USR Project Moves Forward Again! Mackay Medical University Uses SROI Evaluation to Strengthen Shared Prosperity and Cultural Sustainability in Sanzhi

The university’s Office of University Social Responsibility (USR) held the “2025 USR SIG Forum & SROI Workshop” on November 27, inviting Lìnzi Studio CEO Liao Yi‑Ya to share experiences in preserving rush‑weaving cultural heritage and promoting related industries. With a background in industrial design, CEO Liao has been dedicated to sustaining rush‑weaving traditions since her university years. Through design and marketing strategies, she has worked to help the public better understand the value of rush craftsmanship and support the sustainable development of handmade industries.

During the forum, CEO Liao also introduced Lìnzi’s practical experience applying SROI (Social Return on Investment) to evaluate social impact, providing important insights for the university’s USR teams in areas such as cultural preservation, industrial innovation, and community collaboration. She highlighted challenges facing the rush‑weaving industry—such as aging artisans and difficulties in skill transmission—and emphasized how systematic impact evaluation helps improve resource integration and overall effectiveness.

The afternoon workshop was held in groups, including the “Community Co‑Prosperity Group,” “Education Rooting Group,” and “Local Revitalization Group.” Group members reviewed social benefits, clarified resource needs, and exchanged ideas for improvement to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration. Several community partners also offered feedback, sharing concrete changes brought by cooperation with USR projects and areas needing adjustment, hoping to continue long‑term collaboration to build more systematic observation and evaluation mechanisms. These insights provided valuable real‑world perspectives for university teams and will help refine future project planning.

The Vice President for R&D noted that this forum not only helped USR teams better understand key points and methods of SROI evaluation but, more importantly, provided authentic feedback from community partners, enabling teams to reflect on local needs and assess the true impact of the projects. The university hopes to continue working closely with Sanzhi and other communities so that every effort and every investment can return to the local areas, creating long‑lasting and meaningful change.

Group photo of all participants	Opening remarks by USR Office Executive Director Chung Ching‑Hu
Opening remarks by No. 2 Space Executive Director Chiang Yu‑Cheng	Lìnzi Studio CEO Liao Yi‑Ya sharing the journey of Lìnzi and practical SROI experience
USR Office members guiding partners and project teams in assessing social benefits, clarifying resource needs, and discussing directions for improvement	USR Office members guiding partners and project teams in assessing social benefits, clarifying resource needs, and discussing directions for improvement
USR Office members guiding partners and project teams in assessing social benefits, clarifying resource needs, and discussing directions for improvement	USR Office members leading integration discussions and sharing results
USR Office members leading integration discussions and results sharing	USR Office members leading integration discussions and results sharing