Taiwan Today

Universities in Taiwan are fulfilling their social responsibility by helping realize the U.N. SDGs.

Over 20 years ago, Chuang Mei-chu (莊美菊) was in a tragic accident that changed the course of her life. Today she continues to suffer from its effects, most visibly in the form of severe scarring across her face from burns she sustained during the incident. With such an obvious reminder of the distressing experience staring back at her in the mirror every day, Chuang found it difficult to move on with her life.

That began to change around 2010 when the Department of Cosmetic Science at Chang Gung University of Science and Technology (CGUST) in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City teamed up with Taipei City-based Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation to ease the psychosocial stress of people with facial disfigurement. Teachers and students from the university make regular trips to the nongovernmental organization (NGO) to teach advanced cosmetics skills to individuals like Chuang, who was one of the first beneficiaries of the partnership. Wearing professional makeup, Chuang is able to blend in much better on the street, relieving her of the stigma that can come with looking different. “I feel so much more carefree in public now,” she said. “It has really improved my quality of life.”

According to Chen Tsu-yin (陳姿吟), associate professor in the department, the academic unit is the only one of its kind in Taiwan that teaches cosmetic camouflage for physical disfigurements. “Though we have all the usual courses in skin care, bridal makeup and hair styling, we also encourage students to give back to society by helping people who wish to reduce the appearance of marks or discoloration,” she said.

CGUST is not alone in striving to make a positive impact. Schools around the country are exploring ways to fulfill university social responsibility (USR), a trend bolstered by the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Sustained Progress and Rise of Universities in Taiwan (SPROUT) project implemented in 2018. The endeavors additionally serve to advance the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), contributing to the global campaign to reduce inequality while protecting the planet.

Last year Chen’s department furthered its efforts to promote well-being for all, part of SDG3, with a new USR project aimed at designing prosthetic devices that cater to individual needs in both functionality and aesthetics. “Few enterprises in Taiwan are willing to customize devices to physical features like skin color or the exact condition of the amputated limb, which can vary greatly from person to person,” Chen said. “That’s where we come in.” The university has already co-developed four new prosthesis production techniques and applied for related patents in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, the scholar said. The devices stand out for their breathability, lightness and pliability, as well as their incredibly lifelike appearance.

Community Revitalization

National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST) in the southern city is likewise striving to improve people’s standard of living. Known for its research in marine technology, the school is now playing a crucial role in breathing new life into the coastal townships of Linbian and Jiadung in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County. “The project centers on building a bright future for aquaculture in the region,” co-director Lee Hsiaochien (李筱倩) said, adding that the undertaking is working to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns in line with SDG12.

A total of 10 departments and graduate institutes have taken part in the USR project since its launch in 2018, aiding more than 200 fish farmers to date. Under the initiative, water- and power-saving equipment has been installed on the farms and probiotics and photosynthetic bacteria have been introduced to improve water quality in lieu of antibiotics. Teachers and students from the seafood science department help process and freeze local fish varieties to be transported to places like Taipei, where the species are less commonly found on the market. Collagen is derived from the byproducts and incorporated into facial masks and lotions, effectively reducing waste.

The computer science department is also lending a hand by introducing local fishery products to major e-commerce platforms, while another NKUST team is enhancing items’ appeal with new packaging designs. “These farmers invest a lot of time and energy into their work. They deserve to get greater exposure,” Lee said, adding that the university assists with closing supply contracts with restaurants as well. “We take care of the sales side of the business so farmers can focus on what they do best: raising healthy fish stocks.” At the same time, the university is making sure word gets out about the fish farms’ transformation. “Our work will have a much greater impact if members of the public are more aware of it,” Lee said. To this end, students make regular visits to area elementary schools, sharing their experiences participating in the project and encouraging environmental consciousness.

Renewable Cultivation

Also joining the USR movement is National Chung Cheng University (CCU) in southern Taiwan’s Chiayi County. Recognizing the vast untapped potential of bamboo, the school is encouraging industries at home and abroad to explore its full range of uses as a sustainable material. “Bamboo is actually more efficient at carbon fixation than trees, especially the younger shoots,” said Huang Shi-ming (黃士銘), head of the school’s Office of Research and Development. “Plus, it grows to maturity quickly and can be harvested every four years.”

Since the project was first rolled out, the university has devised a way to turn waste bamboo into deodorizing charcoal using nanotechnology. The innovation has already been deployed at six turkey farms in Chiayi to eliminate the smell of droppings. As the charcoal emits immune system-strengthening far infrared radiation, it has also been instrumental in reducing illness among the poultry. Another of the university’s successes is an air purifier that made its debut at Taiwan Healthcare Expo in Taipei last year. With the outer casing fashioned from bamboo instead of plastic and charcoal replacing a traditional filter, the device is one of a kind in Taiwan, highlighting the school’s commitment to exploring new frontiers.

On the international front, CCU began in 2020 partnering with South Asia Bamboo Foundation, an NGO based in India. Last year entities from the two sides co-organized the inaugural Global Bamboo Tech Forum, attracting more than 30 academics, entrepreneurs and government officials from around the world to present and exchange views on the latest bamboo applications over the course of three online sessions. This year’s edition opened in March with the first session and will wrap up with the fourth in September.

To ensure the lasting effects of their USR projects, universities are training up students to enter careers in the targeted fields. CCU, for example, offers a course in bamboo literacy as part of its general education program. Similarly, NKUST launched a program called I Turn earlier this year focusing on regional revitalization, and CGUST’s cosmetic science department opened a new course instructing students in the design and production of high-quality prostheses last year.

“Incorporating USR objectives into curriculums is essential to the long-term success of the programs,” CGUST President Lau Ying-tung (樓迎統) said. “In this way schools can create skilled workforces dedicated to continuing their respective efforts.” With the MOE’s support, such initiatives are picking up pace across the country. “More and more universities around the world are stepping up to fulfill their social responsibility,” CCU’s Huang said. “Schools in Taiwan are proud to be at the forefront of the global trend.”

Write to Oscar Chung at mhchung@mofa.gov.tw