As Taiwan faces the challenges of a super-aged society and increasingly complex social needs, how can universities apply their expertise to address real-life issues related to health, care, and society? From October 1 to 3, National Chung Cheng University (CCU) participated in the 2026 7th Cares Expo Taipei, bringing together multiple CCU University Social Responsibility (USR) project teams, the Transitional Justice Education Platform, and member universities of the USR Alliance at the Innovative Social Prescribing Pavilion. Covering areas ranging from elder care, cancer support, and migrant inclusion to energy transition, historical memory, and human rights education, the exhibition demonstrated how CCU brought academic expertise into communities and developed diverse “social prescriptions” tailored to local needs.

The 2026 7th Cares Expo Taipei, themed “The Evolution of Care,” aimed to build a “community-inclusive care ecosystem” connecting health, long-term care, community life, and other dimensions of well-being. The Innovative Social Prescribing Pavilion expanded the conventional notion of care beyond disease treatment, emphasizing that health is closely connected to social relationships, community participation, culture, education, and the living environment. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, the pavilion explored how healthcare can extend beyond clinical settings and become integrated into everyday life.

Coordinated by CCU, the exhibition showcased a wide range of social engagement initiatives. The project “Co-Creating a Happy Life for Older Adults: An Interdisciplinary Human Rights Practice Program” addressed dignity, autonomy, and social participation among older adults from the perspectives of human rights and social prescribing. “Living with Cancer, Co-Creating Science: Taiwan SSP Social Impact Practice Project” supported people living with cancer by connecting scientific knowledge with social support networks. “Hear Me Out—Chiayi Migrant and Multicultural Community Co-Prosperity Project” promoted cultural understanding and social inclusion for migrant workers and new immigrants. Other initiatives, including rooftop solar photovoltaic projects, further incorporated environmental safety, technology governance, and community resilience into a broader vision of healthy living.

The exhibition also brought together USR Alliance partner universities, including National Cheng Kung University, National Dong Hwa University, Tzu Chi University, and Kaohsiung Medical University. By sharing diverse practices and experiences across institutions, the participating universities collectively demonstrated how academic expertise can be translated into “social prescriptions” that respond to real-world social needs.

During the exhibition, the Innovative Social Prescribing Pavilion also hosted the book launch of When We Grow Old: Law in Real Life, featuring Professor Hui-Ling Shih of CCU’s Department of Law and Chih-Hao Ho, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights of Older Persons. The event attracted a large audience. Drawing on the perspectives of law and the human rights of older persons, the speakers explored legal and rights-related issues that people may encounter later in life, bringing law beyond statutes and institutions into everyday life as a “prescription for living” that safeguards dignity and autonomy in old age.

CCU also brought transitional justice into the discussion of social prescribing. Under the theme “A Social Prescription for Healing Social Divides through Transitional Justice,” the Transitional Justice Education Platform engaged different generations in understanding local historical memory and cultural diversity through art workshops, film lectures, teacher exchanges, audiovisual documentation, and youth participation. By fostering intergenerational dialogue and community connections, the initiative expanded the concept of social prescribing from individual well-being to the restoration of social relationships and mutual understanding.

From supporting individual physical and mental well-being and strengthening community resilience to fostering social understanding and connection, CCU hoped that this joint exhibition would demonstrate how USR can serve as a platform linking university expertise with real-world social needs. Through continued interdisciplinary collaboration and community-based practice, CCU sought to build more inclusive, resilient, and supportive networks that contribute to greater well-being across society.

The 2026 7th Cares Expo Taipei was held from October 1 to 3 on the 4th floor of Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1. CCU’s USR teams showcased their diverse social engagement initiatives at the Innovative Social Prescribing Pavilion.