Rethinking Higher Education Partnerships and Social Responsibility: Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Since the era of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the United Nations (UN) has viewed the importance of partnerships to facilitate the development of countries, particularly in the developing world. The introduction of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 enabled the global body to revise its paradigm as partnerships are now viewed comprehensively in terms of participant actors and the scope of activities encompassing the local, national, regional, and global levels. The pluralization brought by the SDGs by acknowledging the important role of the private sector and civil society empowered non-state actors (NSAs) in a global system previously perceived as a realm dominated by nation-states. Building on reports about the increasing role of NSAs, the private sector, and civil society in delivering development outcomes, this chapter aims to contribute to the expanding discussion of university social responsibility (USR) through higher education internationalization (HEI). This chapter showcases the experience of a multisectoral partnership organization composed of universities, businesses, and secular and faith-based civil society organizations (CSOs) in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. As the membership of the organization is primarily participated by universities, most of its social responsibility initiatives are spearheaded by universities based in Southern Taiwan cities. Inspired by its development philosophy of linking industries, cities, universities, and entrepreneurs (ICUE), this chapter discusses how the efforts of this Kaohsiung-based multisectoral organization contribute to the achievement of SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals) through its social responsibility programs towards local government leaders of Kaohsiung and the public higher education sector in the Philippines.