Purpose

This study explored the current research related to university social responsibility in Taiwan and presented connections between local universities’ social responsibility and various research topics. We outlined research profiles and development implications for Taiwanese universities’ social responsibility.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed qualitative and quantitative research approaches. First, a co-word analysis was run on 75 academic publications on university social responsibility. Then, a hierarchical-cluster analysis was run on the keywords of each publication. In total, 14 subject categories were extracted. A social network analysis technique was then applied to determine associations. These associations were used to construct a graph on the context and interaction relationships between social responsibility research studies in Taiwanese universities.

Findings/results

The research findings indicated that the research on university social responsibility at present is centered on “how universities as educational institutions are participating.” The findings also showed that Taiwan’s universities have the highest integration rate with other issues, indicating that Taiwan is still in the early phases of policy implementation and that universities as educational institutions are still searching for mechanisms for cooperation. This includes integrating teaching work and interactive processes and assisting in the sustainable development of their fields of service to enhance domestic university social responsibility in Taiwan. On the other hand, research topics, such as talent education and the interaction between universities and communities, have been relatively neglected. This reflects the phenomenon that the research on university social responsibility in Taiwan is still focused on methodology and inquiry into the needs of localized areas; it has yet to condense into consensus issues that cross regions. This is due to the lack of research and the difficulty with promoting and implementing national policy, as there needs to be a balance between the developments of different regions within the country.

Originality/value

The majority of the existing academic literature on university social responsibility in Taiwan has concentrated on conceptual initiatives and project execution reports, while empirical and constructive research outcomes are relatively scarce. This study employed a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to construct a development framework on the knowledge of university social responsibility systematically. Analytical skills were employed to explain the phenomenological significance, providing an important reference point for advancements in domain knowledge. This study is one of few in this field to utilize academic literature as the analytical unit.

Implications for policy/practice

This study outlined the developmental progress of the research on university social responsibility and found that research on “how universities as educational institutions can participate” tends to be authored by the faculty or staff of the university conducting the research. This may limit the direction and scope of research approaches, thereby potentially affecting the richness of the overall research community’s development process. The government should consider incorporating the “service field side” as the subject of research to encourage speculation through the planning of related subsidies; subsidies may shift research focuses from “What have universities done, and what plans did they execute?” to “What can universities do together with the society and the community, and what collaborative plans can be executed?” This shift will better align with the spirit of university social responsibility. By achieving this, both sides can be attuned to the external environment in which the university is situated and be attuned to the university’s responsibility for sustainable development.