Connecting internationalization with regional revitalization through university social responsibility initiatives in Taiwan: case studies of local universities

Purpose Similar to the neighboring countries in the East Asia, Taiwan is facing serious demographic challenges, particularly in rural areas, and is juggling the balance between international and local needs. Inspired by the Japanese concept of “regional revitalization,” Taiwan has implemented similar strategies to address population decline and ensure economic growth. From the perspective of university social responsibility (USR), this study aims to explore how the Taiwanese government tackles local issue while pursuing international competition and cooperation. It also examines how local universities address their seemingly divergent missions of “internationalization” and “regional revitalization.” Design/methodology/approach This study employed qualitative research methods. Through document analysis, this study covered government policies related to internationalization and regional revitalization in Taiwan. It also conducted interviews with senior leaders, faculty members and administrative support staff of local universities in Taiwan to explore the current state, strategy and challenges of internationalization in local communities. Regarding interview selection, this study targeted two universities, including one located in central and the other located in southern areas of Taiwan. Both universities are national universities. Findings The findings illustrate that while University A and University B adopt distinct institutional logics – civic engagement and educational development in the former, technical innovation and applied learning in the latter – both contribute meaningfully to a more contextually embedded model of internationalization. Their approaches reflect an emergent paradigm in higher education: one in which internationalization is not pursued in isolation but is deeply interwoven with local development. Originality/value This paper offers original insight by analyzing how non-elite, regionally based universities in Taiwan integrate internationalization with regional revitalization under the framework of university social responsibility. It uniquely reveals how differing institutional missions and disciplinary strengths shape strategic responses to national policy and highlights the potential of localized, glocal approaches to transform higher education's role in development.