NCHU Advances Sustainability Through Five Key USR Initiatives, Centered on “Green University Social Practice”
2025-08-04
興新聞張貼者
Unit秘書室
185
As global climate change and net-zero emissions become critical issues, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) President Fuh-Jyh Jan has made "Green University Social Practice" a core tenet of his administration. He is leading efforts to achieve a net-zero emissions campus by 2040 and extending the university’s sustainability expertise into communities and international collaborations through University Social Responsibility (USR) initiatives. In the latest round of USR projects supported by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, all five of NCHU’s proposals were approved—highlighting the university’s strong capabilities in sustainability, animal welfare, community development, and ecological restoration.
Sustainable Campus and Research Excellence
To enhance campus energy governance, NCHU is building microgrid systems at its main campus in Taichung and branch campus in Nantou, boosting energy resilience and enabling independent carbon reduction. In research, NCHU serves as a key national think tank on natural carbon sinks, with in-depth work in yellow carbon, green carbon, and blue carbon. The university assists government agencies in developing carbon sink methodologies and partners with industry for carbon accounting, providing practical support for Taiwan's journey toward net-zero.
In talent development, NCHU houses Asia’s only Graduate Institute of Circular Economy, systematically cultivating sustainability professionals. The university also offers over 3,000 SDG-focused courses annually, integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into students' daily learning—transforming green thinking from ideal to lifestyle.
Veterinary Diplomacy: “No Borders for Strays”
Led by Associate Professor Shiun-Long Lin of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, the “Stray LOHAS”: Stray Animals Reduction and Fulfilment of Welfare Project” is Taiwan’s only USR initiative focused on stray animal care and animal welfare. In 2019, the team established the nation’s first clinic dedicated to treating vulnerable animals, providing referral services for public and private shelters and successfully treating around 900 animals to date. The team is also deeply involved in international animal welfare, having trained 300 professional veterinarians, spayed or neutered over 9,000 stray animals, and promoted cross-border sterilization campaigns.
According to Dr. Lin, the team has conducted sterilization missions in Guam and, for the first time this year, in Palau. They have also provided ongoing support to the animal rescue station at Hanoi University of Agriculture and expanded collaborations with Vietnam National University of Agriculture and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s veterinary department in Malaysia.
Reviving Historic Waterways: “Dual Rivers, One Vision”
The project “Twin Pulses of Green and Dry: United in Water Stewardship” focuses on two historic rivers in Taichung—Green River and Han Creek. The initiative combines expertise in arts, cultural creativity, management, agriculture, literature, library science, and history to create a sustainable living circle rooted in cultural heritage and environmental conservation. Its five core actions—understand water, connect with water, protect water, restore water, and revitalize water—emphasize both ecological awareness and inclusive design, especially for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Project leader and NCHU Chief Secretary Chang-Yen Lee noted that although Green River and Han Creek have served Taichung for over a century, urbanization has led to ecological degradation. The project aims to reconnect society with its river culture through ecological preservation and historical education.
Healing the Elderly Through Horticulture: Community-Based Therapy
In response to Taiwan's rapidly aging population, Professor Chen-Fa Wu of the Department of Horticulture leads the “Co-Learning of Horticultural Therapy at Shuiwei Community.” The program focuses on four areas: integrating horticulture with evidence-based medicine, professional training, therapeutic space design, and community health models. Over the past three years, the team has collaborated with Asia University Hospital and Changhua Christian Hospital to conduct six clinical studies addressing sarcopenia, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and more.
The team has also developed training programs for dementia care assistants and horticultural therapy volunteers, training 119 volunteers and seed teachers to date. Additionally, the team created a set of design principles and checklists for therapeutic green spaces, guiding rural communities in developing localized models of sustainable care.
Professor Wu emphasized the integration of empirical research into community practice, combining local traditions such as home gardening and Taiwanese Beach Seine to build holistic, culturally grounded healing environments. Horticultural therapy, he said, not only improves physical surroundings but also reconnects elders with the land and their cultural roots.
Bridging Rural Healthcare Gaps: Indigenous Health and Well-Being Project
The “Starting from Nantou’s Qingliu, Zhongyuan, and Meiyuan tribes to create a healthy and thriving indigenous homeland” is led by Vice Dean Pin-Ju Chueh of the College of Medicine. The project brings together cross-disciplinary teams from the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Graduate Institute of Clinical Nursing to serve remote indigenous communities in Nantou. It integrates health promotion, medical technology, and local industry support to improve living standards and foster economic and cultural development.
Chueh stated that the goal is to build a cross-departmental, cross-institutional coalition to address healthcare disparities in indigenous communities. The project provides direct medical services and helps establish localized health education and promotion models, aiming to become a sustainable force in public health.
Restoring River Ecosystems: Resilience and Sustainability Initiative
Led by Professor Chiou-Rong Sheue of the Department of Life Sciences, the “Environmental resilience and sustainability—ecological restoration for one health in forest, river and village” focuses on upstream restoration of the Wu River. Through ecological monitoring and habitat improvement, the project promotes coexistence between mountains, rivers, and communities. It is Taiwan’s first ecological restoration initiative to partner with government agencies in removing concrete embankments and restoring natural floodplains.
