Nanhua University’s overall goal for stage 1 of phase 2 (2023-2024) of the SPROUT project was ‘Inspiring Nanhua’s life education and environmental sustainability brand; cultivate students to possess abilities that strengthen their learning skills, green credentials, employment potentials, and all-roundness’. Below are the accomplishments and highlights of the project:
1.Building a mechanism for teaching and quality assurances, and attaining the goals for transdisciplinary and self-learning ability indices
We have been advancing the five-pronged course setup version 2.1, transdisciplinary learning, self-learning, competency-based teaching and courses, and teaching and learning quality assurance mechanisms. From 2022-2024, students’ core competency, learning efficacy, basic competency and learning abilities all reached optimal levels. In 2023 and 2024, the number of undergraduate students that completed transdisciplinary courses increased from 45.7% to 46.0%, and the percentage of full-time faculty members offering transdisciplinary courses increased from 22.0% to 26.6%. In the same period, the number of current students that has completed transdisciplinary courses were 21.3% and 10.5%, respectively. In addition, the percentage of faculty members that participated in other department’s courses or collaborated in transdisciplinary courses increased from 2.3% to 3.0%. In these two years, the percentage of course modules offered in bachelor degrees stood at 0.8% and 2.3%, respectively. Moreover, the number of courses with a practical- or training-based syllabus improved from 41.0% to 54.9%.
2.Striving toward academia-industry cooperation, and attaining problem-solving ability and employment satisfaction goals
We have strived to integrate institutional research (IR) and the four-in-one career counseling and track-and-trace system, strengthen the certification and competition joint system, develop an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, as well as construct a flexible and versatile mechanism for career transitioning and counseling. In 2023 and 2024, the pre- and post-test growth rate for the UCAN ‘problem-solving index’ reached 2.3% and 3.0%, respectively. Furthermore, the increased number of students who participated in internships and workplace experiences from 16.89% and 16.65% (Among them, the internship proportion is 9.5% and 8.8%; the workplace experience proportion is 7.4% and 7.8%). In the same two years, the job satisfaction percentage for students were 83.0% and 83.8%, respectively.
3.Striving toward a carbon-neutral campus by 2028, and attaining social participation and green energy goals
In our advancement toward a carbon-neutral campus by 2028, our ‘Carbon-neutral Campus Initiative’ received the Global Views Monthly – ‘Green Campus Award’ in 2023. From 2023-2024, we initiated two sustainable development projects and six USR Hub incubator projects, received the ‘2024 Asia Pacific Sustainable Action - Bronze Award’, developed an anti-disaster assessment system and resilience for the campus and our affiliated non-profit kindergarten. From 2023-2024, the number of students that completed courses that involved social participation increased from 19.3% to 20.0%. In terms of food, clothing, accommodation, transport, and entertainment, all six green action indices reach optimization targets.
4.Awarding the gifted, supporting the underprivileged, advancing our charitable and righteous standing, participating in projects for the economically disadvantaged and academically-gifted students to improve their overall growth
We have continued to advance the Three Acts of Goodness initiative on campus, strengthen our learning centers, implemented policies that replaced part-time work with learning opportunities for economically or culturally disadvantaged students. We have also deepened the integration of IR with self-study and responsibility. In 2022 and 2023 academic years, the final grades of the economically disadvantaged students who had participated in this project were 8.4% and 7.3% higher, respectively, than those who hadn’t participated in the project. Moreover, in 2023 and 2024, the percentage of economically or culturally disadvantaged students who had received life counseling stood at 12.8% and 14.4%, respectively. In addition, the number of students that has been adhering to the Three Acts of Goodness initiative – Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words, Think Good Thoughts – reached the goals set out in this project.
5.Advancing the impact of life education and environmental sustainability-in inspiring the characteristics of Nanhua’s brand in mind, body, and soul
Nanhua University was awarded the ‘2024 Life Education University Excellence Award’ for the fifth time by the Ministry of Education (the only university in the country to receive this award five times), the University was ranked 401-600 in the 2023-2024 World University Impact Rankings, placed in the top 100 of the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, received exceptional results for the ‘Environmental Education Institution Assessment’ in 2023, and honored with the ‘National Enterprise Environmental Protection Titan Award’ in 2023 for the second time. From 2022-2024, the vitality score of students improved from 4.6 to 4.7, whereas the vitality score of faculty members improved from 4.58 to 4.59. From 2023-2024, the number of visits to the Taiwan Life Education Image Hall by local and international visitors totaled 4,603 from 177 groups. The number of visits by schools in the countryside totaled 1,475 visitors from 37 schools. Furthermore, from a total of 123 events, 21,295 students enrolled in the “Ten Life Education Courses” offered by Nanhua University. In December 2024, the University will host the ‘2024 Organic World Congress – Advance Organic Agriculture, Realize Sustainability’, which will be attended by approximately 3,000 visitors (participants come from more than 60 countries).
