NEWS
University Social Responsibility
- Publish Date：2023-11-16
- Units：Communication and Outreach
Practicing USR in Kinmen: NYCU deeply cultivates education, jointly creating locally sustainable courses
Based at Kinmen High School, NYCU deeply cultivates education and collaboratively creates local sustainable courses. (Photo from Kinmen High School)
Translated by Chia-Jung Lin
Edited by Yen-Chien Lai
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National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) has long been committed to local education, acknowledging the limited resources in remote and island areas. To fulfill its university social responsibility, especially in teacher training, NYCU has decided to venture to Kinmen, a serene island located in the Taiwan Strait.
To cultivate exceptional educators, NYCU has selected Kinmen High School as its base institution, launching the recruitment of a local teacher community that spans schools, disciplines, and educational stages. Workshops and lecture courses are being organized as part of this initiative.
Moreover, NYCU has collaborated with Kinmen University's Food Science program to conduct local capacity-building seminars focused on the application of sorghum. This initiative injects more educational vitality into the community, providing additional resources for primary and secondary school teachers. It is not just an infusion of education but also marks the beginning of a transformative journey.
NYCU leads teachers in the laboratory to experience the milling, component extraction, and testing of sorghum rice, and demonstrates the on-site production of puffed sorghum rice cakes using a puffing machine. (Photo from Kinmen High School)
Empowering Education: NYCU's Interdisciplinary Initiatives in Kinmen
In early September, Director Chih-Yuan Sun of the Teacher Education Center at NYCU led a team of ten professors on a journey to Kinmen High School. They provided valuable professional development opportunities for high school, junior high, and elementary school teachers in the Kinmen area. The goal was to cultivate teachers across different educational stages in the fields of science, technology, and the arts and humanities.
The ultimate aim of this program is to introduce the concepts and practices of a new curriculum and digital learning. This will be achieved through interdisciplinary learning activities involving both teachers and students, promoting the adoption of these innovative approaches.
In the workshop, lectures on six different themes were provided, sharing the latest developments in contemporary science, digital technology, and innovative teaching with Kinmen's teachers. This facilitated interdisciplinary dialogue and laid the foundation for sustainable development. The workshop drew local teachers together, forming a community that collectively explored the newest educational trends.
All of these efforts are aimed at enhancing the educational standards in Kinmen, aligning with NYCU's university social responsibilities of ‘local commitment,’ ‘long-term engagement,’ ‘resource sharing,’ ‘applied research,’ and ‘talent cultivation.’
Director Chih-Yuan Sun of the Teacher Education Center, along with more than 10 teachers, went to Kinmen to respond to the Ministry of Education's "Teacher Education University Social Responsibility Practice Plan" (Teacher Education USR), assisting in enhancing the professional development of Kinmen teachers.
Said Director Chih-Yuan Sun, "NYCU places great importance on the university's social responsibility and the mission to advance hand in hand with counties and cities. Through the transmission of professional knowledge, the Teacher Education Center collaborates closely with local teachers, striving to develop distinctive features in regional education. This is part of their commitment to giving back to society."
In this teacher training workshop, there were not only keynote speeches and teaching practices but also ample opportunities for communication and discussion. What's even more special is that Honorary Chairman Chi-Teng Wu of the Environmental Education Association shared his years of experience in promoting sustainable development in the environment in Kinmen.
Principal Zi-You Hsu of Kinmen High School excitedly pointed out that this workshop not only aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals but also emphasizes competency-based teaching in the new curriculum, cutting-edge cognitive neuroscience research, and international trends in education. They also shared how to leverage rich teaching resources and digital learning tools.
After the conclusion of the workshop, attending teachers expressed their gratitude to NYCU and Kinmen High School for their commitment to enhancing students' inquiry and practical abilities.
They also optimistically stated that this event not only overcame geographical distances but also brought Kinmen students closer to opportunities in digital learning. They look forward to future collaborative efforts with educational partners, aiming to contribute even more to the growth of students.
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