The 2026 Asia-Pacific Sustainability Expo (SDG Asia 2026), organized by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE), was held from August 27 to 29 at Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center. This year, National Chung Cheng University’s Office of Sustainable Development and Office of University Social Responsibility (USR) once again joined forces to participate in the Sustainable Education Zone. Integrating the outcomes of the university’s USR projects and USR Hub teams, the exhibition presented how universities can draw on interdisciplinary expertise to respond to social needs, engage deeply with local communities to address real-world challenges, connect teaching and research with social practice, and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The exhibition focused on key issues including an aging society, local revitalization, multiculturalism, environmental sustainability, and talent development, highlighting the outcomes accumulated through CCU’s long-term engagement with local communities. From aging care and the protection of health and dignity, to local cultural preservation and industrial transformation, as well as intergenerational inclusion, AI applications, and environmental governance, the exhibition demonstrated that USR projects not only bring university expertise into communities, but also work with local residents, community groups, industries, and partners from diverse sectors to identify challenges and develop solutions together. In doing so, universities can become important partners in advancing local sustainable development.

The exhibition also showcased achievements in experiential student learning, community-based co-creation, community engagement, and social impact, underscoring that USR is more than the implementation of individual projects; it is also an important learning process that brings students into real-world social settings. By engaging with local issues, participating in interdisciplinary collaboration, and taking part in hands-on activities, students gained an understanding of the complexity of social challenges beyond the classroom and transformed professional knowledge into problem-solving capabilities. At the same time, local communities served as important partners in university teaching and research, creating a two-way exchange in which “the university enters the community, and the community enters the campus.”

In addition to showcasing the achievements of its USR projects, another major highlight of CCU’s exhibition was the USR Alliance, initiated by National Chung Cheng University. CCU has long focused on cross-university collaboration and resource integration in the promotion of University Social Responsibility. Through the USR Alliance, CCU connected universities across Taiwan to facilitate experience sharing, resource exchange, and inter-university collaboration. Guided by the principles of “co-learning, co-creation, and shared prosperity,” the Alliance enabled universities to connect and learn from one another’s experiences accumulated across diverse local settings, further expanding the impact of University Social Responsibility.

CCU’s participation in the 2026 Asia-Pacific Sustainability Expo not only showcased the university’s accumulated achievements in local engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and sustainable development, but also provided a platform for exchange with government, industry, academia, research institutions, and civil society. It offered an opportunity for more people to see how universities can use USR to respond to major challenges facing Taiwanese society, including population aging, local development, cultural preservation, environmental change, and talent development. Through on-site interaction and the sharing of project outcomes, the exhibition also sought to foster more cross-university, interdisciplinary, and cross-sector partnerships, allowing successful practices to gain greater visibility, be shared and exchanged, and ultimately create broader impact.

The Office of University Social Responsibility at National Chung Cheng University stated that it will continue to build on the USR Institutional Support System to strengthen the connections among teaching, research, and local engagement, ensuring that social responsibility is not merely the task of individual projects but an integral part of university development and talent cultivation. At the same time, CCU will continue to leverage the USR Alliance as a platform for exchange and collaboration among universities, working with local communities, industries, and society at large to jointly address the challenges of sustainable development. From one university to a community, and from individual projects to inter-university collaboration, CCU looks forward to continuously building the power of “co-learning, co-creation, and shared prosperity” through USR—bringing knowledge beyond the campus, bringing expertise into local communities, transforming every act of engagement into action for social change, and working with partners across sectors to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and contribute greater momentum from universities toward Taiwan’s 2050 net-zero transition and a sustainable future.