Cheng Shiu University (CSU) has long been committed to advancing University Social Responsibility (USR), continuously channeling its academic expertise into local communities and responding to societal needs. Its efforts have once again received national recognition. At the 2026 7th Global Views USR University Social Responsibility Awards, CSU was honored with the Model Award in the Local Co-Prosperity Category and the Excellence Award in the Talent Co-Learning Category. These achievements not only highlight the University’s long-term contributions to regional revitalization, cultural preservation, and talent cultivation, but also reaffirm the pivotal role of higher education in driving sustainable development.

Since 2022, CSU has participated in the Global Views USR Awards annually and has received recognition each year. This consistent achievement reflects that USR at CSU is no longer limited to individual projects, but has become deeply embedded in institutional governance and educational strategy. Through systematic implementation and resource integration, the University encourages faculty and students to engage with real-world contexts—starting from local needs, integrating sustainability issues, interdisciplinary collaboration, and AI applications—transforming learning into a practical force for solving social challenges.

Promoting Local Revitalization through Co-Prosperity

From Xinpi to Jiadong: Supporting Communities on Their Path to Renewal

The project awarded the Model Award in the Local Co-Prosperity Category, titled “Revitalizing Zuodui: Recreating a New Future for Xinpi and Jiadong”, has long been rooted in Pingtung. Beginning in Xinpi Township, the initiative has accumulated over seven years of local engagement and has gradually expanded to Jiadong Township, forming a cross-regional model for community revitalization.

Focusing on local特色 industries, agricultural innovation, youth return migration, and community regeneration, the project integrates branding development, cultural revitalization, and tourism. It helps communities rediscover their unique value while injecting new momentum into industrial transformation and population return. This initiative goes beyond “assisting” local communities—it represents a collaborative process in which universities and communities jointly explore future pathways. CSU serves not only as a knowledge provider, but also as a resource integrator, active participant, and long-term community partner, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between academia and society.

Advancing Cultural Sustainability through Talent Co-Learning

Engaging Indigenous Communities to Build New Models of Cultural Preservation

The project recognized with the Excellence Award in the Talent Co-Learning Category, titled “From Adversity to Renewal: Cultivating Talent for Indigenous Cultural Heritage Preservation and Local Practice”, focuses on preserving Indigenous cultural heritage and developing related talent. Supported by the Ministry of Education in 2025, this emerging USR initiative engages deeply with Indigenous communities in Taiwu and Laiyi in Pingtung.

Starting from the needs of cultural preservation, the project integrates restoration expertise, interdisciplinary teaching, and local participation to establish a diverse co-learning model. Its distinctive feature lies not only in preserving cultural assets themselves, but also in addressing how preservation talent is cultivated and how such efforts can be sustained. Through professional knowledge, digital technologies, and cross-community collaboration, CSU enhances both the continuity and applied value of cultural preservation. At the same time, students develop cultural sensitivity, social responsibility, and hands-on capabilities through active participation. For CSU, this initiative represents not only cultural preservation, but also a comprehensive practice integrating education, technology, and social engagement for sustainability.

USR as a Pathway for Future Talent Development

CSU’s long-term commitment to USR reflects a forward-looking vision of higher education. In a rapidly changing social and industrial landscape, students need more than disciplinary knowledge—they must be equipped with the ability to understand local contexts, respond to real-world challenges, collaborate across disciplines, and innovate through practice. Through USR initiatives, students step into towns, Indigenous communities, and neighborhoods, learning to listen, observe, integrate, and act—transforming knowledge into tangible solutions that address societal needs.

This aligns with CSU’s educational mission: to cultivate not only professionals, but also future-ready individuals with a strong sense of public engagement and sustainability. When students recognize their roles and responsibilities through local engagement, education transcends knowledge transmission and becomes a driving force for social transformation and sustainable development.

Expanding Impact: From Knowledge Provider to Change Maker

CSU’s dual recognition at the Global Views USR Awards is not only an affirmation of past achievements, but also a symbol of its growing and sustained momentum in fulfilling university social responsibility. From regional revitalization and cultural preservation to talent cultivation, CSU demonstrates through concrete actions that universities can be powerful agents of change.

Looking ahead, CSU will continue to strengthen its local engagement, integrate internal and external resources, and align sustainability with innovation. USR will not merely represent project outcomes, but will serve as a key engine for regional development, social well-being, and talent cultivation. As universities actively engage with society, respond to emerging needs, and connect with the future, the impact of education will become ever more profound and enduring.

▲ Photo provided by Global Views Monthly

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