Project Overview
CYCU’s USR
Our Core Beliefs and Mission
CYCU Promoting Office
Chung Yuan Christian University’s(CYCU’s) first educational philosophy clearly states: ‘We respect the dignity of nature and of humanity, and we seek to promote harmony between the Creator, oneself, all other human beings, and the entire creation through the wise and prudent utiliza- tion of professional knowledge of the sciences and the humanities.’ Since its founding, CYCU has aimed for ‘Holistic Education and Life Care.’ We believe that during their university studies, in addition to acquiring professional knowledge, students must also be reminded to care for others and use their expertise to help solve society issues. This core spirit of University Social Responsibility (USR), integrated into student learning and education, is precisely the ‘Holistic Education’ that CYCU has always advocated.”
” Starting with Service-Learning “
To concretely implement its holistic education philosophy, CYCU began promoting school-wide service-learning in 2005, making it a pioneer in Taiwan. To date, CYCU has accumulated 13 years of project execution experience and significant capacity in service-based initiatives in this area.
Building upon the foundation of service-learning integrated courses and social practice programs, CYCU faculty and students combine professional courses, hands-on education, student activities, service-learning, and public welfare services. This comprehensive approach enables the entire university community, businesses, and local communities to better understand CYCU’s educational philosophy and its enduring commitment.
” Promoting University Social Responsibility (USR) “
In 2017, the Ministry of Education began encouraging universities to implement the University Social Responsibility (USR) Practice Programs. This initiative perfectly aligns with CYCU’s steadfast educational philosophy of benefiting all creation through the wise and prudent utilization of professional knowledge in the sciences and the humanities.
CYCU deeply believes that “Love is the principal guiding force in education.” One can fulfill the true responsibility of an intellectual only by being willing to contribute to others and to society. Over the years, CYCU has actively promoted and implemented “Holistic Education,” which nurtures the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of every individual.
With approximately 1.23 million students currently enrolled in universities and colleges, this demographic represents a significant driving force for social progress. Universities should play a more crucial and vital role as local think tanks in the process of regional development.
They should leverage academic resources to deeply cultivate local areas, addressing development challenges related to local industries, community culture, urban development, and rural revitalization. By doing so, universities can truly demonstrate their value, foster regional growth, and stimulate value creation.
University students, in particular, should actively engage with local communities and contribute more significantly to regional development. by fostering a sense of identification with local areas, students can then translate this into tangible actions and real-world impact.
As a university that originated with a strong foundation in science and engineering, CYCU places great emphasis on balancing professional and general education. Within our general education curriculum, we emphasizes cultivating students’ spirit of social service and humanistic care..
For decades, promoting University Social Responsibility (USR) has been an integral part of CYCU’s mission.. Therefore, holistic education embodies both the spirit and foundation of USR. It represents the educational character that CYCU aims for its students to cultivate during their university years.
Within our Office of Institutional Research and Sustainable Development, we’ve established the Sustainability Governance Office. This office plays a pivotal unit in consolidating all university social responsibility (USR) resources and projects, providing essential administrative support to our faculty and students, and ultimately bolstering the university’s long-term sustainability. We’ve also formed the Chung Yuan Christian University University Social Responsibility Steering Committee. This committee is tasked with outlining our USR development strategies, assessing their effectiveness, and selecting award-winning projects, and it’s comprised of seasoned experts from industry, government, and academia, both from within and outside the university.
For resource integration, the Sustainability Governance Office oversees subsidies from the Higher Education Sprout Project, the university budget, and knowledge responsibility funds. It also collaborates with the Service-Learning Center to strategically allocate resources across various departments within the university’s nine colleges.
To address cross-departmental or community-related communication challenges during project implementation, the Sustainability Governance Office provides coordination and logistical support—ranging from venue arrangements to on-site collaboration—effectively serving as the backbone of these initiatives.
To systematically advance knowledge responsibility and foster diverse cross-disciplinary capabilities, Chung Yuan Christian University has brought together enterprises, public welfare organizations, government agencies, and media partners to form the Chung Yuan Christian University Knowledge Responsibility Practice Alliance. Through integrated resources and collaborative efforts, the alliance leverages the university’s academic expertise, technological assets, and institutional capacities to champion the spirit of knowledge responsibility—serving as a driving force for positive social change and promoting the symbiotic development of both the university and society.
In order to establish a long-term dialogue mechanism and advance USR, the university’s Sustainability Governance Office and alliance partners regularly co-organize a variety of initiatives. These activities address key topics such as corporate social responsibility, educational innovation, sustainable community development, and media influence—jointly fostering cross-sector collaboration and deepening social engagement.
