Guidelines for the 2025 Chung Yuan Christian University Aesthetic Life Writing Contest

Origin: Chung Yuan Christian University is approaching its 70th anniversary—an extraordinary milestone in its history and a cherished moment for every student to witness and be a part of. The four years of university life are a golden period of learning and growth, a time to expand horizons and embrace cultural exchange. In celebration of CYCU’s 70th anniversary, we warmly invite students to capture their experiences, reflections, and emotions through prose, poetry, or creative social media content. Let your heartfelt words and images express your connection to Chung Yuan, preserving the aesthetic memories of "CYCU 70" and passing them on to future generations. Every word you write is a sincere tribute and a lasting blessing to your alma mater.

Organizer: Chung Yuan Christian University Chang Ching Yu Memorial Library.

Co-rganizers: Chung Yuan Christian University Center for General Education, Mandarin Learning Center in CYCU.

Paricipants: Divided into two groups: “Domestic students” and “International students (including students in Mandarin Learning Center”).

Registration/Submission:

Start Date of Registration/Submission: March 15, 2025
Deadline for Registration/Submission: May 23, 2025
Registration/Submission Website: https://services.lib.cycu.edu.tw/handin/
Submission Format: Entries must be submitted as a Word document, with the file name formatted as: Student ID_Full Name_Title of Work.
Submissions are categorized into prose, new poetry, or social media creations, all of which must be written in Chinese. The theme should focus on life at Chung Yuan Christian University.
Participants may determine the word count for prose and new poetry, with a maximum limit of 2000 words. The title of the prose and new poetry in bold 16-point font in KaiTi, and the content in KaiTi 12-point font horizontally written with a fixed line height of 25pt.
Social media creations should replicate posting scenarios on platforms like Instagram and Twitter. They should comprise an original image and content of up to 200 words, establishing a "picture-first, text-second" approach. In addition to submitting the comprehensive creative content in a Word file, a separate PDF file of the original image with a resolution surpassing 300dpi is mandatory.
Previously published works in other publications are ineligible for submission.
Participants are advised to retain a copy of their submissions, as they will not be returned.

Reward System:The essay competition is categorized into three sections: prose, new poetry, and social media creations. The prizes for each category are as follows:

1st Place: NT$5,000
2nd Place: NT$3,000
3rd Place: NT$1,000
Several Honorable Mentions: NT$500 each
Note on Rewards: Overseas students who have not resided in Taiwan for more than 183 days within the current year will have a 20% tax withheld from the prize money.

Announcement of Evaluation Results:

1. A panel of scholars and experts will be invited to conduct the evaluation. Should the quality of the submissions fail to meet the standards, the panel reserves the right not to award prizes.

2. Chung Yuan Christian University retains the right to collect, promote, and utilize all award-winning works without altering the original content, and without additional compensation.

3. Submissions found to involve plagiarism, ghostwriting (including the use of AI tools for writing), or violation of submission conditions will result in disqualification and the forfeiture of prize money. The submitter shall bear all legal responsibilities.

4. The list of winners will be announced on the organizer's event webpage, and an award ceremony will be held in June.

Additional notes:These guidelines may be revised and supplemented at any time. For inquiries, please contact the Reader Services Division - Lin Yuehchiu, extension 2830.