Office of Social Engagement
Since 2019, the University has established a university-level coordinating center, the Office of Social Engagement, centered on the themes of "social practice" and "local sustainability." The office oversees social engagement affairs and USR (University Social Responsibility) programs, builds cross-unit collaboration and administrative support mechanisms, and has progressively formed an institutionalized framework for advancing this work. The office is led by one Director (concurrently held by the Vice President) and one Executive Director (concurrently held by the Director of the Center for General Education), supported by dedicated administrative staff who coordinate curriculum planning and program execution for social engagement.
Internal Administrative Units
Office of Academic Affairs · Office of Student Affairs · Office of General Affairs · Office of Research and Development
Office of International Affairs · Library and Information Services Office · Center for General Education · Center for Teacher Education
Six Colleges
College of Education · College of Humanities · College of Science and Engineering
College of Environmental Ecology · College of Arts · College of Management
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Office of Social Engagement
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Local Organizations and Groups
Development History
The University's development of social practice has progressed through the "Exploration Phase," the "Foundation Phase," and the "Development Phase," gradually shaping an educational model centered on integrating social practice into coursework and translating social practice into structured courses. Beginning in 2025, the University has entered the "Advancement Phase" of the Ministry of Education's Fourth Phase USR Program (2025–2027), incorporating assessment mechanisms such as Social Return on Investment (SROI) to systematically demonstrate social impact.
USR Phase 1
Exploration Phase
Borderless University; establishing cross-disciplinary local courses across colleges
USR Phase 2
Foundation Phase
Developing faculty expertise in social-practice courses and teacher-student co-learning communities; formation of course/social-practice pedagogy
USR Phase 3
Development Phase
Developing pedagogy for remote-area education; completing course modules; establishing the College of Social Practice
USR Phase 4 (2025–2027)
Advancement Phase
Sustained commitment to supporting disadvantaged students in remote areas; integrating local regeneration resources; strengthening the operation of the College of Social Practice
Outcomes Over the Past Three Years
| Indicator |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
| Funding Invested |
NT$10,275,088 |
NT$10,491,712 |
NT$16,475,020 |
| Projects Executed |
187 projects |
281 projects |
451 projects |
| Participating Faculty |
297 |
394 |
914 |
| Participating Students |
3,365 instances |
4,328 instances |
4,732 instances |
| Partner Sites |
41 |
44 |
40 |
| Courses Incorporated |
40 |
44 |
64 |
Introduction to USR Programs
The University has promoted University Social Responsibility (USR) programs since 2017 and is now in the Advancement Phase of the Ministry of Education's Fourth Phase program (2025–2027). In 2025, the University is running three USR programs, each addressing local issues across three key dimensions: grounding education, symbiotic well-being, and cultural regeneration.
NUTN faculty and students guide Hougang Elementary School students in group brainstorming to create English texts
Teaching for Remote Areas: Building the Qigu Remote Education Support Station 4.0
Facing challenges such as a lack of distinctive character in small remote schools, teacher attrition, and limited access to education for children in skipped-generation and single-parent households, the University has, since 2017, worked through the Qigu District Principals' Joint Council to assess local needs. Centered on its expertise in teacher education, it has progressively built in-depth partnerships with ten remote schools.
In its fourth phase, the program has entered an in-depth cultivation stage, focusing on "autonomous education and curriculum sustainability in remote areas." It aims to enhance the quality of teacher trainees, highlight the distinctive character of remote schools, and translate its experience into a replicable model that can serve as a reference for national policy on remote-area education.
The Happiness Charge project team with the successfully developed assistive technology device
Happiness Charge, Wishes Fulfilled Together
Many everyday objects and toys that most people take for granted were never designed for people with disabilities. To address the long-standing gap in assistive-device fit within special-education settings, this project has, since 2018, developed the "Happiness Charge" interactive assistive devices. In its early stages, the project relied on crowdfunding to support students with special needs, and it established a foundation for cross-departmental team collaboration during USR Phase 3.
In the current phase, the project has further incorporated AI technologies (speech recognition, behavior recognition), and is committed to cultivating assistive-device developers with AI application skills, building a cross-disciplinary network for individualized assistive-device integration services, and improving the quality of life and social participation of students with disabilities.
Yintong Community elders leading visiting guests from Korea in making egg rolls
Young and Old Rock Together: Cultural Translation and Regeneration in the Chiayi–Tainan Region
As Taiwan is set to become a super-aged society in 2025, the Department of Visual Arts and Design and the Department of Business Administration have formed a cross-disciplinary team to address urban-rural development imbalances such as declining local industries and the loss of traditional culture. Based in Tainan's West Central District, the project advances intergenerational co-creation, community design, and digital cultural archiving through three core themes — "Re-flipping Education," "Re-innovating Design," and "Re-evolving Culture" — cultivating local place-making designers with skills in cultural heritage preservation, social participation, and problem-solving.
Introduction to USR Hub Local Practice Bases
The University's USR Hub practice bases are oriented toward local issues and needs. Through the development of faculty expertise and teacher-student co-learning communities, promising local issues are identified, and through cross-departmental course collaboration, the University has progressively developed interdisciplinary social-practice programs that build students' foundational academic abilities and cross-disciplinary practical skills.
