【OIA】“NUST Project of Circulation: Companion Dog Program” has rounded off with a closing ceremony
Source: Pin Tzu Huang, Office of International Affairs of NCHU
After three months of courses and hard work, students of the “Companion Dog Program” presented their results on October 30, 2022, at National Chung-Hsing University (hereafter abbreviated as NCHU) Student Activity Center Room 303. In addition to contemporary art exhibits made of dog fur, there was a dog-fur felting workshop leading citizens to understand animal issues, which attracted many people to participate. It has become a highlight of the series of events for NCHU’s 103rd anniversary celebration!
NUST Project of Circulation aims to promote the spirit of Taiwan so as to foster local students’ global perspectives, contribute to the global community, and create a deeper sense of belonging alongside a sense of identity among international students. The theme of the program is animal protection, and it was organized by the NCHU Office of International Affairs; co-organized by NCHU USR program, StrayLOHAS; assisted by NCHU International Volunteer Club. 22 trainees, National University of Kaohsiung, and other universities were recruited and received training from Ms. Tzu-Hsin Lin, one of the two True2Life Level 4 International Canine Trainers in Taiwan with many other lecturers specialized in dog behavior science, positive parenting courses, Taiwan's stray animal issues, foster parents sheltering stray animals experience talks and the exploration of the international response to stray animals, etc. The training courses were diverse and fruitful.
According to Prof. Chia-Lin Chang, Vice President for International Affairs, the program significantly raised students' awareness and sensitivity to stray animal issues and animal welfare, strengthened their ability to address problems, designed possible solutions, and implemented them afterward. The feedback from the trainees was also highly positive, praising the program for its “rich contents and the sense of being reorganized and regrouped,” and “the fact that there is practical work in addition to the theories, which allows better understanding and internalization, as well as immediate answers and corrections to any problems encountered.”
Recently, people have become more serious about stray animal issues in Taiwan. Through our well-designed activities, which included visits, reviews, discussions and the development of action plans, we hope participants understand the issues more thoroughly and come together to love and care for our furry family members. The exhibition marked a perfect ending to the “Companion Dog Program”.
Special thanks to Ablaze Design Studio Artist Mei-Huei Liu, Curator Yun-Ling Chen, and executive Dung-Tsan Wu.
Exhibition Layout
Students making felt with dog fur