The “Business Social Responsibility and Service” course, jointly offered by the Commercial Design and Business Administration departments at Chung Yuan Christian University, adopts an interdisciplinary collaboration model. This course assists non-profit organizations and social enterprises in addressing challenges, using professional creativity to create social impact. This year, students carried out service learning and university social responsibility projects through activities such as ecological-themed challenges, interactive parent-child picture books, second-hand sustainability markets, and the development of cooperative websites, embodying the cross-disciplinary spirit of “From ZERO TO HERO.”
This morning (24th), Chung Yuan Christian University held a press conference titled “From ZERO TO HERO” at the Taipei NGO House. The event, fully organized by students, showcased their achievements through projects, posters, and videos, with each team presenting creative skits to highlight their efforts. For example, the “Ubag Team,” which promotes a second-hand bag recycling project, used a humorous skit featuring personified yellow plastic bags to spark reflections on resource wastage in daily life.
Building on the success of Chung Yuan’s University Social Responsibility (USR) projects in Zhuolan Township, Miaoli, and the Taoyuan Aerotropolis, students made new breakthroughs this year. The Zhuolan Community Team organized a one-day challenge event in April for local elementary school students at the now-closed Baibufan Elementary School, incorporating themes of the Leopard Cat and local fruits to introduce the unique features of the Baibufan Community through an educational and entertaining format. Meanwhile, the Taoyuan Aerotropolis Team developed an interactive picture book to engage students from Xiaoli Elementary School. Using teaching designs such as a ROCAF 35th Squadron history reveal, Q&A sessions, and scratch painting, the project allowed students to learn about the squadron’s history. Yi-Fen Wang, a third-year Business Administration student, expressed her hope to expand this initiative to other elementary schools in Taoyuan, helping more people understand the precious historical memories of the Taoyuan Aerotropolis.
The Ubag Team also hosted an on-campus market event in May themed “Saving the Earth Accidentally.” They used playful reinterpretations of famous artworks like The Gleaners, The Last Supper, and The Creation of Adam to creatively convey the importance of environmental protection, emphasizing that small actions in daily life can make a significant impact on the planet. Additionally, the M’UTU Cafe Team, which assisted the Hsinchu Guanxi M’UTU Cafe Cooperative in promoting local coffee, focused on building a brand image. They designed a website with coffee and beige tones reflecting the local environment, aiming to increase recognition of M’UTU Cafe, help farmers boost their income, and give back to the local community. Cooperative Chairman Ming-Kuang Song praised Chung Yuan students for their creative reinterpretation of M’UTU Cafe and expressed high expectations for the future impact of the website (accessible at M’UTU Cafe Website).
In addition to showcasing the teams’ achievements, the press conference also featured the visually striking main theme, “From Zero to Hero.” Presented as an interactive poster, small lights symbolized individuals, and touching the poster brought their collective energy to life, forming a grand design. Hao-Yun Shih, the designer, shared that his dual major in Commercial Design and Information and Computer Engineering enabled him to merge these disciplines into his work. “An individual’s power is limited, but a group crossing boundaries can drive breakthroughs,” he remarked.
The “Business Social Responsibility and Service” course at Chung Yuan Christian University has been running for over 17 years, combining the marketing expertise of the Business Administration department with the creative design strengths of the Commercial Design department. This year, seven faculty members co-instructed the course. Pei-Yuan Ting, a professor from the Business Administration department, noted that the four student teams excelled in areas such as community care, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability, and creative design. Despite facing challenges and disagreements, the students gained invaluable skills and experiences essential for their future careers.
