Achievements and Highlights of the NUK SPROUT Project
The National University of Kaohsiung’s SPROUT Project, in its first phase (2023-2024), was implemented under the theme “NUK Supports NEXT” to align with the initiative’s four major pillars. The project encompasses four key dimensions and twenty-two sub-projects. The following presents our current achievements and highlights related to various aspects of the SPROUT initiative:
I. Enhancing Teaching Innovation
1. Developed the “NUK I-Course”, the intelligent course selection guidance system, to support students in interdisciplinary learning.
2. A cumulative total of 2,033 students participated in self-directed learning courses or projects during the academic years 2023-2024.
3. Enforced an early warning system to monitor student learning outcomes, achieving a grade improvement rate of 91.00% for students with likely failing grades. The average grade improvement rate in the 2023 academic year reached 92.08%.
4. Cultivated talent specializing in sensory technology, achieving exceptional results in the international Virtual Design World Cup (VDWC). From 2016 to 2024, participants won three championships, nine runner-up awards, and eleven Special Jury Prizes.
5. Connected 6 countries and 9 partner institutions through the Asian Virtual Academy and hosted two thematic forums in 2023-2024. A total of 1,250 participants completed the forums and received certificates, while the events accumulated 36,410 views on YouTube.
II. Fulfilling Social Responsibility
1. Implemented the USR-affiliated project Autonomous Disaster Preparedness and Sustainable Urban Empowerment in Resilient Communities Programme. From 2023 to 2024, 130 students were trained as certified disaster prevention specialists, with integrated efforts from campus facilities and faculty teams to strengthen disaster preparedness.
2. Collaborated with high schools to design diverse and adaptive courses. During 2023–2024, faculty from multiple colleges offered 64 courses, engaging a cumulative total of 1,667 high school students. This initiative demonstrates NUK’s commitment to social responsibility, aligning with the spirit of the 108 Curriculum Guidelines to cultivate talent tailored to individual aptitudes.
3. Facilitated collaborations between the university and local governments. Eight professors from NUK served as presidents of nationally recognized academic associations, positioning the university as a key think tank. The Science and Technology Center for Disaster Prevention and Reduction, in particular, plays a vital role as a think tank for the Kaohsiung City Government, supporting government policies and nurturing industry talent.
III. Strengthening Academia-Industry Collaboration
1. Secured first place for two consecutive years in the Intelligent Robots Division of the National Intelligent Innovation and Interdisciplinary Creation Contest in Universities and Colleges.
2. Participated in the Student Laboratory Exchange Programme within the National University System of Taiwan, encouraging students to conduct research and gain experience in laboratories at partner institutions.
3. From 2023 to 2024, submitted 15 academia-industry linkage project applications, held 22 industry capacity-building micro-courses, and supported 26 entrepreneurial teams in participating in on-campus and external innovation competitions, as well as in entrepreneurship subsidy programmes.
4. Established an academia-industry collaboration resource system, integrating resources from both the university and industry to foster cooperation and resource sharing.
IV. Enhancing the Public Value of Higher Education
1. Honoured for six consecutive years with the Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Award (TCSA), demonstrating consistent excellence in sustainability performance and social impact.
2. From 2023 to 2024, supported students from economically or culturally disadvantaged backgrounds through five major assistance programmes that directly benefited 261 participants, thereby enhancing access to higher education.
3. Improved indigenous students’ proficiency in native languages, with four students taking certification exams in 2023, of whom three successfully obtained certifications. Notably, one non-indigenous student earned certifications in three basic-level and one intermediate-level indigenous languages.
4. In 2024, Hong-Qiang Shi, an Atayal student from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, overcame adversity to win the Presidential Education Award, exemplifying resilience and the transformative power of education. Additionally, from 2023 to 2024, eight students passed the civil engineering category of the Special Examination for the Indigenous Peoples, and one student qualified as a fourth-grade administrative police officer.
Sprout Project Achievements Website: https://sprout.nuk.edu.tw