The College of Management at the National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) aspires to be the model of business management education in Asia. The school is committed to the education of ethics, social responsibility, sustainability, and cultivating relevant talents. Since 2018, NSYSU has published its annual report on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for five consecutive years. The Office of Sustainability and Social Responsibility (ORSA) was also established to support NSYSU’s vision. To raise the school’s effort in social responsibility, the Office of Career Development under the College, assisted the students and the Hult Prize Club in organizing a sharing on “Primer on College Life: Starting from Zero, Blossoming Sustainable Seeds” on 12th October 2023. 

We were pleased to have the founder of uCup and Wondergreener, Andy Din, to share with the students his experience of starting a business and the awareness of the environment.

"Taiwan produces how much single-use cup waste in a year?" Instructor Ding raised a simple yet impactful question at the beginning of the lecture. He then proceeded to discuss the answer to this question, which is "4 billion cups," sparking reflections among the students on environmental awareness. Recognizing the severity of the single-use cup waste issue, the instructor began investing in the reusable cup industry in 2019, starting with a club and gradually building it into the current social enterprise brand. Along the way, he faced challenges such as fundraising, the impact of the pandemic, and marketing efforts. Through participation in various entrepreneurial support programs and continuous adjustments, Instructor Ding made uCup, a reusable cup brand, a success.

To popularize the reusable cup and achieve the goal of reducing waste, a rigorous series of manufacturing and recycling processes are essential. For instance, establishing a high-standard cleaning supply chain with cleaning facilities to ensure user safety and managing the internal and external recycling of uCups in rental platforms and sustainable supply chains are crucial steps. Through these efforts, uCup has now circulated in over ten universities, with a user base exceeding ten thousand, highlighting the significant potential for the future development of reusable cups.

After explaining the entrepreneurial process, the speaker engaged in a series of rapid-fire questions and discussions with the audience. Topics included "How to persuade friends and family to use environmentally friendly products" and "How to reduce the use of single-use items in daily life." The answers provided by the audience were elaborated upon, deepening students' understanding of environmental issues in Taiwan.

In the concluding remarks, students from National Sun Yat-sen University raised several questions for Instructor Ding. One question was, "How to eliminate consumers' hygiene concerns?" The instructor mentioned that once the cleaning process becomes transparent and rigorous enough, the main obstacle is overcoming consumers' psychological barriers. However, with the development and widespread adoption of eco-friendly utensils, this issue is expected to gradually be resolved.

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(Written by Hult Prize Club, proofread by College of Management 2023.10.13)