【Article by International College of Innovation】

The Inclusive Innovation USR Project, in collaboration with the International College of Innovation (ICI), recently presented the “NCCU in Connection” Exhibition in the lobby of the Dah Hsian Library at National Chengchi University (NCCU).

As a key initiative to promote socially engaged education, the USR Project fosters experiential learning, community engagement, and intercultural interaction. By connecting students with real-life social concerns and diverse local communities, the project plays a crucial role in transforming the university into a space for collaborative innovation and inclusive growth.

For the first time, this event hosted a joint final exhibition featuring 31 student-led projects from five different ICI courses:

• Migration and Globalization (6 projects) – Professor Ou Tzu-Chi
• Law and Storytelling (12 projects) – Professor Kuo Michelle
• Human Geography (5 projects) – Professor Chen Hung-Ying
• Sustainable Development and Regional Revitalization (6 projects) – Professor Tsai Wen-Yi
• Global Issues in Asia (2 projects) – Professor Ou Tzu-Chi

Through these courses, students from both Taiwan and around the world sought to understand and further explore the multifaceted aspects of Taiwanese society and global sustainability issues. Drawing from activities such as field visits, photography, interviews, and sensory-based learning, students were encouraged to bridge academic theory with real-world observation.

Date: 2025 June 6 (Fri) – June 13 (Fri)

The event began at 2:00 PM with an opening ceremony held just outside the library. Mr. Fang-Shii Ning, Associate Dean & Department Chair of ICI since August 2024, delivered a welcoming speech, followed by remarks from the Professors mentioned above.

The venue had been arranged to guide visitors through a walk-through ‘hall’, allowing them to take a look at all the projects while moving around the exhibition space.

Each stall was aimed to reflect the unique themes and learning outcomes acquired throughout the semester, merging academic research with creative formats. Both international and local students worked together in cross-cultural groups to explore issues related to migrant communities and identity, international student volunteering, regional revitalization, and education equity in Taiwan.

Project titles such as “Small but Impactful”, “Kuih-rious Tastes”, “Restorative Justice & Police Violence in France”, “Where There is Food, There is Home”, “CELEBRATING mga ugat”, and “From Ashes to Art” reflect the diversity and imagination behind each initiative.

The Migration and Globalization booths, for instance, explored the links between food, memory, and migrants’ identity. Some teams offered visitors a taste of Filipino beef soup, homemade international snacks, or local herbs grown in class gardening projects. Others were invited to smell traditional spices, compare abroad-adjusted recipes with the originals, or reflect on the meaning of “home” through drawing.

Meanwhile, the Law and Storytelling stands used original narratives and artwork to bring attention to topics such as animal rights, environmental justice, wrongful convictions, and the refugee experience, inviting visitors to rethink the intersection between law and empathy.

The Human Geography projects focused on Taipei’s urban landscapes and how space reflects social inequality and community interaction. Students used mapping, photography, and real fieldwork experiences to raise questions about power, mobility, and belonging in the city.

Stalls from the Sustainable Development and Regional Revitalization course offered practical and visual interpretations of local sustainability efforts in Taiwan, from tourism and regional economic growth to urbanization, addressing poverty and aging issues .

Lastly, Global Issues in Asia presented informative posters which delved into diverse responses to regional challenges such as precarity, cultural identity, and pop culture matters.

The audience –including students, faculty member,s and NCCU staff– was encouraged to engage actively with the booths through comics, art displays, posters, storytelling corners, food tastings, and interactive games. Visitors were also invited to speak with student presenters and vote for their favorite project using a sticker-based system, which made the event dynamic, reflectiv,e and participatory [Figure 1].

In the end, “Where there is food, there is home – International students’ story in Taiwan” (Migration and Globalization) was crowned the audience favorite!

This project was based on the personal stories of two Thai students. During the ceremony, they prepared pumpkin pudding –a Thai dessert that one of the students especially likes and misses [Figure 2].

Comments  such as “Such an innovative presentation!” and “Really interesting and thoughtful!” captured the strong impact and positive reception of the students’ work.

Overall, the “NCCU IN CONNECTION” Exhibition highlights how the Inclusive Innovation USR project brings together education and creativity to foster social awareness, dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving.

Built upon the new learning approaches of ICI courses, all these projects underscore the value of education as a tool for social impact, intercultural understanding, and inclusive innovation  [Figure 3].

■ Final Note: If you didn’t get a chance to visit the on-site exhibition, don’t worry! –the online version will be soon available on the USR official website section “歷屆展覽” (Previous exhibitions).

More about Us:

USR Inclusive Innovation Webpage: https://nccu-immigrants-digital-marketing.weebly.com/

ICI Webpage: https://ici.nccu.edu.tw/  | Instagram: @ici_nccu

Rooted in Connection, Flourishing Through Practice: A Joint Exhibition of Five ICI Courses under
NCCU’s USR Project

| Written by Raquel Estévez González 113203111