China Medical University Showcases Health Action and Sustainable Leadership at the 5th Asia-Pacific Sustainability Expo, Securing Silver and Bronze Taiwan Sustainability Action Awards

China Medical University (CMU) participated in the 5th Asia-Pacific Sustainability Expo at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 from August 27 to 29. Guided by the theme "Sustaining Health Together: Smart, Innovative, and Mutual Good," the CMU delegation was led by Chief Sustainability Officer Cheng-Chun Lee. Integrating expertise across Chinese medicine, pharmacy, medicine, and sustainable governance, the university highlighted its achievements in health promotion, social practice, climate action, and impact management through themed exhibits, interactive experiences, and mini-lectures. Demonstrating its commitment to addressing societal needs through professional excellence, CMU was honored with two Taiwan Sustainability Action Awards: a Silver Award for SDG 3 and a Bronze Award for SDG 4.

Centered on the theme "Co-Creating Our Future," this year's Expo convened leaders from business, government, academia, healthcare, and civil society. The event featured nine specialized zones—Sustainable Architecture, Finance, Lifestyle, Tourism, Education, Healthcare, Solutions, Partnerships, and Ecosystems—fostering cross-sector dialogue and sustainable collaboration through exhibits, forums, and interactive sessions.

CMU structured its exhibition around three interactive hubs: the "Sustainability Supply Station," the "Sustainability Story Station," and the "Sustainability Action Station." The Supply Station highlighted achievements in health, education, sustainable cities, and climate action. The Story Station used multimedia displays to present AI health research, biomedical translation, international collaborations, and health innovations. The Action Station invited visitors to reflect on everyday lifestyle choices—ranging from diet, wellness, and community engagement to energy conservation and plastic reduction—and their impact on sustainable development. Interactive features such as a Slido word cloud allowed visitors to share key sustainability concepts, while Chinese herbal medicine identification and hands-on workshops engaged multi-generational audiences, making sustainability accessible to everyday life.

Throughout the Expo, CMU hosted five sustainability mini-lectures. Prof. Ching-Ting Lin (College of Chinese Medicine) presented "Child and Adolescent Health Action: How Much Do You Know About Eye Protection?"; Associate Dean Hsiang-Wen Lin (College of Pharmacy) shared "Social Practice for Food and Drug Safety: Heatstroke Awareness and Prevention"; Prof. Min-Kun Lin (College of Chinese Medicine) proposed "CMU's Prescription for Carbon Management"; Prof. Chung-Jen Chiang (College of Medicine) introduced "Responding to Climate Action: What CMU Students Are Doing"; and Asst. Prof. Chin-Yun Hsu (Office of Sustainable Development) presented "How CMU Measures Social Impact," explaining how Social Return on Investment (SROI) is used to evaluate the tangible value generated by university social initiatives.

The SDG 3 Silver Award was awarded to the project "Building a Sustainable Food and Drug Safety System," an outcome of the university's USR initiative titled Integrating Chinese Medicine for Health Maintenance and Western Medicine for Precision: Social Practice Upgrade for the Food and Drug Safety Chain. Led by Prof. Hsiang-Wen Lin, the initiative integrates expertise in traditional Chinese medicine, Western pharmacy, nutrition, and food science to translate technical knowledge into accessible health resources via community outreach, educational courses, and digital platforms. In 2025, the team conducted 23 health education sessions across 9 community centers and care hubs in Taichung, serving 683 individuals and involving 127 student participants. By engaging international pharmacy students and conducting service projects in the Dongshi mountain district, the team deepened community co-learning while raising the project's SROI from 2.96 in 2023 to 4.02 in 2025. Prof. Lin noted that the initiative aims to make food and drug safety an ongoing community practice while empowering students to address real-world needs. Looking ahead, the team will continue to connect community, professional, and international partners to establish a replicable and scalable model for sustainable food and drug safety practices.

The SDG 4 Bronze Award was presented to "Integrating Chinese and Western Medicine for Child and Adolescent Health," developed under the USR project Integrated Chinese and Western Medical Care to Sustainably Safeguard Children's and Adolescents' Health. Led by Prof. Hung-Rong Yen, Dean of the College of Chinese Medicine, the project combines medical, educational, and community resources to establish a sustainable learning system and train a student-led health advocacy team. Students apply their knowledge in schools, communities, and underserved settings to address youth health needs through education, creative engagement, and direct service. The experience is then integrated back into the curriculum, establishing a continuous loop of learning, creation, practice, feedback, and knowledge transfer. Prof. Yen emphasized that the award validates the team’s long-term dedication and reinforces the power of academic expertise to drive sustainable health outcomes. Moving forward, the team will continue to partner with schools, communities, and local organizations to deepen collaboration and expand the foundation of health literacy.

At the awards ceremony, Associate Dean Hsiang-Wen Lin represented CMU to accept both the SDG 3 Silver and SDG 4 Bronze Awards. Additionally, the CMU-affiliated Beigang Mazu Hospital received an SDG 10 Silver Award for its project "Distance-Free Chinese Medicine Action in Remote Areas," with Superintendent Hsi-Chin Wu accepting the honor in person and visiting the CMU exhibition booth. Spanning food safety, youth wellness, and rural medical access, these three award-winning initiatives extend from talent cultivation to community service and healthcare, demonstrating concrete outcomes of university-hospital collaboration in responding to societal needs.

Marking its fifth consecutive appearance at the Asia-Pacific Sustainability Expo, CMU continues to bring its educational, research, medical, and social engagement outcomes into the public sphere. Moving forward, the university remains dedicated to deepening interdisciplinary and local partnerships, leveraging health expertise to drive meaningful societal change, and advancing its vision of a "Better Life, Better World."