Tainan City Gov’t turns closed TSU campus into public park

TAINAN (TVBS News) — Once a bustling hub with nearly 10,000 students at its prime after its establishment in 2000, the Taiwan Shoufu University (TSU) stopped operations on Aug. 1, 2023, and is set to be the first repurposed institution taken over by the Tainan City Government.

Marking the first example in Taiwan of a private educational institution being taken over by local authorities after its closure, the local government plans to repurpose its campus into a multifunctional park, featuring a sports center and public offices.

The new site will house various government departments, including the Labor Bureau, the Health Bureau, and the Education Bureau, in a significant pivot for the area.

Once known as Diwan University, the TSU last recorded 47 new students in 2021 with a registration rate of 23.3%.

Taiwan's declining birthrates have led to significant changes in the country's higher education landscape, with multiple university shutdowns and repurposing.

From 2023 to 2024, seven universities in Taiwan have shutdown, including TSU, Chung Chou University of Science and Technology, Tungfang Design University, MingDao University, TransWorld University, Tatung Institute of Technology, and Dahan Institute of Technology.