After Fifteen Years of Affirmation, Tzu Chi University Again Receives Grant from the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Sprout Project

The public has recognized Tzu Chi University’s education quality for years. On April 27, the Ministry of Education announced the list of institutions receiving a grant from the Higher Education Sprout Project. Tzu Chi University obtained a total of NT$58,554,909. Each year, during the past fifteen years, the University has received assistance from the Teaching Excellence Program or Higher Education Sprout Project, provided by the Ministry of Education.

The University’s medical education has produced fruitful results. Passing rates of the National Licensure Examinations have been higher than the national average. All medical students passed Phase II of the National Licensure Exam for Physicians; 98.78% of the nursing students passed their licensure exam; the passing rate for physical therapy students was 61.54%.

People have worried, since 2020, when the COVID-19 epidemic started raging worldwide. The University upholds the motto “kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity” and the educational principle of compassion and altruism to carry out epidemic-related prevention measures, research and development, and service to the public. The University worked with the Academia Sinica and Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital to develop a COVID-19 detection kit, which has benefited numerous people globally. In 2021 the product received an SNQ（Symbol of National Quality）certification, a national affirmation, and a standard in biomedical healthcare products and services. The organizers recognized the University’s endeavor to develop a healthcare peripheral product and its devotion to public service.

Faculty members, staff, and students have been attending to the needs of local communities. They have served at rapid test stations set up by Tzu Chi Foundation to assist in testing, and organized teams to help give vaccinations. To assist students from elementary school to high school in catching up with their peers, the University has collaborated with Tzu Chi Foundation and the Pa Game for an online tutoring program entitled “Learning Online with Fun.” Seven hundred and eight college students participated in the program, and 159 are Tzu Chi University students; they have been accompanying more than 2,200 students from underprivileged families to keep learning vigorously during the epidemic period and the summer break.

The reviewers affirmed that Tzu Chi University has taken various proactive steps and achieved remarkable results in fulfilling its social responsibilities. To support indigenous students and those from economically disadvantaged families in eastern Taiwan, the University put available resources together to assist them. As a result, the dropout rate is far lower than the national average. Moreover, to make the public aware of drug abuse, the University works with Tzu Chi Foundation’s Teachers Association and the public sector to sponsor the anti-drug abuse campaign around Taiwan and encourage young children to “Say No to Drugs.” Reviewers have spoken highly of this effort.

Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy presents the Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards in five categories to outstanding Taiwanese institutions and foreign institutions operating in Taiwan, for their contributions to sustainability. In 2021, the University received a silver award for its CSR report. It also won an Outstanding University Award for overall achievement in sustainability. The University’s Center for USR Teaching and Research has been working with the Hualien County Government and National Hualien Vocational High School of Agriculture. The team has developed a smart agriculture demonstration base, monitored hydroponic planting with intelligence, uploaded hydroponic data to the cloud for information sharing, and promoted smart agriculture in Hualien.

Tzu Chi University adheres to preparing its students to become outstanding professionals. For the past fifteen years, it has received funding from the Teaching Excellence Program and the Higher Education Sprout Project. The University also works with Tzu Chi Foundation, which has global resources, and moves forward with clear visions, such as carrying out its significant tasks in Taiwan, building international collaborations, focusing on people-oriented approaches, and developing with sustainability in mind. The University will continue to work toward one of its original goals, which is to attend to the needs of eastern Taiwan.

In 2021, the Service-Learning Group of the Center for Faculty Development and Instructional Resources received an award from the Ministry of Education for its operational effectiveness. The Ministry of Education bestowed awards on numerous University service-learning-related groups and individuals. Twenty-two Tzu Chi University students obtained Outstanding Volunteer Service Awards, and five volunteer groups received Outstanding Volunteer Group Awards. The Department of Child Development and Family Studies received the Outstanding Group Award for its efforts in working with Hualien County Government to manage the Parent-Child Center in Hualien City and Child Care Resource Center in Guangfu Township with the spirit of humanism.

Tzu Chi University is grateful for affirmation and support from the Ministry of Education. The University will stand on solid ground, participating in the national development plan and following the spirit of the Ministry of Education’s projects to formulate various strategies and prepare students to meet the needs of global industrial transformation.