In Phase 3, the USR Hub focused on Tainan and its satellite townships as primary practice sites, extending its impact nationwide. In Phase 4, in addition to encouraging each base to secure external resources, the University will further strengthen local place-making, closely align with issues of concern to stakeholders, and expand service impact toward cross-disciplinary collective good. In 2025, the University is running six USR Hub programs:
Social Engagement, Altruistic Coexistence
Encourages students to form their own teams to participate in community and remote-area service activities, with students planning and executing their own action plans. Through cross-site experiences, students develop teamwork and problem-solving skills, while SDGs are integrated into extracurricular activities and club camps to comprehensively strengthen students' soft skills and practical abilities.
Arts and Culture Ecosystem, Cross-Disciplinary Innovation
Focuses on the deep integration of digital AI technology with local traditional arts and culture, restructuring traditional course frameworks and building a cross-college professional learning map. Connects campus creative work with local traditional crafts (such as wood carving, embroidery, and paper crafting), conducting oral history documentation and transforming it into performance, cultivating cross-disciplinary talent with both digital technology skills and humanistic care.
Digital Discovery, Childlike Wonder
Centers on integrating social practice with digital technology and heritage-site education, starting from Tainan's historic Great South Gate and extending to remote schools throughout the Chiayi–Tainan region. Uses virtual reality (VR), VTuber virtual hosts, and GIS story maps to transform cultural heritage into immersive, interactive learning experiences.
New Vision in Shanshang, Green Energy Sustainability
Adopts a dual-track model of "after-school companionship in remote areas" and "environmental education / science popularization." Faculty-student teams are regularly stationed in Tainan's Shanshang District, providing children with consistent learning support and academic tutoring while integrating sustainability and environmental protection concepts into everyday education, cultivating environmentally conscious green-energy seed teachers.
Liuying Wetlands, Deep Ecological Cultivation
Partners with the Jianshanpi Resort and Xinshan Elementary School in Liuying District, Tainan, combining the University's professional expertise with on-site practical implementation to strengthen regional ecological resource monitoring, interpretation systems, and talent development — with the dual goals of building local "environmental education capacity" and enhancing students' "practical application outcomes."
Active Aging in Harmony, Aesthetic Living
Uses music and art as mediums to promote intergenerational co-learning and active-aging education, offering instrument courses in ukulele, saxophone, flute, and other instruments for older adults, along with art workshops. Encourages older adults and young people to learn instruments and create together, progressively building a practice model of "artistic companionship × intergenerational co-learning × healthy, active living."
Teacher Education Social Responsibility Practice
Centered on "local cultivation," "long-term companionship," "resource sharing," "practice-based research," and "talent development," the University advances SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). In 2025, the University's seven fully and jointly teacher-education-designated departments actively promoted diverse practice programs, with concrete outcomes as follows:
AI Cross-Disciplinary Learning and Remote-Area Support
Supports teaching through AI and cross-disciplinary learning, organizing an AI teaching community and hosting AI cross-disciplinary camps.
In-Depth Language Teaching for Remote Areas
Combines remote-area teaching with language proficiency development, holding monthly seminars or teaching visits to jointly research teaching strategies.
Early Childhood Education and Local Companionship
Through kindergarten partnerships and remote-area service learning, hosts holiday camps based at remote-area kindergartens.
Technology Education and Co-Learning Practice
Promotes computational-thinking (CT)-oriented flexible courses and remote-area camps, hosting workshops for high school teachers on CT-oriented flexible learning courses.
Music Performance and Educational Practice
Strengthens teacher trainees' musical expertise and cross-disciplinary innovation skills, leading trainees to perform and provide bilingual instruction at remote-area elementary schools.
Drama Education Cross-Disciplinary Innovation
Combines drama education with cross-disciplinary course design, hosting workshops on drama education capacity-building and interdisciplinary course design.
Special Education Assistive Devices and Inclusion Support
Through positive behavior support and assistive technology design, partners with the Taiwan Association for Positive Behavior Support to host teacher workshops.
AI Media Literacy and Digital Learning
Combines AI, media literacy, and digital creation courses, leading teacher trainees to observe and discuss lessons in remote areas and engage in instructional design.
Corporate Collaboration and Educational Philanthropy
UMC tutoring instructors making dragon boats together with students
Sowing Seeds of Hope: Educational Assistance Program for Children from Disadvantaged Families
Since 2006, the University has partnered with the United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) Science and Education Foundation to run this program, primarily serving children from disadvantaged families (over 80% of participants). Through after-school tutoring and diverse exploration activities, the program has served more than 7,500 children to date, and over the past decade has helped more than 1,000 teacher trainees pass the certification exam to become licensed teachers.
Children Served: 1,929 instances
NT$5.6 Million Invested
Volunteers: 550 instances
Important Cultural Heritage Preservation and Transmission
The Folk Performance Team invited to perform at the 2024 Chikan Wanshen Festival
From Campus Roots to National Promotion
Building on Tainan's local ritual performance troupe (陣頭) culture, the University has incorporated folk sports such as the Song Jiang Battle Array, lion and dragon dance, and diabolo into its education and social-practice systems. In 2025, the University led its Folk Performance Team in joint training of the Song Jiang Battle Array with Liujia Junior High School and participated in 24 domestic and international performances, winning second place at the National Creative Song Jiang Battle Array Competition — the team's eighth championship title overall. The University also hosted the "National Folk Sports Performance Event," attracting 593 teams from 20 counties and cities nationwide, with over 9,700 participant instances.
Skills Preservation
Folk Sports Education
For complete 2025 social-practice outcomes and funding execution data for each base, please see Section 6-1 of the 2025 Sustainability Report.