Through its long-running Taoyuan Studies program, CYCU encourages students to step beyond the classroom and engage directly with local communities. On June 10, the university presented “Discovering Taoyuan Through the Five Senses,” a showcase featuring student fieldwork conducted across the city.
Drawing on firsthand investigations of issues such as Aerotropolis development, traffic congestion, environmental challenges, and cultural diversity, students transformed their observations into immersive exhibitions that invited visitors to experience Taoyuan through sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. The exhibition highlighted how higher education can connect academic learning with real-world issues, while demonstrating CYCU’s commitment to place-based learning and meaningful community engagement.
CYCU noted that its Taoyuan Studies program has been a cornerstone of the university’s place-based learning initiatives for the past nine years. Focusing on the city’s cultural heritage, historical development, industries, and environmental challenges, the program engages students in field investigations, interviews, and community research to better understand local contexts. As a signature component of CYCU’s general education curriculum, the program also serves as a key platform for promoting University Social Responsibility (USR) and holistic education.
The exhibition was jointly guided by four Taoyuan Studies instructors—Ho Tsai-Man, Wei Li-Hsin, Yeh Chun-Lin, and Shih Po-Kang. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, students transformed their research findings into interactive exhibits that invited visitors to engage with local issues from new perspectives.
One featured project, “Left Behind by Urban Renewal” , examined displacement and relocation issues associated with the Taoyuan Aerotropolis development project, encouraging visitors to reflect on the balance between urban development and housing justice. Another project, “Caught Between Cars and People”, focused on traffic challenges along Zhongyi Road near the CYCU campus, using interactive simulations to illustrate the daily conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles competing for limited road space.
Additional projects explored a wide range of local social, cultural, and environmental issues. “Discovering Southeast Asia Through Food” examined the Southeast Asian community around Taoyuan Railway Station’s rear district, using food culture as a gateway to understanding the lives and experiences of new immigrants in Taiwan. Meanwhile, “Cadmium Rice” revisited the well-known cadmium-contaminated rice incident in Guanyin District, employing visual design and interactive experiences to highlight the close connection between environmental issues and everyday life.
Students also conducted research in Xianguang Second Village in Guishan District, reinterpreting the memories and cultural heritage of Taiwan’s military dependents’ villages through spatial storytelling. Their work underscored the importance of preserving local history while encouraging visitors to reflect on the value of cultural continuity in rapidly changing communities.
CYCU Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Chi-Tsu Yuan noted that the Taoyuan Studies program has been sustained for nine years thanks to the long-term dedication of its faculty members and their commitment to innovative teaching approaches. He emphasized that the program’s greatest value lies in enabling students to learn through real-world social issues while developing interdisciplinary thinking and a strong sense of civic responsibility.
Ho Tsai-Man, one of the program’s instructors, added that higher education should extend beyond the classroom. By encouraging students to engage directly with local communities and better understand society, the program helps them build meaningful connections with the places they live and learn, transforming academic knowledge into practical social engagement.
The exhibition is on display from June 10 to June 16 in the lobby on the second floor of the Chang Ching-Yu Memorial Library. Through a combination of technology, artistic expression, and field-based research, the exhibition not only sparked discussion on local issues among students and community members, but also reflected CYCU’s commitment to holistic education by connecting learning with real-world engagement and social responsibility.
Now in its ninth year, the Taoyuan Studies program has evolved into a distinctive model of University Social Responsibility (USR) at CYCU. Through sustained fieldwork and interdisciplinary learning, students gain a deeper understanding of Taoyuan while developing the ability to examine local development issues from a civic perspective. In doing so, they learn how knowledge can serve as a powerful tool for addressing societal challenges and contributing to the public good.
