SDG3
NCKU and SUSS's cross-national collaborative intensive summer course, exploring aging issues and innovative solutions.
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), one of the six public universities in Singapore, have collaborated to launch a meaningful seven-day summer intensive course titled "Cross-National Collaboration in Exploring Aging Needs and Innovative Solutions". This course is part of the university's commitment to the University Social Responsibility (USR) project. Through various activities such as professional lectures, community enterprise visits, field interviews, case studies, and group competitions, 30 students from diverse cultural backgrounds are guided to learn how to translate creativity into practical innovative proposals, addressing pain points in aging-related issues.
Leveraging resources from NCKU's Research Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences, USR 2026 Project Team, Innovation Headquarters, Center for Sports Science and Healthy Aging, and the International Affairs Office, the "Cross-National Collaboration in Exploring Aging Needs and Innovative Solutions" summer cross-border, cross-disciplinary intensive course welcomes 15 students from Singapore on July 1st, followed by joint activities with 15 NCKU students starting from July 2nd, spanning seven days, integrating humanities and social care, industrial creativity, and internationalization.
Professor Li-Chuan Lin from the Institute of Physical Education, Health & Leisure Studies at NCKU mentioned that the first three days of field exchanges allowed students to see various entrepreneurial possibilities. The USR project provides students with opportunities to learn how to integrate social responsibility with entrepreneurial development. Students are encouraged to make full use of various resources available during their academic years to cultivate the skills required for entrepreneurship and prepare adequately for their post-graduation development. Associate Professor Kelvin Tan from SUSS, specializing in research on elderly welfare and industrial innovation, also noted that through this course, students from different cultural backgrounds can deepen their understanding of the diverse potentials of the elderly and stimulate more creative thinking.
The outcomes of this course include eight teams presenting their entrepreneurial concepts related to aging issues publicly on Saturday, July 8th. Experts from various fields such as startups, caregiving, venture capital, and culture are invited as judges to provide professional and practical perspectives, further assisting students in understanding the diversity of challenges faced by innovative proposals when addressing societal realities.
"Cross-National Collaboration in Exploring Aging Needs and Innovative Solutions" is a summer cross-border, cross-disciplinary intensive course offered by NCKU open to all disciplines. The teaching team includes Professor Li-Chuan Lin from the Institute of Physical Education, Health & Leisure Studies, Associate Professor Yu-Yu Chang from the Institute of International Business Management, Assistant Professor Shih-Feng Chiu from the Bachelor's Degree Program without Borders, and Associate Professor Kelvin Tan from SUSS. The four instructors jointly designed a seven-day course aimed at cultivating talents in the aging industry and entrepreneurship. Additionally, professionals from the industry, who are also alumni of NCKU, were invited to provide professional lectures focusing on startups. The speakers include Chao-Sheng Huang, General Manager of Advmeds, Jian-Wei Zhuang, CEO of Rainmaking Innovation, and Yi-Jen Chen, Founder of the Ordinary Women Village in Tainan's Houbi District.
The course starts with field observations, organizing on-site visits to communities in the northern region operated by the USR 2026 Project Team at NCKU. Students participate in community dining, harvests in the vegetable garden, and drumming activities. In the Guantian District, they were warmly welcomed by District Chief Bing-Yuan Huang, who introduced the local characteristics and listened to a local storyteller, Min-Qun Chen, explaining the process of environmental sustainability transformation in the area. The students also visited local cultural and creative venues in Houbi, Tainan, and technology startups in Kaohsiung, engaging in various compact and enriching activities such as case visits, surveys, interviews, and group proposal competitions. Each day, students exchange their collected entrepreneurial ideation tools with the industry and discover needs from different perspectives regarding aging issues. They transform observed pain points in aging issues into innovative proposal concepts, integrating characteristics from various fields and nationalities to develop cross-disciplinary innovative solutions.
Students participating in the course also gave positive feedback. A student from NCKU said, "Through the community practice visits, I realized that students can also apply the knowledge they have learned to the local area, connect resources from both sides, and achieve a win-win situation." Kelly, a student from Singapore, smiled and said, "Through observational visits and interviews, I discovered hidden social problems with outstanding NCKU students, proposed possible solutions, which was a rare experience. In addition, the elders and mentors in the community were very friendly, making me feel the enthusiasm of the people in Tainan."
"Cross-National Collaboration in Exploring Aging Needs and Innovative Solutions" is just the beginning of interdisciplinary and cross-border cooperation between NCKU and SUSS. Future exchanges and sharing of results are expected. It is hoped that through such cooperation, students can benefit from perspectives and experiences from different countries and cultures, cultivating a global vision and cross-cultural communication skills. These intensive courses and practical cross-border courses linked to university social responsibility will continue to be developed to cultivate students' practical abilities and innovative thinking, promoting collaboration among academia, industry, and other stakeholders to drive social progress and address real-world issues.
