University Social Responsibility

Social Inclusion｜University Social Responsibility

Local Co-learning × Social Innovation
Leveraging University Capacity to Address Local Needs

National University of Kaohsiung places University Social Responsibility at the core of its public mission. By integrating curriculum and teaching, project-based learning, interdisciplinary research, local revitalization, and community partnerships, NUK starts from local issues in Kaohsiung and connects K12 education, rural science education, health promotion, environmental sustainability, cultural preservation, and international partnerships. Through these actions, university knowledge is transformed into practical capacity for local co-prosperity.

SDG 1 No Poverty SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being SDG 4 Quality Education SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities SDG 11 Sustainable Cities SDG 17 Partnerships

20 courses

In 2025, NUK offered 20 social participation courses with 802 student enrollments, transforming university knowledge into local action through course-based practice.

2025 University Social Responsibility Highlights

Annual University Social Responsibility Highlights

NUK promotes USR through local engagement, educational equity, interdisciplinary practice, community co-learning, and international alignment. University Social Responsibility is not merely a project, but part of institutional governance and talent cultivation.

20 courses Social participation courses in 2025, integrating local issues with practice-oriented learning. SDG 4

802 visits Student participation in social participation courses, expanding students’ public engagement experience. Social Practice

9 projects USR-related initiatives, including experimental projects and USR Hub programs. USR

13 topics Social participation course projects that transformed classroom learning into local action. Problem Solving

6 programs K12 SDGs education programs, deepening foundational education and sustainability literacy. K12 Education

715 visits High school student participation in K12 foundation courses, strengthening university-secondary school linkages. Educational Equity

6 countries
9 universities USR and international learning networks, expanding international dialogue on local issues. SDG 17

3 schools Memoranda of cooperation signed with Yuanchung, Jiawei, and Lantian Elementary Schools to deepen foundational education partnerships. Local Co-learning

Using Local Needs as Questions and University Knowledge as Solutions

NUK’s USR practice begins with local environmental, educational, health, industrial, cultural, and community needs in Kaohsiung. Through courses, research, service learning, workshops, community collaboration, and international exchange, NUK helps local communities respond to real-world issues while enabling students to develop public awareness, interdisciplinary communication, and social innovation capabilities through practice.

LOC

Local Engagement Nanzih, Yuanchung Harbor, Provincial Highway 17, Liouguei, and surrounding communities serve as USR practice fields for responding to local needs.

EDU

Course-based Practice Social issues are integrated into courses, PBL, and project-based practice to cultivate students’ capacity to solve real-world problems.

COM

Community Co-learning Community workshops, science outreach, health promotion, and environmental education expand the public value of the University.

INT

International Alignment Local issues are connected with cross-national courses and international exchange to promote global dialogue on sustainability practices.

USR Field Map

Centered on the NUK campus, the University connects surrounding Nanzih communities, the coastal areas along Provincial Highway 17, rural education fields, community co-learning sites, and industry-government-academia collaboration networks. Through this network, university knowledge, student learning, and local needs are integrated to generate local practice and social impact.

NUK USR Field Map

NUK

National University
of Kaohsiung

Yuanchung
Elementary School

Jiawei
Elementary School

Lantian
Elementary School

Provincial Highway 17
Coastal Communities

Liouguei
Rural Practice Field

Community and Senior
Lifelong Learning

Industry-Government-
Academia Collaboration

University Social Responsibility

Using University Knowledge to Address Local Needs

NUK’s USR fields are built around educational foundation-building, local companionship, community co-learning, and industry linkages. Through course integration, faculty-student practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community participation, sustainability actions extend from the campus to local communities.

20 courses Social participation courses in 2025

802 students Students enrolled in social participation courses

9 projects USR experimental projects and USR Hub programs

715 visits Participation in K12 foundation courses

K12 Education Practice Fields

Connecting Yuanchung, Jiawei, and Lantian Elementary Schools to deepen USR linkages with foundational education.

Provincial Highway 17 Coastal Practice Fields

Focusing on coastal communities, local culture, environmental education, and community co-learning to expand local participation.

Liouguei Rural Companionship Field

Reducing educational resource gaps through rural education, science outreach, and local collaboration.

Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration Field

Connecting Kaohsiung industrial clusters, corporate partners, and government resources to promote talent cultivation and sustainability innovation.

Educational Foundation-building

From University to K12

Courses, science outreach, camps, and cooperation memoranda bring higher education resources into elementary and secondary education fields.

