虎虎生風
Happy Chinese New Year

The six main USR indicators promoted by the Ministry of Education are regional revitalization, local action and connection, international connection, environmental sustainability, food safety and long-term care, and industry connection.

SDG 1 NO POVERTY
SDG 2 ZERO HUNGER
SDG 3 GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
SDG 4 QUALITY EDUCATION
SDG 5 GENDER EQUALITY
SDG 6 CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
SDG 7 AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
SDG 8 DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
SDG 9 INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
SDG 10 REDUCED INEQUALITIES
SDG 11 SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
SDG 12 RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
SDG 13 CLIMATE ACTION
SDG 14 LIFE BELOW WATER
SDG 15 LIFE ON LAND
SDG 16 PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
SDG 17 PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

USR implementation plans are aimed at guiding universities to enact social responsibility. These plans feature faculty leading students to identify problems, devise solutions, and collaborate with local residents to implement solutions. Throughout the process, students can use their professional training to engage with and provide services to the community, thereby demonstrating to residents the purpose of the University. Accordingly, USR implementation plans guide universities in leading urban and rural development, promoting cultural revitalization, contributing to the prosperity of the community, and creating local value.

The three main goals of promoting USR are as follows:

1. To integrate ministerial and local government resources in local development.
2. To enact USR and encourage faculty and students to contribute to social innovation.
3. To coordinate the resources of regional universities in improving urban and rural education.

Current USR implementation plans are based around local action and connection, industry connection, environmental sustainability, food safety and long-term care, and other social practices. Universities should select one theme as the main theme of the USR implementation plan, focus on regional development, and propose various solutions to regional problems.
USR plans are implemented by instructors leading students in forming interdisciplinary, interdepartmental, and intermural teams, coordinating with community organizations or local industries, and applying local government resources. Through courses or extracurricular activities, the instructor leads students in making practical contributions to communities, thereby guiding students in understanding regional development, local culture, and industry content and features. This mitigates the gap between academia and society (community) and creates an alternative learning environment other than classrooms. The project plans emphasize assisting universities in fulfilling their social responsibility, outputting practical contributions to the community and society, and increasing the value of the University. In this way, USR plans can further the coprosperity of the University and society.

Each university may apply for the seed plan (Type A), the germination plan (Type B), or the cultivation plan (Type C). During the trial stage, each university can only apply for a maximum of two USR implementation plans and at most one Type C plan. In 2018, each university was allowed to apply for a total of four USR implementation plans and at most one Type C plan.
Conditions to apply for the seed plan (Type A): The plan team must not have undertaken other USR implementation plans; must have established a consensus with local or neighboring regions; and must have compiled problems encountered in local development, industries, and culture and urban and rural demands. Subsequently, the plan team can propose constructive projects to improve or solve the problems identified. Type A plans can be applied for by submitting an individual project proposed by an interdisciplinary teacher or an integrated project proposed using the resources of intercollegiate teams.
Conditions to apply for the germination plan (Type B): The plan team must have completed a Type A plan or have 2 years of experience in executing MOE projects or other governmental agency projects related to servicing regional industry clusters; providing counseling for the transformation of industrial parks, cultural, and social practices; and engaging in local innovation. Plan teams should possess a certain degree of experience in promoting social practices but should have not engaged in them on a large scale. To systematically and sustainably develop local industry, local culture, and urban and rural areas, plan teams can continue improving on project plans. Type B can be applied for by intermural or interdisciplinary teacher teams using the resources and energy of intermural teams.
Conditions to apply for the cultivation plan (Type C): The plan team must have completed a Type B plan or have at least 4 years of experience in executing MOE projects or other governmental agency projects related to servicing regional industry clusters; providing counseling for the transformation of industry parks, cultural, and social practices; and furthering local innovation. The team must have abundant experience in promoting social practices; a comprehensive framework and organization; and a stable, systematic, and mature operating model to assist local development, which can be used to develop a new economy of scale. Given that the plan team has already accomplished Type B plans, these teams should shoulder the responsibility to impart their experience and employ community management concepts to continue expanding on and disseminating their achievements. In addition to focusing on the practical aspects of the project plan, Type C plans should establish mechanisms to facilitate intermural operations and provide implementation plan counseling for at least five institutions of higher education. Therefore, the plan team can replicate their successful experiences, expand the benefits of their project, and achieve sustainable management.

Become the paragon of the nursing and health care field.
Implement technique grounding, technique refining, career connection, local connection, interdisciplinary learning, innovation and implementation, international mobility

The term “Green University” indicates a university that minimizes its use of electricity, water, and fuel resources. The GreenMetric World University Ranking was established to assess the environmental sustainability of universities and encourage universities to become greener. Subsequently, concepts related to sustainable development and environmental protection were integrated into university education to harness the teaching function of universities and increase the environmental awareness of faculty. A “green university” is known throughout the world as one that engages in all kinds of activities to advance sustainable development. The term indicates the responsibility of higher education for the development of society.
The GreenMetric World University Ranking is an environmental protection and sustainable development index based on six categories: setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste, water, transportation, and education.
In 2022, 26 Taiwanese universities were listed on the GreenMetric World University Ranking, 8 of which were within the top 100. National Pingtung University of Science and Technology ranked 31st, the highest among Taiwanese universities. Nanhua University and National Chin-Yi University of Technology both ranked 1st in waste disposal scores. Dayeh University had the highest score in water resource evaluation items. National Chi Nan University, National Cheng Kung University, Chaoyang University of Technology, and National Yunlin University of Science and Technology were all within the top 100.

The Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings adopt the 17 SDGs of the United Nations as evaluation standards of the societal impact of universities. These standards include no poverty, zero hunger, favorable health and well-being, high-quality education, and gender equality. In this way, the Impact Rankings differ greatly from the standard criteria of ranking universities that judge academic research or institutional reputation. In 2022, the Impact Ranking ranked 768 universities from 85 countries, among which 24 were Taiwanese universities. National Cheng Kung University ranked 38th, the highest among Taiwanese universities, followed by National Changhua University of Education at 66 and National Taiwan University between 100 and 200.
Among the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations, SDG 17, “Partnerships for the goals” is a mandatory indicator of the Impact Rankings and accounts for 22% of the total score. For the arbitrary ranking weights, universities may select three standards of evaluation based on their most prominent strengths; these three standards combined account for 26% of the total score. Therefore, universities can select specific directions and fields of development and are not required to master all sustainable development goals.
In 2022, 26 Taiwanese universities were listed on the GreenMetric World University Ranking, 8 of which were within the top 100. National Pingtung University of Science and Technology ranked 31st, the highest among Taiwanese universities. Nanhua University and National Chin-Yi University of Technology both ranked 1st in waste management scores. Dayeh University had the highest score in water resource evaluation items. National Chi Nan University, National Cheng Kung University, Chaoyang University of Technology, and National Yunlin University of Science and Technology were all within the top 100.