An analysis of Taiwan’s educational contributions to sustainable development: evidence from Taiwan’s university social responsibility

Purpose This study aims to examine the operational logic through which Taiwan’s university social responsibility (USR) program, led by the Taiwan authorities, promotes local sustainable development, compare it with the operational logic of USR programs in Europe and the United States, and further propose policy recommendations for different USR models. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a qualitative research approach, including case studies, semi-structured interviews, secondary data analysis and comparative analysis, to systematically examine the operational logic of Taiwan’s USR program across multiple dimensions, including governance structures, curricular mechanisms, community participation, resource integration, outcome generation and sustainability. This study sample consisted of two highly representative local USR cases, along with interview data from nine key actors, including project planners, faculty, students and community collaborators associated with these cases. Findings The findings suggest that Taiwan’s USR program advances higher education engagement in local sustainable development through a policy-driven, performance-embedded framework. While it demonstrates strong policy coordination and resource mobilization, supporting stable short- to medium-term sustainability, it shows limitations in cultivating community agency and long-term endogenous development, highlighting a trade-off between institutional efficiency and local resilience. Originality/value Taiwan’s policy-driven USR model should strengthen long-term institutional arrangements and community empowerment, whereas performance-oriented USR models in Western contexts need to enhance integration and institutional support to improve local capacity for sustainable development.