Local Companionship

From Campus to Community

Provincial Highway 17, Liouguei, and surrounding communities serve as fields for understanding local issues, community co-learning, and practical service.

Industry Linkages

From Learning to Practice

Industry-government-academia collaboration and corporate issues are integrated to cultivate students’ interdisciplinary problem-solving capabilities.

Sustainability Impact

From Action to Change

USR outcomes are translated into teaching innovation, social impact, local co-prosperity, and SDGs implementation results.

Note: This is a schematic USR field map showing the relationship between NUK’s USR practice network and partner fields. It is not a precise GIS positioning map.

Management Framework

Five Dimensions of University Social Responsibility

NUK’s USR framework is built around local needs, course-based practice, community co-learning, educational equity, and international linkages.

Local Revitalization and Community Co-prosperity

Respond to local demographic, industrial, cultural, environmental, and livelihood issues to promote regional sustainable development.

Educational Equity and K12 Linkages

Work with elementary schools, secondary schools, rural schools, and local education fields to promote science education, SDGs courses, and foundational education partnerships.

Interdisciplinary Courses and Social Practice

Use PBL, Capstone, and social participation courses to enable students to learn in real-world fields.

Health Promotion and Age-inclusive Communities

Support local health and intergenerational inclusion through sports, health promotion, community care, and active aging activities.

International Cooperation and Sustainability Diffusion

Expand USR’s international influence through international courses, workshops, and cross-national partnerships.

USR Action Process

USR begins with identifying local needs, transforms issues through courses and research, works with communities, schools, government agencies, and civil society partners, and then returns to outcome evaluation and continuous improvement.

Needs Assessment

Identify real issues faced by local communities, schools, industries, and community organizations.

Course Design

Integrate issues into courses, projects, service learning, and interdisciplinary practice.

Partner Collaboration

Connect local governments, schools, communities, enterprises, and NGOs to promote joint actions.

Field Practice

Faculty and students enter practice fields and respond to needs through workshops, surveys, design, and services.

Outcome Feedback

Review learning outcomes, social impact, and local feedback to continuously improve implementation approaches.

Local Practice Fields

Local Practice Fields and Themes

NUK’s USR practice focuses on southern Kaohsiung and surrounding communities, and gradually expands to rural areas, foundational education, community health, and international learning networks.

Local Revitalization

Provincial Highway 17 and Local Community Linkages

Focusing on local culture, industries, environment, and livelihood needs, NUK uses courses, field visits, surveys, design, and community actions to help local communities build capacity for sustainable development.

Local issue assessment
Community co-learning and workshops
Local revitalization and sustainable living design

Educational Equity

K12 Foundational Education Partnerships

NUK has established partnerships with Yuanchung, Jiawei, Lantian, and other elementary schools, and promotes high school foundation courses to extend university resources to foundational education.

Cooperation memoranda with elementary and secondary schools
SDGs education and science outreach courses
High school foundation and practice courses

Rural Science Education

Science Education and Rural Companionship

Through science outreach teams and hands-on courses, NUK accompanies students in rural and regional schools to access science, sustainability, and semiconductor-related knowledge, enhancing their motivation to learn.

Hands-on science outreach activities
Rural education companionship
Interdisciplinary faculty and student teams

Health Promotion

Active Living Communities and Intergenerational Inclusion

Through sports promotion, health promotion, and community activities, NUK connects residents, older adults, and students to create healthy, active, and mutually supportive communities.

Active pickleball workshops
Health promotion and community participation
Intergenerational exchange and inclusion

Environmental Sustainability

Ecological Campus and the Spillover of Environmental Education

NUK uses its wetlands, ecological ponds, East Lake, ecological waterways, and green spaces as practice fields to promote environmental education, guided tours, monitoring, and civic engagement.

Campus ecological tours
Environmental education for elementary and secondary schools
Volunteer participation and citizen science

International Co-learning

Asian Virtual Academy and International Workshops

Through international workshops, summer schools, and the Asian Virtual Academy, NUK connects local issues with international students, sister universities, and cross-national partners.

International network of 6 countries and 9 universities
International workshops and intercultural learning
Internationalization of local issues

Course-Based Social Practice

Course-based Social Practice

Social participation courses are a key pillar of NUK’s USR. Through course design, students understand local contexts, enter practice fields, propose solutions, and provide feedback to communities.

Social Participation Courses

In 2025, NUK offered 20 social participation courses with 802 student enrollments. Course topics covered local revitalization, environmental education, community health, cultural preservation, technology application, and sustainable development.