Professor Sheue explained that many rivers in Taiwan are trapped behind concrete walls, causing severe ecological imbalance. “We hope this pioneering effort inspires other regions to free their rivers and reestablish harmony between humans and nature,” she said.
Sustainable Campus and Research Excellence
To enhance campus energy governance, NCHU is building microgrid systems at its main campus in Taichung and branch campus in Nantou, boosting energy resilience and enabling independent carbon reduction. In research, NCHU serves as a key national think tank on natural carbon sinks, with in-depth work in yellow carbon, green carbon, and blue carbon. The university assists government agencies in developing carbon sink methodologies and partners with industry for carbon accounting, providing practical support for Taiwan's journey toward net-zero.
In talent development, NCHU houses Asia’s only Graduate Institute of Circular Economy, systematically cultivating sustainability professionals. The university also offers over 3,000 SDG-focused courses annually, integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into students' daily learning—transforming green thinking from ideal to lifestyle.
Veterinary Diplomacy: “No Borders for Strays”
Led by Associate Professor Shiun-Long Lin of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, the “Stray LOHAS”: Stray Animals Reduction and Fulfilment of Welfare Project” is Taiwan’s only USR initiative focused on stray animal care and animal welfare. In 2019, the team established the nation’s first clinic dedicated to treating vulnerable animals, providing referral services for public and private shelters and successfully treating around 900 animals to date. The team is also deeply involved in international animal welfare, having trained 300 professional veterinarians, spayed or neutered over 9,000 stray animals, and promoted cross-border sterilization campaigns.
According to Dr. Lin, the team has conducted sterilization missions in Guam and, for the first time this year, in Palau. They have also provided ongoing support to the animal rescue station at Hanoi University of Agriculture and expanded collaborations with Vietnam National University of Agriculture and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s veterinary department in Malaysia.
Reviving Historic Waterways: “Dual Rivers, One Vision”
The project “Twin Pulses of Green and Dry: United in Water Stewardship” focuses on two historic rivers in Taichung—Green River and Han Creek. The initiative combines expertise in arts, cultural creativity, management, agriculture, literature, library science, and history to create a sustainable living circle rooted in cultural heritage and environmental conservation. Its five core actions—understand water, connect with water, protect water, restore water, and revitalize water—emphasize both ecological awareness and inclusive design, especially for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Project leader and NCHU Chief Secretary Chang-Yen Lee noted that although Green River and Han Creek have served Taichung for over a century, urbanization has led to ecological degradation. The project aims to reconnect society with its river culture through ecological preservation and historical education.
Healing the Elderly Through Horticulture: Community-Based Therapy
In response to Taiwan's rapidly aging population, Professor Chen-Fa Wu of the Department of Horticulture leads the “Co-Learning of Horticultural Therapy at Shuiwei Community.” The program focuses on four areas: integrating horticulture with evidence-based medicine, professional training, therapeutic space design, and community health models. Over the past three years, the team has collaborated with Asia University Hospital and Changhua Christian Hospital to conduct six clinical studies addressing sarcopenia, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and more.
The team has also developed training programs for dementia care assistants and horticultural therapy volunteers, training 119 volunteers and seed teachers to date. Additionally, the team created a set of design principles and checklists for therapeutic green spaces, guiding rural communities in developing localized models of sustainable care.
Professor Wu emphasized the integration of empirical research into community practice, combining local traditions such as home gardening and Taiwanese Beach Seine to build holistic, culturally grounded healing environments. Horticultural therapy, he said, not only improves physical surroundings but also reconnects elders with the land and their cultural roots.
Bridging Rural Healthcare Gaps: Indigenous Health and Well-Being Project
The “Starting from Nantou’s Qingliu, Zhongyuan, and Meiyuan tribes to create a healthy and thriving indigenous homeland” is led by Vice Dean Pin-Ju Chueh of the College of Medicine. The project brings together cross-disciplinary teams from the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Graduate Institute of Clinical Nursing to serve remote indigenous communities in Nantou. It integrates health promotion, medical technology, and local industry support to improve living standards and foster economic and cultural development.
Chueh stated that the goal is to build a cross-departmental, cross-institutional coalition to address healthcare disparities in indigenous communities. The project provides direct medical services and helps establish localized health education and promotion models, aiming to become a sustainable force in public health.
Restoring River Ecosystems: Resilience and Sustainability Initiative
Led by Professor Chiou-Rong Sheue of the Department of Life Sciences, the “Environmental resilience and sustainability—ecological restoration for one health in forest, river and village” focuses on upstream restoration of the Wu River. Through ecological monitoring and habitat improvement, the project promotes coexistence between mountains, rivers, and communities. It is Taiwan’s first ecological restoration initiative to partner with government agencies in removing concrete embankments and restoring natural floodplains.
Professor Sheue explained that many rivers in Taiwan are trapped behind concrete walls, causing severe ecological imbalance. “We hope this pioneering effort inspires other regions to free their rivers and reestablish harmony between humans and nature,” she said.
