National Chiayi University’s “Higher Education SPROUT Project Exhibition” in 2021 took place in front of the Student Activity Center on the Lantan campus on Nov. 5th. The exhibition demonstrated the results of NCYU’s four major projects, including “Implementing Teaching Innovation and Enhancing Teaching Quality,” “Facilitating Publicity in Higher Education,” “Developing Characteristics as a University,” and “Fulfilling the Social Responsibility.” The exhibition offered the teachers, students, and the public a glimpse into the university’s Higher Education SPROUT Project, as well as a platform for various educational institutions to share their experiences and learn from each other. It also showcased learning outcomes through teacher-student collaboration.

　　The Higher Education SPROUT Project Exhibition this year characterized itself from the previous editions in that it was organized in different ways on different campuses. The exhibition on the Lantan campus featured activities including “What do you know about the NCYU’s SPROUT project?” “Light up the Life – Aquatic Life,” “Language with You,” “Intelligence & Creativity,” “Field Classroom,” “God of Micro Things,” “Peace of Mind in Chiayi,” “Mystery Coffee,” “STEAM Cross-domain Robot,” “Fun in Forest,” “Rain and Plant Life,” “Little Marker,” “Play Science with Chia Bao,” “Cut and Grind,” etc. There were interactive games such as coffee tasting, moss ball plant crafting, hands-on experience with laser engraving, and treasure hunt with prizes. The event not only attracted the participation of faculty, staff members and students from NCYU, but student teams from National Chia-Yi Senior Commercial Vocational School.

　　To promote food safety and agriculture education and to cultivate interdisciplinary talents, the pesticide-free fruits and vegetables cultivated at the Sinmin Greenhouse through natural farming methods were presented at the “Field Classroom” as part of the exhibition. A teacher from fthe Huochiuan Center, Ms. Sheng Bei, who moved from Shanghai to Taiwan after marriage, instructed students of the Food and Agriculture Industry Management Program to make four dishes with fresh ingredients from Sinmin Greenhouse. From “monaka cakes,” “baked crème brulees,” “green sauce salads,” to “rose drink,” each was delicately prepared with ingredients grown at NCYU, including eggs, honey, red beans, and fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.

　　Most noteworthy of the dishes were the monaka cakes, one of the traditional Japanese desserts, according to Prof. Hsiao Chih-Hui from the Food and Agriculture Industry Management Program. In Japanese, monaka means the full moon in mid-autumn. It was thus named because it is a round-shaped snack served at the annual Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at the Japanese court during the Heian Period. At the banquet, the Emperor savored the cakes while enjoying performances of singers. Filled with NCYU red beans and non-toxic rose petals from the Sinmin Greenhouse, the cakes are a feast for the eye and palate. The historical background of the name and unique flavor would leave a profound impression on both the mind and tongue.