-Kaohsiung Medical University –

Kaohsiung Medical University’s (KMU) Namasia University Social Responsibility (USR) Program has reached a new international milestone. On February 6, Professor Sodio C. N. Hsu, Dean of the College of Life Sciences at Kaohsiung Medical University and Director of the Namasia iUSR Program, led a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony of the “KMU Namasia USR Office in the Philippines” at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). This office marks the first overseas USR office established under Taiwan’s Ministry of Education USR Program. It also signifies that KMU’s long-standing USR experience cultivated in Taiwan’s indigenous communities is now being implemented internationally through the International University Social Responsibility (iUSR) framework, opening a new chapter of cross-national social responsibility collaboration.

The inauguration ceremony was held at UPOU’s world-class Multimedia Production Building. Professor Sodio C. N. Hsu and UPOU Vice Chancellor Aurora V. Lacaste, together with representatives from both institutions, jointly officiated the ribbon-cutting ceremony, formally launching the “KMU Namasia USR Office in the Philippines.” The event symbolizes a new stage of institutionalized and long-term partnership between the two universities.

Since the launch of Taiwan’s Ministry of Education USR initiative, KMU’s Namasia USR Program has been deeply engaged in Namasia District of Kaohsiung City for nearly a decade. Beginning with medical and health services, the program has gradually expanded to include regional revitalization, ecological conservation, health promotion, and local talent cultivation, forming a community-based co-learning and sustainable development model. The establishment of the office in the Philippines represents a critical step in transferring KMU’s USR model—encompassing health promotion, environmental education, cultural preservation, and youth empowerment—to the Philippine university system. It is expected to support UPOU and other Philippine universities in advancing university social responsibility practices, particularly in indigenous knowledge systems, local revitalization, sustainable development, and inclusive education.

This collaboration not only marks a significant milestone in the long-term partnership between KMU and UPOU, but also responds to global higher education’s growing emphasis on social impact and sustainable development. Through the joint iUSR office, both parties will promote cross-national USR projects, share practical experiences, and facilitate student volunteer exchanges and community engagement initiatives, strengthening the role of Philippine universities in advancing social responsibility across Southeast Asia.

Professor Hsu remarked, “The internationalization of the Namasia USR Program represents KMU’s important transformation from deep local engagement to global impact. We are delighted to bring our years of accumulated USR experience to the Philippines and work with UPOU to create a new model of sustainable education. University social responsibility should not be confined to a single country or locality, but rather become a shared cross-border force for sustainability.” UPOU also noted that this partnership will expand its international perspective on social inclusion and sustainable development, and further integrate social responsibility into its teaching, research, and community service missions. Both institutions expressed confidence in the long-term social impact of this collaboration, opening a new chapter for Taiwan–Philippines cooperation in higher education social responsibility.

▲Professor Sodio C. N. Hsu (third from left), Dean of the College of Life Sciences at KMU, UPOU Vice Chancellor Aurora V. Lacaste (third from right), and representatives from both institutions officiate the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the “KMU Namasia USR Office in the Philippines.”

▲KMU and UPOU teams pose for a group photo at the iUSR Office.