The Ministry of Education yesterday launched a two-week online exhibition showcasing local universities’ efforts to practice social responsibility.
The “USR Online Expo,” which runs until Dec. 27, presents the work of university students and academics in promoting social responsibility and humanitarian projects across the nation, the ministry said.
A total of 217 university social responsibility (USR) projects completed by 97 universities and colleges are featured in this year’s event, the ministry added.
Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Times
This year’s event has the theme “Glocal” (耀在地—躍國際) to promote the concept of “Think globally, act locally,” organizers said.
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this third edition of the annual event is being held virtually for the first time, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said at the launch in Taipei.
Previous expos were held in Taipei and Kaohsiung, he added.
Despite the online format, Pan said he believed that the exhibition this year would reach even greater audiences.
For universities and colleges, fulfilling social responsibility is “a new beginning and a challenge,” Pan said.
Connecting with local communities would not reduce academic research at universities, but rather allow the public to witness universities’ contributions to local communities in areas such as industry, culture and environmental sustainability, he said.
To realize university social responsibility is to transform higher education, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) said.
One of the highlights of the USR Online Expo is a series of prerecorded speeches by 10 local and international experts on topics such as sustainable cities and communities, health and well-being, industrial innovation, quality education and global connection, organizers said, adding that series speakers include Ho Tine-yuang (何天元), vice chief executive of the Eden Social Welfare Foundation; Kelly Kok (郭雪貞), executive director of the Jane Goodall Institute Taiwan; and Shadow Chen (陳惠琳), chief executive of Circular Taiwan Network.
For the “Community Group Stories” section of the exhibition, 17 companies, nonprofit organizations, non-governmental organizations and local youth groups — such as Tainan’s Chimei Museum and Barclay Memorial Park, and 5% Design Action, a platform that encourages people to spend 5 percent of their free time on social innovation actions — were invited to write brief articles sharing their connection with social responsibility, they said.
The exhibition also features 31 short films, chosen from 194 entries, which were produced by the USR teams as a way of introducing their projects, they added.
People can visit 2020usrexpo.org to see the online exhibition.
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