SU and Shih Chien Univ. Students Explore ESG Practices at Chang Gung Medical Group

Students from Soochow University’s Undergraduate Program of Business and Interdisciplinary Program of the School of Business, together with peers from Shih Chien University’s (USC) English-Taught Program in International Business (ETPIB), visited the Chang Gung Medical Foundation on October 20 to explore real-world applications of sustainable finance. Led by Director Da-Bai Shen, the tour brought together students from more than ten countries for an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural learning experience in ESG practices and healthcare governance.

In his opening remarks, Shen highlighted that meaningful ESG strategies must demonstrate measurable results such as improved patient care, reduced risks, and stronger financial stability.

Chang Gung Deputy CEO Chih-Chao Hsu followed with a keynote introducing the foundation’s ESG roadmap, covering seismic engineering for carbon reduction, community healthcare initiatives, waste management, and global certifications. He stressed that embedding sustainability into daily operations enhances system resilience and creates shared benefits for patients, communities, and the environment.

Afterward, students toured the Chang Gung Health and Cultural Village, visiting its arts classrooms and recreational facilities. They observed residents engaging in singing, painting, gardening, dancing, and other lifelong-learning activities—an experience that revealed how active aging can thrive when supported by thoughtful design and community care.

Afterward, students toured the Chang Gung Health and Cultural Village, visiting its arts classrooms and recreational facilities. They observed residents engaging in singing, painting, gardening, dancing, and other lifelong-learning activities. The visit offered a close look at daily life in an active-aging community, where this stage of life is “more than retirement but a chance to reignite passion.”

SU Professor Ya-Hui Chuang, who teaches International Sustainable Finance Trends and Developments, noted that the visit encourages students to connect sustainability principles with investment analysis and financial decision-making, especially as impact-driven finance gains global relevance.

Professor Chih-Cheng Lin of USC’s ETPIB Program described the visit as the best form of citizen diplomacy, noting that ETPIB students come from diverse backgrounds including France, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, The Gambia, and the United States—making the exchange genuinely international.

International students shared that the experience offered a rare opportunity to examine sustainable governance models in an aging society. SU students added that they gained insight into how Chang Gung integrates the silver economy, active aging, and world-class healthcare into a successful sustainable finance model.

Shen concluded that the Undergraduate Program of Business will continue incorporating teaching resources across ESG management, accounting and finance, and business administration. Beyond this visit, the program plans to deepen partnerships with domestic and international industries to support students in applying ESG principles through interdisciplinary learning, service, and innovation.