seeking solutions and translating them into knowledge accessible to the public.
WU noted that new technologies are now in surplus, and new values must be reorganized. At this moment, economic efficiency is secondary; sustainability, inclusiveness, and safety are primary. From a broader perspective, Taiwan faces changes such as low birth rates, aging populations, and evolving family structures. Generation Z is no longer drawn to working in large enterprises. Universities must redefine their roles and adopt new educational mindsets—shifting from “knowledge-based” to “life-based” approaches, emphasizing interdisciplinary learning that nurtures future capabilities, imagination, design thinking (ecosystem governance), and storytelling (issue advocacy). Students must learn how to ground themselves and be willing to create their futures. “Only with a strong imagination of the future can we imagine how to change it.”
Humanities Innovation 3.0 does not seek to overturn the past. Instead, it builds upon previous innovations and uses digital technology as a foundation to return to social concern by starting from our surroundings in the most natural way. In his work, WU proposes a theoretical model for Humanities Innovation 3.0: H-EHA—Humanities, Ecosystem, Hub, Asterism—which he identifies as the essential elements for a successful platform.
Knowledge and practice are equally important. "Humanistic concern" is the soul of Humanities Innovation 3.0. It must convey meaningful stories with clear legitimacy. For example, Taiwan’s recent local revitalization movements have generated compelling narratives that inspire the right people to join these platform alliances. University research should not be limited to knowledge exploration and paper publication but should focus on humanities innovation that engages social development. WU encourages professors to conduct interdisciplinary research based on real-world phenomena, with community improvement as the benchmark, and to propose integrated solutions. Universities should position themselves as regional innovation hubs that consolidate resources.
WU further reflected: If we imagine the next ten years, what is higher education innovation for? Future higher education must embrace disruptive innovation that starts from the margins with greater freedom. The ultimate goal of innovation is to enhance well-being. We do not need to expand endlessly or reach far-off audiences; we can begin with our own communities and neighbors. University Social Responsibility (USR) should not reduce students to cheap labor or class assignments. Instead, KPIs for industry-academic collaboration must evolve—from 1.0 academic breakthroughs to 2.0 community care, and now to 3.0 hands-on project-based practice. Students should be encouraged to face global issues boldly. By solving global problems, they will gain a better understanding of the world and become true global citizens.
