By Dr. Joseph Anthony Narciso Z. Tiangco | Founder/Board Member
Dr. Joseph Anthony Narciso Z. Tiangco and his team of collaborators recently completed the draft of the concept paper for the proposed Living Lab, which is also envisioned as a collaboration between the Taiwan Love and Hope International Charity and Shu-Te University. Below is the abstract of the paper:
"This concept paper outlines an innovative approach to advancing University Social Responsibility (USR) through a Living Lab partnership. It leverages the interdisciplinary expertise of Shu-Te University’s College of Applied Social Sciences and College of Informatics to develop and implement initiatives aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). Specifically, this paper discusses how the Living Lab can potentially enable collaboration, technological innovation, and applied social sciences research that: a) equips students and faculty with relevant skills, b) strengthens Shu-Te University’s institutional reputation, and c) supports a non-profit organization serving 9 disadvantaged Taiwanese children with severe neurodevelopmental disorders receiving 24/7 residential care and 30 other children and youth with special needs and their families who are classified as belonging to Taiwan’s low-income socioeconomic group. The proposed LH x STU Living Lab has the potential to further strengthen the Taiwan Love and Hope International Charity’s impact on its various service recipients. More importantly, Shu-Te University stakeholders are projected to significantly benefit, as well. Conservative projected estimates using a hypothetical Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis grounded on a review of relevant literature indicate that for every NT$1 invested in the Living Lab, the SROI ranges from NT$2.30 to NT$4.60, while accounting for deadweight, attribution, and displacement. The projected SROI indicates moderate to high impact potential. The establishment of a Living Lab represents a critical pivot for STU to redefine its brand identity beyond being limited to a vocational university and instead as a force multiplier of social responsibility. In doing so, this paper argues, the rebranding will naturally attract and cultivate a loyal network of partners and supporters invested in sustaining and amplifying the university’s enduring impact."
The authors will have the paper published. It will also serve as a conceptual blueprint of what the Living Lab aims to achieve.
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