Use local needs as course themes
Encourage interdisciplinary student teams and hands-on practice
Return course outcomes to communities and practice fields

Social Participation Course Projects

In 2025, NUK promoted 13 social participation course projects, allowing students to go through the full process of social practice from problem identification, data collection, and solution design to outcome presentation.

Local problem-oriented learning
Interdisciplinary practice and outcome presentation
Cultivation of public communication and problem-solving capabilities

USR Evolution

USR Development Pathway

Supported by the Higher Education Sprout Project and USR programs, NUK has gradually moved from single-point services toward interdisciplinary courses, local co-creation, and international linkages.

Local

Local Issue Assessment

Starting from Nanzih, Yuanchung Harbor, Provincial Highway 17, Liouguei, and surrounding communities, NUK identifies local development and educational needs.

Course

Deepening Interdisciplinary Practice

USR issues are integrated into PBL, Capstone, service learning, and social participation courses.

Partner

Community and School Co-creation

Collaboration networks are established with elementary and secondary schools, high schools, local communities, government agencies, enterprises, and NGOs.

Global

Diffusion of Sustainability Experience

International courses, workshops, and cross-national learning expand international exchange around local practice.

K12 and Community Education

K12 Linkages and Community Co-learning

NUK extends university resources downward to support foundational education and local talent cultivation through science outreach, SDGs education, semiconductor-related learning, practice courses, and community learning.

Elementary and Secondary School Partnerships

Deepening Linkages between the University and Foundational Education

NUK establishes partnerships with surrounding elementary schools and introduces university knowledge and resources into foundational education through courses, activities, and faculty-student teams.

Partnership with Yuanchung Elementary School
Partnership with Jiawei Elementary School
Partnership with Lantian Elementary School

High School Foundation Courses

K12 Foundation Courses

Through high school foundation courses, NUK helps students access university courses, hands-on science learning, and sustainability issues, strengthening learning transitions.

28 K12 foundation courses offered
715 high school student visits
Early exploration and interdisciplinary interest development

SDGs Education

K12 SDGs Education Outreach

SDGs are integrated into elementary and secondary school activities and environmental education, helping students understand sustainable development, climate action, and social inclusion through everyday experiences.

6 K12 SDGs education programs
Integration with environmental education and community practice
Cultivation of sustainability literacy and civic awareness

Management Actions

Management Measures and Annual Outcomes

University Social Responsibility begins with local needs and forms a continuous improvement mechanism through courses, practice fields, partnerships, and outcome feedback.

Management Topic	Management Measures	2025 Outcomes	Relevant SDGs
USR Projects and Local Practice	Promote USR experimental projects and USR Hub programs Use local needs as project themes Engage faculty, students, and local partners in joint implementation	Promoted 9 USR-related initiatives Covered local revitalization, education, health, environment, and cultural issues	SDG 4 SDG 10 SDG 11 SDG 17
Social Participation Courses	Integrate local issues into course design Encourage students to enter practice fields Return project outcomes to communities	20 social participation courses 802 student enrollments	SDG 4 SDG 11 SDG 17
K12 Education and Foundational Education Linkages	Establish partnerships with elementary and secondary schools Promote science, sustainability, environmental, and practice-oriented courses Offer high school foundation courses	Deepened partnerships with Yuanchung, Jiawei, Lantian, and other elementary schools Offered 28 K12 foundation courses 715 high school student visits	SDG 4 SDG 10 SDG 17
Community Health and Inclusion	Organize health promotion and community activities Promote intergenerational exchange Connect student service with local needs	Organized community outreach activities such as active pickleball workshops Promoted healthy living and community connections	SDG 3 SDG 11
International Cooperation and Sustainability Diffusion	Promote international workshops and cross-national learning Connect with the Asian Virtual Academy and international partners Transform local experience into materials for international exchange	Connected an international learning network of 6 countries and 9 universities Promoted international student participation in local issue learning	SDG 4 SDG 11 SDG 17

Supporting Local Communities through University Knowledge and Cultivating Sustainability Talent through Social Practice

NUK will continue to make University Social Responsibility a core part of institutional development. Through local engagement, educational equity, interdisciplinary courses, community co-learning, and international cooperation, the University will serve as an important partner in local sustainable transformation while enabling students to understand society, respond to needs, and create change in real-world fields.

Local Co-learning × Social Innovation Leveraging University Capacity to Address Local Needs