1.1 Spirit of the sustainable development goal (SDG) and the University’s Philosophy
Poverty is defined as a lack of funds or important resources that makes it difficult for people to lead a dignified life or even have sufficient money to live. Higher education can be utilized to address poverty eradication. The United Nations (UN) has made long-term investments in this important subject with the aim of narrowing the gap between rich and poor people. Higher education institutions can care for and support low-income students, whether economically, academically, or lifestyle. Furthermore, universities can provide local training courses and projects to support the disadvantaged and the poor, or provide facilities or funds to support such courses. These institutions can also proactively participate in regional, national, and global poverty eradication project plans, projects, or related research.
National Taiwan Normal University (henceforth NTNU or “the University”) regards poverty eradication as one of its important missions. In terms of overall institutional governance, the University supports culturally and economically disadvantaged students, including those who come from low- and middle-income families, students with disabilities, indigenous students, and overseas students. With combined resources from industry, the government, and academia, NTNU provides diverse “study with ease” measures to assist students to learn with ease and graduate successfully. At the community level, NTNU targets culturally and economically disadvantaged students with low academic achievements from schools in remote communities. The University provides them with teaching resources as well as remote tutoring and companionship. It is hoped that these educational strategies and measures will eradicate poverty and allow students to learn successfully and not be affected by cultural and economic constraints on their life development. At the national level, NTNU has long been concerned with the development of national cultural and economic policies and systems that are favorable to education, such as the advocacy and formulation of policies on language, rural education, and special education, which have had a tremendous social impact on the planning and reform of Taiwan’s education policy. On the international front, in addition to the development of domestic education policies and systems, the University is aligning with the New Southbound Policy of Taiwan to exert an international influence on education in Southeast Asia. NTNU is providing online Chinese language teaching programs, elementary-school curriculum planning for remote areas, an automated diagnosis and teaching system for Chinese listening and speaking, as well as other initiatives, all of which are relevant teaching resources to assisting education in Southeast Asian countries.
1.2 Achievements
Providing financial assistance to culturally and economically disadvantaged students
In 2020 the University invested nearly NT$ 60 million into resources for culturally and economically disadvantaged students. NTNU attaches great importance to student enrollment and “study with ease” measures, including by providing tuition subsidies, scholarships and grants, student loans, accommodation subsidies, and outpatient subsidies. In addition, the University has implemented tuition and fee reductions, scholarships for disadvantaged students, on-campus accommodation discounts, off-campus rent subsidies, outpatient subsidies, student loans, the Fulfilling Dreams Scholarship, COVID-19 emergency scholarships and grants, as well as various other kinds of scholarships and grants established by donations from diverse funding organizations. These measures assist disadvantaged students to continue their studies, learn with ease, and graduate successfully.
Assisting culturally and economically disadvantaged students to succeed in learning
In planning education and learning programs for culturally and economically disadvantaged students, the University attaches great importance to diverse courses of learning and the personal growth of students, and helps students to achieve academic success through the practical application of life service programs and the proposal and implementation of self-learning plan for multiple topics. After completion, the University provides scholarships and maintenance grants to fully support culturally and economically disadvantaged students to study with peace of mind. With the University’s comprehensive measures dedicated to help disadvantaged students, as of 2020, the graduation/completion rate for culturally and economically disadvantaged students at NTNU was 100%.
Participating in local and international poverty-alleviation programs
To promote social mobility, NTNU has worked on poverty alleviation at both local and international levels. In terms of local education, the University provides tutoring and companionship schemes to culturally and economically disadvantaged students in remote areas, including the Digital Learning Partner Program and the PASSION Rural Education Program. The purpose is to reduce the gap between urban and rural education, and to enhance the learning motivation and broaden the horizons of the tutored students. In terms of international education, NTNU is influencing education in Southeast Asia by providing online Chinese language teaching programs, elementary-school curriculum planning for remote areas, an automated diagnosis and teaching system for Chinese listening and speaking, as well as other initiatives, all of which are relevant teaching resources for assisting education in Southeast Asian countries.
Executing education policies and system initiatives for the disadvantaged
The University has long been concerned with the development of national cultural and economic policies and systems for the underserved populations, such as the implementation of language literacy policies in rural areas, and the advocacy and formulation of policies on rural education and special education, which have had a tremendous social impact on the planning and reform of Taiwan’s education policy for the disadvantaged.
1.3 Featured Highlights
1.3.1 Chen Guang (Morning Light) Learning Project for Disadvantaged Students under the “Dream Crafter Learning Plan”
The Chen Guang (Morning Light)Project operates via channels that guarantee quotas for further studies and provides complete and exclusive life counseling, study counseling, and career counseling to disadvantaged students after enrollment, as well as helping them to realize their dreams of studying abroad. Furthermore, the project helps disadvantaged students to improve their problem-solving skills, professional abilities, employability, and international perspectives, thereby assisting them with realizing their potential and achieving self-actualization.
Related Media Coverage
University teachers and students participating in the Chen Guang(Morning Light) Project took the lead to assist primary-school students in rural areas to carry out decorative painting on campus.
1.3.2 Proposal and implementation of language literacy policies for students in rural areas
NTNU held a forum entitled “Language and Culture Education Policy Recommendations” to which many scholars were invited to discuss bilingual education policies and the current state of English education in Taiwan, paying particular attention to the English education of students in rural areas and their diverse levels of English proficiency. The Language and Culture Policy Task Force of NTNU announced in March 2020 the survey results of nearly 2000 elementary-school graduates from the Taipei and New Taipei cities from 2016 to 2017. It was pointed out that nearly a quarter of the students fell behind in learning the 300 English words required by the syllabus, and that there was a big gap in English proficiency levels between students that required effective interventions from teaching packages.
Related Media Coverage
