Cheng Shiu University has demonstrated strong performance in implementing University Social Responsibility (USR) over the years. This year,

the USR project, "Gathering New Immigrants, Empowering Cijin's Growth Together," led by Associate Professor Paohsi Wang, chief of the Department of Food and Beverage Management office, stood out among the entries at the 5th Global Views Monthly University Social Responsibility Award and received the "Local Inclusion Role Model Award." The entire faculty and student body are proud of this achievement and outcome.

The award ceremony for the 5th Global Views Monthly University Social Responsibility Award 2024 was held on the afternoon of April 9th. The USR project, "Gathering New Immigrants, Empowering Cijin's Growth Together," stood out among 171 entries. Vice President Pu-Ping Yu, along with Dean of Academic Affairs Rui-Wei Kung and project leader/Associate Professor Paohsi Wang, attended the ceremony on behalf of the school to accept this prestigious award.

Paohsi Wang highlighted that according to statistics from the National Immigration Agency, MOI, the number of new immigrants in Taiwan has exceeded 580,000, making it the fifth largest ethnic group in the country. Among them, Kaohsiung City has the second largest population of new immigrants in the country, and Cijin District has the highest proportion of new immigrants in the city, accounting for 2% of the city's total population. New immigrants face various challenges after arriving in Taiwan, including basic daily living and diet, employment rights, social identity, and educating second-generation children.

The core goal of this project is to address critical challenges and difficulties faced locally by new immigrants. It offers various certificate training classes to enhance their employment and entrepreneurship skills. For example, a training class is provided to new immigrants to obtain food and beverage and chef certificates to aid in restaurant planning and business start-ups. Additionally, efforts are made to promote food and fisheries education to assist in developing "fish sauce" products. This shapes a friendly and inclusive "fishing village culture" to make the Cijin District a tourist highlight for new immigrants who may be nostalgic for their homeland.

Vice President Pu-Ping Yu expressed the hope of building a friendly and inclusive environment to help new immigrants reassuringly live and work in Taiwan. Meanwhile, injecting new vitality into the local communities creates a worthy cycle in Cijin District, where new immigrants and local residents support each other.

Global Views Monthly indicated that USR has become a popular and prominent project within Taiwan's sphere of higher education. The number of applications this year is unprecedented. The number of registered schools has increased from 44 to 54 from last year, representing a 27.7% increase. Additionally, the number of applications surged from 120 to 171 compared to the previous year, showing a 42.5% increase. Ultimately, six grand prizes and 28 role model awards were selected, with a project-winning rate of 19.9%. A total of 25 schools received awards, with a school-winning rate of 46.3%.