Our university continues to advance the Higher Education Sprout Project with the goal of achieving “Net-Zero Emissions by 2050” and promoting sustainable development, yielding outstanding results. Over the past three years, student enrollment has grown against national trends—from 6,381 students in 2022 to 6,635 in 2024. The university is committed to supporting students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds through a three-pronged strategy of recruitment, academic support, and career counseling. We have actively expanded services and admissions initiatives for underprivileged students. The number of tuition-waiver recipients increased from 585 students in the 2023 academic year to 931 in the 2024 academic year; applications for financial aid rose from 166 to 212 in the same period. Meanwhile, total enrollment increased from 5,991 to 6,632 students, demonstrating the university’s commitment to reducing students’ financial burden and helping them achieve their academic goals.
University governance integrates national priorities such as climate change, social resilience, and health promotion. In 2022, the University established the College of Shuili–Shayuan to cultivate talent for regional revitalization and to build a local knowledge–learning ecosystem. In the same year, the Sustainable Development Committee was established to promote net-zero strategies and solar energy development. The university has already signed agreements for a solar generation capacity of 8,440 kWp, with the goal of achieving full on-campus electricity self-generation and self-consumption by 2043, moving toward a net-zero campus. In 2023, we founded the College of Nursing and Health Well-being to train nursing and long-term care professionals, and we assisted Nantou County in establishing specialized disaster shelters to enhance emergency resilience.
From 2023 to 2024, the Higher Education Sprout Project has centered on the theme “Global Vision, Local Engagement,” showcasing outstanding achievements.
“Global Vision”
The university actively undertakes overseas Chinese and international student recruitment and is dedicated to enhancing students’ global mobility. The ratio of international to domestic students has remained stable at 1:10. We have strengthened professional recruitment efforts abroad by participating in more international education fairs and expanding recruitment territories to the Philippines, India, Japan, and other countries. Overseas alumni associations (Hong Kong–Macau, Indonesia, Malaysia) and online communities have also been established. By participating in international education conferences, the university has expanded and maintained collaborations with 174 international and cross-strait partner institutions, continuously offering opportunities for study abroad, dual degrees, and faculty exchanges.
From 2021 to 2024, the university served as the chair institution of the Taiwan–Japan University Alliance and successfully secured the hosting rights for the 2025 World Green University Global Ranking Conference. Through our university social responsibility (USR) projects, we have assisted Cambodia in improving water resources and sanitation, expanding our international impact. Our “Green Shuili–Shayuan Sustainable Value and Talent Development Project” received the 2024 Asia-Pacific and Taiwan SDGs Action Gold Award. Additionally, we collaborate with Japan and Chiang Mai University in Thailand on regional revitalization, coffee farm consulting, English-medium instruction, and internship programs, contributing to the development of the global labor market.
“Local Engagement”
The university has completed 3,266.895 kWp of rooftop solar installations, progressing toward the 2043 net-zero carbon goal. In June 2024, we signed an MoU with the Nantou County Government to provide emergency shelter facilities. The university also received certification as an environmental education facility and launched 24 environmental education courses in 2023–2024, supporting ecological restoration and enhancing biodiversity.
From 2023 to 2024, the university offered 119 community engagement courses, involving 5,398 student participations in local affairs. Five USR projects have been implemented, covering rural education, local industries, cross-cultural engagement, and health and leisure initiatives. Through the integration of education, research, and service, the university has deepened its long-term commitment to local development and built a sustainable and mutually beneficial social engagement network.
Local employment rates for the university’s graduates continue to rise—from 9.00% in 2022, 9.48% in 2023, to 10.25% in 2024—demonstrating concrete success in cultivating local talent and promoting regional employment.