The Center was established through its successful bid for the "Ministry of Education Higher Education SPROUT Project- Sustained Progress and Rise of Universities in Taiwan" for the period of 112-116 years. The main purpose of the program is to encourage higher education institutions to develop their research characteristics. The Ministry of Education has committed to providing a budget of 250 million NT dollars over five years, making this program a highly competitive resource for top universities in Taiwan. The College of Commerce conducted an inventory of the entire school's resources, both hardware and software, as well as its research characteristics. In this year's competition, it stood out and was selected to implement the Characteristic Area Research Center Program.
The primary aim of the Center is to promote outstanding academic research in corporate business sustainability and to engage in industry-academic collaboration and practical applications. The goal is to establish international academic visibility and leverage research outcomes and knowledge for social impact, ultimately enhancing the sustainability of Taiwanese businesses. The center operates by integrating scholars from the College of Commerce across different departments, who specialize in corporate social responsibility, along with members from relevant school-level research centers. It has also invited scholars from other universities and professionals from international fields to join its mission. The three main focus areas are "innovative academic research in business sustainability", "assisting small and medium-sized Enterprises in implementing sustainability initiatives", and "conducting financial disclosure assessment for climate-related risks in banking and insurance Industries." It is the first research center in Taiwan's universities with a mission to enhance research in corporate business sustainability.
President Tsai-Yen Li mentioned that National Chengchi University has been engaged in sustainability efforts for a long time, but these have mainly been individual initiatives, lacking a cohesive opportunity. He expressed his gratitude to Professor Dan-Chi Tan for taking on the leadership role and planning the center from scratch. He hopes that the center will expand its collaborations to other universities, making ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) a prominent focus at NCCU. He believes that this will not only contribute to the sustainable operation of the university but also fulfill the university's social responsibility for Taiwan. He also hopes that the center's research outcomes can be incorporated into the curriculum to be shared with more students.
Vice President Wei-Chi Tsai shared that his term as dean of the College of Commerce is coming to an end, and looking back over the six-year term, he praised the college's academic performance, which has continually improved. There have been significant advances in the number of published papers and the execution rate of projects. He also mentioned that the establishment of the Sinyi school in 2012 laid a strong foundation for the college's research in sustainability. He expressed gratitude to all the former deans for their hard work. In the future, the center's office will be located on the tenth floor of the College of Commerce, which Vice President Wei-Chi Tsai specifically allocated for the center, calling it a "great gift" before his term concludes.
Head of the Center for Business Sustainability Dan-Chi Tan first expressed her gratitude to all the attendees, including Wei-Chi Tsai and Robin K. Chou for their trust, and to the faculty members who assisted in writing the project proposal. She particularly mentioned that President Tsai-Yen Li had invited two academicians from Academia Sinica to join her in a meeting, where they provided valuable advice for revising the project proposal. She expressed her gratitude for the university's support. During the application process, she also discovered that the College of Commerce had accumulated rich achievements, providing her with a wealth of reference materials.
Now, after overcoming many hurdles, the center has finally been established. Professor Dan-Chi Tan stated, "The establishment of this center is a significant responsibility for me, but I have a very strong research team." She hopes that in the future, the university, the college, and the faculty members will continue to support the center to create more positive impact on society.
Following the guest speeches, the official unveiling ceremony of the center took place. President Tsai-Yen Li, Vice President Wei-Chi Tsai, Chief Research and Development Officer Hsiao-Mei Wu, Head of the Center for Business Sustainability Dan-Chi Tan, and Center Associate Head of Anne Wu were invited to the stage to press the button, bearing witness to the moment when the center's plaque slowly rose. Finally, all participants took a group photo, marking the successful conclusion of the ceremony.
