With the support of the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Sprout Project, National Ilan University has significantly enhanced its capabilities in teaching innovation, social responsibility, industry–academia collaboration, and the public value of higher education. In particular, the university has achieved substantial results in cultivating future talents needed by society, strengthening students’ competitiveness, promoting deep care and diverse practices, facilitating social mobility and participation, and generating positive impacts on individuals, society, and the environment. A summary of the project highlights is as follows:
I. Integrated Learning: Creating a New, Diverse, and Borderless Learning Vision
Led by National Ilan University, the “Food” and “Health” Happiness Alliance collaborates with multiple universities to design innovative courses centered on food technology and health care. By incorporating “one school supporting another,” “international co-editing and co-teaching,” “hybrid virtual–physical instruction,” and “AI digital integration,” the program drives digitalization and innovation in holistic health education.
Meanwhile, the “SCoT Four-University Alliance” offers the course “Sustainable Study Tours: Campus Sharing and Cross-Domain Practice,” which fosters cross-institution and cross-disciplinary interactive learning. This approach stimulates innovative thinking and social responsibility while strengthening students’ competitiveness and building a borderless learning environment.
II. Inspiring Innovation: Competitions and Entrepreneurship to Boost Future Competitiveness
The “Four-Year Unlock” course series adopts a “learning by doing” and “group collaboration” model to cultivate students’ abilities in problem discovery, problem-solving, and teamwork, providing a solid foundation for employment and entrepreneurship.
Students actively participate in competitions and have achieved outstanding results. Recently, they won first place in the “Asia·Silicon Valley 3.0 Smart IoT Innovation Category” and second place in the “Information Application Category (IP8)” at the 29th InnoServe Information Application Service Innovation Contest.
Their participation enhances not only problem-solving and innovation skills but also workplace competitiveness.
Additionally, the university actively supports entrepreneurship among Indigenous students. Through the “U-start Indigenous Innovation Program,” student startup teams have received a total of NT$6.55 million in scholarships, and eight Indigenous enterprises have been successfully guided to obtain resources, enhance operational capacity, and achieve entrepreneurial practice with social impact.
III. Local Cultural Heritage and Innovative Exhibition: Building the NIU Memory Bank
By integrating the “NIU Memory Bank” with campus cultural resources, the university combines its century-long heritage with the Kavalan Cultural Corridor, the Wanbin Pavilion archaeological exhibit, and ten historical interpretation sites to create a diverse learning environment.
Through hands-on field learning, students gain deeper understanding of local history and culture, develop interdisciplinary perspectives, and cultivate a profound sense of historical identity, thus embedding cultural transmission and innovation into educational practice.
IV. International Mobility and Cross-Boundary Collaboration: Advancing Sustainability and Global Connectivity
The number of participants in international mobility activities—such as field courses, overseas volunteer work, academic events, exchange programs, and internships—has nearly doubled, demonstrating the effectiveness of the university’s internationalization strategy.
By strengthening cooperation with overseas partner universities and local industries, and integrating sustainability topics into curricula and the “Shennong Volunteer Corps,” NIU has successfully promoted cross-boundary and cross-institution collaboration. These efforts fully advance the Lanyang Sustainable International Initiative while expanding students’ global vision and international influence.
V. Cross-Disciplinary Internship Sites and Local Engagement: Collaboration and Technological Innovation
NIU has actively developed experimental learning sites in Chengnan and Wujie, greatly enhancing internship quality in greenhouse cultivation, drone operations, and ranch management.
In the area of drone teaching and research, the university has successfully secured five research projects and trained over 30 students to obtain various levels of drone operation licenses issued by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
Through cross-disciplinary cooperation, students are guided to solve real-world problems, fostering joint growth between faculty and students.
As a national-class drone training base, NIU also promotes training for seed teachers at all levels, sharing services and cross-boundary collaboration to tightly integrate talent cultivation, academic research, and practical application.
VI. Enhanced Fundraising and Student Support: Comprehensive Development for Economically Disadvantaged Students
By strengthening fundraising capacity and establishing a scholarship platform, NIU has increased scholarship disbursements by 17% from 2022 to 2024, providing substantial financial support for students.
Support programs for economically disadvantaged students have also demonstrated remarkable outcomes. The average academic score of supported students (81.31) is significantly higher than that of the general student population (74.14).
Moreover, participation rates in career lectures and social service activities have reached 155.7% and 316.3%, far exceeding expectations.
These efforts not only alleviate financial stress but also help students achieve notable progress in academics, career readiness, and social engagement.