On November 26, Tzu Chi University held its 31st anniversary celebration at the Jieren Campus, themed “Cultivating Talent with Humanity, Creating the Future with Shared Wisdom.” President Liu Yi-Chun remarked that at 31 years old, Tzu Chi University is in its prime. She expressed gratitude for the support of the Tzu Chi Parents Association and the Alumni Association, and she believes the university will shine even brighter in the future. She also reminded faculty and students that in sports, what matters is not rankings, but the strength of unity, cooperation, and striving forward together.
Despite the sudden drop in temperature, nothing could diminish the enthusiasm during the opening ceremony. The honor guard and flag bearers were composed entirely of students from the five-year junior college division, leading 32 teams—including alumni, faculty and students from various departments, staff members, the Senior Citizens’ University, the Third Age University, and the Tzu Cheng & Yi De parents’ associations—into the arena. Alumna Yang Lin (Class of 2011, Department of Child Development and Family Studies) led the school anthem, singing alongside current students to celebrate Tzu Chi University’s birthday and showcasing the flourishing achievements of TCU’s education.
Yi-De mother Hsieh Hsiu-Hua shared that all the props used were creatively made from recycled materials—CDs, pastry tins, plastic bottles, and more. The creativity was endless, and their energetic performance was no less spirited than that of the students. She also extended heartfelt wishes for TCU’s happy anniversary.
Whether it was track events, the 1500-meter relay, tug-of-war, or the fun and challenging “20 people, 21 legs” team race, students, faculty, staff, and Tzu Chi parents all participated wholeheartedly. Cheers echoed continuously as teams prepared fiercely yet displayed excellent sportsmanship. The atmosphere was full of intergenerational harmony, respect, and joy.
Travis Thompson, a first-year student in the International Digital Media Technology program from Saint Vincent, won first place in the men’s 100-meter race. He shared that he usually plays soccer and only practices running occasionally, so earning such a great result felt amazing.
Liu Wei-Ling, a first-year social work student, said she joined every team event because the class agreed, “Win or lose, what matters is participating,” and they wanted to create wonderful shared memories as a class.
When participants felt tired from competing, they could recharge at the campus fair, which featured 60 booths offering food, drinks, and handmade goods perfect for gifts or personal use. Highlights included handmade herbal ointments and sugar bricks by the Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine Student Association, Malaysian-style fried kway teow by the International Student Association, Indonesian grilled toast dipped in iced chocolate milk, and Taroko-inspired tree-bean crispy balls.
Nineteen local Hualien small farmers also participated, inviting the community to support local markets and showcasing the results of USR (University Social Responsibility) × Community Co-Creation. The International Digital Media Technology program even brought their graduation exhibition to the event for greater visibility.
In addition to classic drinks and snacks like sandwiches and tea eggs, the fair offered special treats such as Little Liuqiu-style twisted dough pastries flown to Taiwan, freshly made Yilan brown sugar mochi cakes, and Korean spicy rice cakes and Indonesian egg crepes made by the Business Management students. The flavors were adjusted to suit Taiwanese tastes, making the booth both social-media friendly and a practical demonstration of what students learned in their elective course “Distribution Management.”
During the anniversary ceremony, awards were presented to staff members with 10, 20, and 30 years of service, as well as to distinguished professors, special-appointed professors, outstanding youth award recipients, research excellence awardees, outstanding research contributors, and academic paper award recipients—acknowledging the remarkable accomplishments of faculty and students across teaching, research, service, and administration.
Master De-Yu shared teachings from Dharma Master Cheng Yen, who has been cultivating local medical and healthcare talent while establishing a complete Tzu Chi education system that allows faculty and staff to serve without worry. For many years, TCU graduates have been highly recognized in various sectors of society, thanks to the dedicated teaching of faculty members and the support of Tzu Cheng & Yi De parents. He hopes Tzu Chi University will continue to grow, benefit society, and nurture more positive forces for the world.
Beyond the athletic field, students enthusiastically supported the Tzu Chi Bone Marrow Stem Cell Center’s donation registration and blood testing event, taking concrete action to help others.
Tzu Chi University’s 31st anniversary not only showcased the determination, perseverance, and team spirit of its students and faculty but also strengthened campus unity, supporting the vision of intelligent progress and sustainable development—and opening the door to an even more promising future for TCU.