USR Alliance Advances Together: YunTech Hosts Joint USR Talent Development Program to Strengthen Local Sustainability

National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (YunTech) held the 2026 training program, “USR Talent Development: Co-Creating Local Sustainability,” on May 7, bringing together University Social Responsibility (USR) teams from multiple higher education institutions for交流 and collaboration. Through course sharing, practical experience exchange, and inter-university interaction, the program aimed to strengthen the implementation capacity of university social responsibility initiatives and jointly create new models for sustainable regional development.

The program featured a diverse lineup of speakers, showcasing the multifaceted outcomes of USR practices spanning academic research, industry collaboration, and regional revitalization, while also highlighting universities’ missions in talent cultivation and sustainable local development.

During the morning session, Professor Wen-Yu Liu, who has long been dedicated to the development of local tea industries, shared her extensive USR implementation experience. Since participating in the first phase of the USR program, Professor Liu has continuously promoted local tea culture and industrial development. She has obtained multiple professional certifications in tea production, tea brewing, and sensory evaluation, and was awarded the Yun Duo Outstanding Teaching Award in the 2022 academic year. Through the USR program, she has guided students in exploring local industrial culture while cultivating problem-solving skills and a spirit of local engagement through hands-on practice, demonstrating the educational value of integrating cultural preservation, industrial development, and talent cultivation.

In the afternoon session, Professor Ming-Chien Yuan shared USR成果 related to technological and institutional innovation. Professor Yuan is the inventor of the patented “Traceability Management System for Agricultural, Fishery, and Livestock Product Supply Chains” and has long supported Yunlin’s poultry industry in establishing traceable supply chains. He also received the 2021 Taiwan Sustainability Action Award (TSAA) Gold Award. By integrating technological applications and industrial governance practices into USR projects, he has helped students develop interdisciplinary competencies in smart agriculture and sustainable management, while strengthening their ability to connect local industries with broader social issues. His work further advances talent cultivation in technology governance, industrial sustainability, and practical implementation.

The event also invited Mr. Hsiang-Yu Wu, founder of Qianshan Plant Art Studio, to share his personal journey of practice and lead a DIY workshop on areca palm charcoal-mud coasters. Mr. Wu previously served as a project assistant for YunTech’s Guilin Qianshan USR project, where he focused on the reuse of discarded areca palm materials. His work led to the development of biochar, ink, and environmentally friendly daily products, earning recognition through the “Yun Innovation Highlight” cultural and creative award. His experience reflects the spirit of USR by transforming local issues into innovative and sustainable actions.

Vice President Hsin-Yuan Hung of National Chung Cheng University stated that promoting USR is not only about universities engaging with local communities, but also an important effort for higher education and society to jointly address future challenges. Through the establishment of the USR Alliance, higher education institutions have united around four key areas: talent cultivation, shared field development, international exchange, and impact evaluation. This cross-university collaborative model carries significant meaning for the sustainable development of USR in Taiwan. Vice President Hung expressed hope that by connecting the expertise and resources of different universities, a more systematic and sustainable collaboration mechanism can be established, enabling institutions to support one another in talent cultivation, local engagement, and sustainable governance while collectively enhancing the social impact of Taiwan’s higher education sector.

YunTech President Chuan-Yu Chang expressed special appreciation to National Chung Cheng University for initiating and leading the establishment of the “USR Alliance,” which was officially founded on September 1, 2025. He noted that the alliance serves not only as a cross-university collaboration platform, but also as an important community for sharing理念, resources, and practical actions. This year, YunTech serves as the lead institution for the “Talent Development Group,” organizing a series of training courses under the theme “USR Talent Development: Co-Creating Local Sustainability.” Through these initiatives, the university aims to establish cross-university learning and exchange platforms, promote experience sharing and interdisciplinary collaboration among USR teams, and further consolidate the力量 of USR implementation so that universities can not only engage with local communities, but also co-learn and co-create sustainable futures together.

YunTech has long been deeply committed to the implementation of university social responsibility. All five of the university’s Ministry of Education USR projects for 2025–2027 were successfully approved, with the project teams collectively forming an “Impact Golden Axis” that strengthens social influence across talent cultivation, regional revitalization, and industrial sustainability. To cultivate人才 equipped with social practice capabilities, YunTech has also established a “Social Practice Credit Program,” encouraging students to apply their professional expertise through interdisciplinary collaboration and actively participate in solving social issues and engaging in local practice, thereby enhancing their ability to address future societal challenges.

At the same time, the university continues actively promoting ESG initiatives and sustainable governance. Its achievements have received broad recognition, with YunTech once again ranked first among public universities of science and technology in Commonwealth Magazine’s “University Civic Responsibility Awards 2026,” highlighting the university’s outstanding accomplishments in social responsibility and sustainable development.

Photos:

Group photo of participants in the USR Talent Development Program

Vice President Hsin-Yuan Hung of National Chung Cheng University delivering opening remarks

President Chuan-Yu Chang of YunTech giving the opening address

Speakers sharing practical USR experiences from field engagement to talent cultivation

Participants carefully creating their own areca palm charcoal-mud coasters

Organizing Unit: Research Center for Sustainable Development and Social Practice
Director: Yi-Pin Lin
Contact Person: Hsing-Ju Wu
Tel: +886-5-534-2601 ext. 2484

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