On December 6, 2024, the Center for General Education at Taiwan Tech held the “South City Forum” with the theme “Sustainable Local Learning Co-constructed by Teachers and Students”. Scholars from Tunghai University, National Dong Hwa University, National Central University, and National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology gathered to discuss how strategies such as “general education college formation” and “interdisciplinary learning” can promote dialogue between the humanities and professional fields, aiming to implement sustainable local learning with a focus on community regeneration and action-based learning. The concurrent “Social Practice Expo” invited students and faculty from the National Taiwan University System to showcase projects that translate classroom learning into socially impactful outcomes, covering diverse topics such as local community engagement, cross-cultural experiences, and sustainable redevelopment. Creative booths and limited-edition MBTI eco-friendly tote bags were also used to promote the concept and practice of sustainability.

Group photo from the South City Forum event.

“South City and Infinite University Building Sustainability Together”: Students explore disaster prevention issues in Gongguan using engineering design thinking, integrating smart technologies to practice SDG Goal 11.

The forum focused on two main themes: “General Education College Formation” and “Interdisciplinary Learning” For the “General Education College Formation” theme, Dr. Chung-Ming Wang, Director of the Center for General Education of Tunghai University, and Dr. Chia-Wen Chu, Dean of the College of Huilan at National Dong Hwa University, shared their experiences in the transformation and implementation of general education. The “Interdisciplinary Learning” theme invited Dr. Li-Jung Wang, Associate Dean of the Department of Hakka Language and Social Sciences at National Central University, and Mr. Bing-Quan Xie, Career Counseling Group Leader at the Alumni Service and Employment Center of National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, to discuss how practical projects and innovative courses can cultivate students’ workplace skills and social responsibility. Additionally, Group Leaders Yi-Chen Lin and Hsiu-Chin Hung from the Taiwan Tech General Education Center shared featuring activities, including the “Artist-in-Residence Program” and the “South City STREAM Immersive Summer School”, highlighting the university’s diverse educational models and innovative outcomes.

Dr. Chung-Ming Wang (first from left), Director of the Center for General Education of Tunghai University, shares valuable experiences on the transformation and implementation of general education.

In his closing speech, Taiwan Tech President Jia-Yush Yen expressed gratitude to all the staff at the Center for General Education for their persistence and commitment, emphasizing the university’s role as a platform for two-way communication and collaboration between professional and general education. This also underscores the university’s determination to value liberal arts education alongside technological training. Dr. Sy-Ying Lee, Director of the Center for General Education, pointed out that with the development of the University Social Responsibility (USR) concept, local learning has become an important strategy. One of the key goals of the center is to integrate the spirit of sustainability into general education and apply it to social practice courses.

Taiwan Tech President Jia-Yush Yen delivers a speech at the South City Forum.

In her speech, Professor Chia-Wen Chu from National Dong Hwa University mentioned that in the 2022 academic year, Dong Hwa officially transformed its General Education Committee into the Huilan College, integrating educational resources across departments. The college also launched the “Valley Cross-Disciplinary Bachelor’s Degree Program”, which empowers students to lead their own learning and develop professional themes while comprehensively advancing “Hualien Studies”.

Professor Dr. Li-Jung Wang from National Central University pointed out that according to the 2024 World Economic Forum, future workplaces will demand skills such as critical thinking, creativity, resilience, and leadership. In recent years, many universities have invested considerable effort into fostering these skills through interdisciplinary practice and training in general education courses.

Assistant Professor Hsiu-Chin Hung from the Taiwan Tech’s Center for General Education introduced the “South City STREAM Immersive Summer School”, a five-day camp designed to foster cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration. The camp leads high school students to experience local community integration. Guided by university professors and student teaching assistants, participants engage in hands-on learning through interdisciplinary projects on the Taiwan Tech campus and in surrounding cultural and residential areas. The event ties social issues to local cultural contexts, encouraging students to observe and think critically while cultivating a strong sense of social responsibility and civic awareness.

Taiwan Tech President Jia-Yush Yen (first from left) personally presented the award for the “Outstanding Group in Lifelong Education Topics and Video Production” and took a photo with the winning team.

At the closing of the forum, the Social Practice Expo’s final review and awards ceremony was held to encourage faculty and students to work together and give back to society through their learning. Taiwan Tech student Yu-Peng Hu shared that his team, focusing on the Dadaocheng area, invested significant effort into developing a chatbot-based multimodal interactive tour guide under the guidance of their instructor. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to co-create and practice alongside their teacher.

Assistant Professor Yi-Chen Lin from the Center for General Education emphasized that the goal of this Expo was to transcend the limitations of the university’s social practice credit requirements and promote a spirit of continued social engagement. Many courses now incorporate PBL (Project-Based Learning) teaching designs, and the Expo brought together various exciting projects co-created by faculty and students. It focused on showcasing students’ proactive abilities, channeling their passion and expertise into socially impactful creations. She encouraged everyone to carry this spirit beyond the campus.