Asia University Nursing Department Launches Decade-Long International Social Practice Program with Shenjiang Welfare Association
Asia University (AU) Department of Nursing has pioneered Taiwan’s first International Nursing Program for its daytime undergraduate students, cultivating nurses capable of caring for international patients, supporting global medical missions, and demonstrating cross-border mobility. Over the past six years, 165 students have participated in diverse international programs—such as the Ministry of Education’s “Dream Exploration at Sea” initiative, New Southbound Policy projects, summer overseas exchanges, international medical volunteer work, and global conferences—traveling to countries including the United States, Australia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. These programs have received approximately NT$7.4 million in subsidies from the Ministry of Education and the university, enriching students’ global perspectives and supporting subsequent overseas graduate studies or foreign nursing licensure for international employment.
Dean and Chair of the Department of Nursing, Dr. Wu Hua-Shan, emphasized that the department has established long-term partnerships with institutions such as Case Western Reserve University (USA), University of Wollongong (Australia), Western Sydney University (Australia), Inha University (Korea), Kansai International University (Japan), Shenjiang Welfare Association (Japan), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Universitas Muhammadiyah (Indonesia), and Universitas Airlangga (Indonesia), providing sustainable international exchange resources.
This summer, Dean Wu led a team to visit Shenjiang Welfare Association in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, marking ten years of collaboration. Since 2016, the Department of Nursing has led this partnership, later joined by the Departments of Social Work, Occupational Therapy, and Health Industry Management. By 2025, 15 AU students across four departments have participated in overseas internship programs with Shenjiang Welfare Association under the “Dream Exploration at Sea” initiative.
During the visit, Dean Wu, alongside Assistant Professors Xiong Nai-Huan and Lai Yu-Min, observed AU students currently participating in the Japanese internship. They attended the one-month program’s opening ceremony with President Endo Ken of Shenjiang Welfare Association, the team staff, and representatives from the NPO Japan-Taiwan Medical Welfare Cultural Exchange Support Organization, including Deputy Representative Yoko Sasai and instructors. Dean Wu was also invited to share AU Nursing College’s ten-year experience in the Ministry of Education’s University Social Responsibility (USR) Program, highlighting the implementation of “Social Prescription Empowering Communities”. She explained AU’s approach to linking academic programs with social practice fields, promoting diverse social prescription initiatives, developing digital/smart care solutions, and gradually expanding dementia care resources and inclusive community care networks in Taichung’s A-Zhao-Wu area. Shenjiang Welfare Association expressed strong interest in social prescription practice and ICT applications in long-term care, anticipating deeper collaboration and learning from AU Nursing College’s experience.
The team also visited Aoi Care, founded by Kato Tadasu, which integrates independent living support, small-scale multifunctional services, and group homes. Aoi Care emphasizes a person-centered approach, creating environments where elders feel recognized, dignified, and included. The program also encourages intergenerational interaction, with young people providing volunteer support in exchange for lodging and organizing community events.
Accompanied by Shenjiang Welfare Association staff, the team examined several innovative long-term care models:
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Cross Heart Ishinasaka & Fujisawa – A paid residential facility with “elderly workforce” integration, where residents participate in greenhouse farm work or indoor/outdoor activities, earning tokens redeemable for goods, promoting physical activity and a sense of accomplishment.
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Cross Heart Konan & Yokohama – A “four-in-one” integrated care facility offering home services, day care, temporary accommodation, and home nursing.
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Byobugaura Regional Care Plaza, Isogo Ward, Yokohama – A community-integrated care center providing medical, long-term care, and welfare policy consultation services.
After the site visits, the AU delegation noted that Isogo Ward in Yokohama and Wufeng District in Taichung share similar demographics, aging profiles, and community needs for elder health promotion and dementia prevention. Consequently, both sides agreed to select Isogo Ward as the site for an international social practice program next year. Under the theme “Health Innovation in Isogo Community”, AU and Japanese faculty, together with local instructors, will translate AU’s USR project experience into the Yokohama context. This Taiwan-Japan community-based long-term care exchange and social practice program aims to cultivate students’ cross-border social practice competencies, inject new vitality into long-term care development in both regions, and jointly realize the vision of “aging in place,” demonstrating AU’s commitment to health care innovation and international collaboration.
