NCU students collaborate with local high school students and foreign students to explore coastal ecology of Taoyuan

The Office of Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility, NCU held a 4-day bilingual guided tour workshop in Taoyuan's coastal area on Feb/22-23 and Mar/8-9, 2025. This workshop continues to promote the cross-institutional experiential learning model and social engagement learning under the higher education deep cultivation project 'Fulfill Social Responsibility.' The workshop's theme was 'Micro-Travel Walking Tour,' employing a collaborative learning approach where university and graduate students formed course teams to invite local high school students to explore the unique features of Taoyuan's coast and plan innovative micro travel routes in groups. At the end of the workshop, international students from NCU were also invited to participate in a mini travel exhibition organized by the students, allowing them to understand and experience Taoyuan's rich ecology and culture through actual field experiences.

Foreign students provided highly positive feedback about the camp, expressing that the enthusiastic and friendly introductions from the high school students made them feel warm and welcomed. In addition to making new friends, the foreign students also gained a deeper understanding of the coastal ecology of Taoyuan and the traditional stone weir fishing methods. Through field visits, foreign students from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore mentioned that lighthouses serve similar functions in their respective countries, but that wind power generation differs from traditional fishing methods, highlighting the variations in energy utilization and traditional fisheries across different regions in Asia. This event not only facilitated cultural exchange but also deepened the understanding of Taoyuan's coastal area.

The course leadership and administrative execution of this workshop consisted of 27 NCU students from different departments, and gathered 30 students from more than seven local high schools to participate in the learning experience. At the end of the course, a coastal guided walking tour was held, inviting 24 foreign students from the university to join. Through the coastal routes and interactive segments planned by the student groups, the workshop further established emotional connections among international students regarding natural ecology and local sustainability.