Leveraging resources from NCKU's Research Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences, USR 2026 Project Team, Innovation Headquarters, Center for Sports Science and Healthy Aging, and the International Affairs Office, the "Cross-National Collaboration in Exploring Aging Needs and Innovative Solutions" summer cross-border, cross-disciplinary intensive course welcomes 15 students from Singapore on July 1st, followed by joint activities with 15 NCKU students starting from July 2nd, spanning seven days, integrating humanities and social care, industrial creativity, and internationalization.
Professor Li-Chuan Lin from the Institute of Physical Education, Health & Leisure Studies at NCKU mentioned that the first three days of field exchanges allowed students to see various entrepreneurial possibilities. The USR project provides students with opportunities to learn how to integrate social responsibility with entrepreneurial development. Students are encouraged to make full use of various resources available during their academic years to cultivate the skills required for entrepreneurship and prepare adequately for their post-graduation development. Associate Professor Kelvin Tan from SUSS, specializing in research on elderly welfare and industrial innovation, also noted that through this course, students from different cultural backgrounds can deepen their understanding of the diverse potentials of the elderly and stimulate more creative thinking.
The outcomes of this course include eight teams presenting their entrepreneurial concepts related to aging issues publicly on Saturday, July 8th. Experts from various fields such as startups, caregiving, venture capital, and culture are invited as judges to provide professional and practical perspectives, further assisting students in understanding the diversity of challenges faced by innovative proposals when addressing societal realities.
"Cross-National Collaboration in Exploring Aging Needs and Innovative Solutions" is a summer cross-border, cross-disciplinary intensive course offered by NCKU open to all disciplines. The teaching team includes Professor Li-Chuan Lin from the Institute of Physical Education, Health & Leisure Studies, Associate Professor Yu-Yu Chang from the Institute of International Business Management, Assistant Professor Shih-Feng Chiu from the Bachelor's Degree Program without Borders, and Associate Professor Kelvin Tan from SUSS. The four instructors jointly designed a seven-day course aimed at cultivating talents in the aging industry and entrepreneurship. Additionally, professionals from the industry, who are also alumni of NCKU, were invited to provide professional lectures focusing on startups. The speakers include Chao-Sheng Huang, General Manager of Advmeds, Jian-Wei Zhuang, CEO of Rainmaking Innovation, and Yi-Jen Chen, Founder of the Ordinary Women Village in Tainan's Houbi District.
The course starts with field observations, organizing on-site visits to communities in the northern region operated by the USR 2026 Project Team at NCKU. Students participate in community dining, harvests in the vegetable garden, and drumming activities. In the Guantian District, they were warmly welcomed by District Chief Bing-Yuan Huang, who introduced the local characteristics and listened to a local storyteller, Min-Qun Chen, explaining the process of environmental sustainability transformation in the area. The students also visited local cultural and creative venues in Houbi, Tainan, and technology startups in Kaohsiung, engaging in various compact and enriching activities such as case visits, surveys, interviews, and group proposal competitions. Each day, students exchange their collected entrepreneurial ideation tools with the industry and discover needs from different perspectives regarding aging issues. They transform observed pain points in aging issues into innovative proposal concepts, integrating characteristics from various fields and nationalities to develop cross-disciplinary innovative solutions.
Students participating in the course also gave positive feedback. A student from NCKU said, "Through the community practice visits, I realized that students can also apply the knowledge they have learned to the local area, connect resources from both sides, and achieve a win-win situation." Kelly, a student from Singapore, smiled and said, "Through observational visits and interviews, I discovered hidden social problems with outstanding NCKU students, proposed possible solutions, which was a rare experience. In addition, the elders and mentors in the community were very friendly, making me feel the enthusiasm of the people in Tainan."
"Cross-National Collaboration in Exploring Aging Needs and Innovative Solutions" is just the beginning of interdisciplinary and cross-border cooperation between NCKU and SUSS. Future exchanges and sharing of results are expected. It is hoped that through such cooperation, students can benefit from perspectives and experiences from different countries and cultures, cultivating a global vision and cross-cultural communication skills. These intensive courses and practical cross-border courses linked to university social responsibility will continue to be developed to cultivate students' practical abilities and innovative thinking, promoting collaboration among academia, industry, and other stakeholders to drive social progress and address real-world issues.
NCKU and SUSS jointly offer a seven-day summer intensive course aiming to explore innovative responses to the needs of aging populations through interdisciplinary collaboration.
The summer course at NCKU utilizes resources from multiple units to provide a comprehensive learning experience, integrating humanities, social care, industrial creativity, and internationalization.
The course starts with field observations as the starting point, arranging rich and exciting on-site visits.
A total of 8 teams presented their course outcomes, showcasing entrepreneurial concepts related to aging developed during the program.
The summer intensive cross-border, cross-disciplinary course was conducted for 7 days by instructors from NCKU and SUSS, aiming to cultivate new talents in the aging industry.
The participating students realized through community practice visits that they could also apply the knowledge learned in class to local contexts.
The course signals the start of interdisciplinary collaboration between NCKU and SUSS, fostering ongoing partnerships between academia and industry to tackle societal challenges and drive progress.
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