This partnership focuses on the long-term preservation of significant archival resources that reflect Taiwan’s agricultural and livestock development. Among the collection is the History of Cattle Plague in Taiwan (1925), published by the Government-General of Taiwan, which documents outbreaks of cattle plague in the Kaohsiung–Pingtung region along with corresponding disease-control measures. NPUST’s earliest campus was once the site of one of the serum production facilities established for combating the epidemic, shaping the university’s century-long academic trajectory in agriculture, animal science, and veterinary medicine.

The digitization project will include 104 historical volumes, comprising 25 Chinese books, 79 Japanese books, as well as 20 graduation albums and old photographs. These materials will be preserved digitally, enabling broader resource sharing and enhanced cultural transmission. Launching this initiative ahead of the university’s centennial further symbolizes both a reflection on history and a vision for the future.

President Chang noted that NPUST, founded in 1924, began as an institution rooted in agriculture and animal husbandry, and has preserved a rich collection of agricultural texts and documents from the Japanese colonial era. These records chronicle the evolution of Taiwan’s agricultural and livestock industries. Through digitization, these valuable materials will transcend the limitations of fragile physical archives, granting the public convenient access for research and education. “This collaboration with the National Central Library allows us to systematically organize our historical collections and preserve knowledge through digital archiving,” Chang emphasized. “Our graduation albums and old photographs not only document NPUST’s hundred-year history but also capture changes in campus landscapes and institutional development.”

Director-General Wang highlighted that NPUST has made significant contributions to agriculture, veterinary medicine, and engineering, and that the university’s archival materials hold great research value. Through this collaboration, NCL and NPUST aim to revitalize important historical records related to Taiwan’s agricultural development, showcase NPUST’s contributions, and further reveal the historical trajectory of agricultural education in Taiwan.

By digitizing historical books and documents, the project preserves the original appearance and intellectual value of early works, offering a meaningful way to continue the transmission of knowledge and culture. The results of this collaboration will be made available through platforms such as “Taiwan Memory” and other open-access systems, providing students, scholars, and the general public with enriched opportunities for academic research and historical exploration.

More recently, on July 2, Global Views magazine also announced its 2024 ranking for the top universities in Taiwan. With a total of 45 indicators under consideration, NPUST ranked first in the country for “Green Energy” and “Campus Area”. Meanwhile, its overall rankings in the two categories of “social prestige” and “teaching performance” NPUST were able to climb to the 9^th and 18^th position, respectively. Among all other state universities, NPUST ranked 19^th, while it ranked 6^th overall when measured against other technical and vocational universities. Furthermore, in the areas of “agriculture, forestry, fishery, animal husbandry, and veterinary fields”, NPUST found itself standing among Taiwan’s top 3 universities.

NPUST’s cross-domain approach to education brings together the features of its seven colleges while placing a central focus on development in the areas of technological agriculture, ecological industries, platinum society and sustainable economies. The school’s dedication to the cultivation of talent in technological agriculture continues to produce concrete results. Meanwhile, the university is striving to fulfill its social responsibilities and facilitate the development and transformation of local industries in Pingtung. Cooperating with the United Nations SDGs and the government’s 2050 net-zero emission goals, and integrating a spirit of sustainable development into its education, research and development policies, NPUST has earned numerous awards in recent years in areas of ecology, life, community welfare and more. Some of these include the “National Sustainable Development Award”, the “National Environmental Education Award”, and the “Global Views Magazine USR Award”.  

In addition to NPUST’s main campus, which is nearly 300 hectares in size, the university also has two forest farms where it conducts practical basic training with its students. It also has numerous facilities for practical learning in a variety of disciplines on campus, including a wood processing plant, an agricultural and aquatic products inspection and verification center, a simulated food GMP production line, a smart agriculture center, a plant medicine teaching hospital, and a veterinary medicine teaching hospital, to name a few. With its comprehensive facilities and rich teaching resources, NPUST has cultivated many professionals in the areas of agriculture, forestry, fishery and animal husbandry over the years, and has positioned itself as a leading comprehensive university of science and technology Taiwan, with students coming from around to study in the programs it has to offer.

In the future, NPUST will continue to improve the quality of its education, promote innovative research and sustainable development, actively participate in global issues, and cultivate more high-quality professionals with practical abilities and international perspectives.

Every year National Central Library collects theses bibliographies and electronic full-text archives submitted by schools across the country and ranks them based on such factors as “electronic full-text authorization rate”, “electronic full-text authorization volume”, “electronic full-text download volume”, “electronic full-text download rate”. When it comes to “Dissertation Retrieval”, the number of electronic full-text downloads of NPUST’s contributions in 2024 was tallied at 39,917, placing it fifth nationwide among public technical and vocational schools.

In line with the spirit of free and open access to information, NPUST established the “NPUST University Ph.D. and Master’s Thesis System” to improve the on-campus thesis writing and submission process and allow for more efficient academic output. They also are actively encouraging researchers to authorize electronic full-text archiving of their work at the National Central Library. The award is not only a recognition of NPUST’s efforts to digitally archive its academic papers and share knowledge, but also shows that its academic research contributions are valued, influential and widely read.

During the post-screening discussions, Wu Sheng recalled times when he was immersed in editing the school newspaper and school magazine, and how he often neglected his homework. His teacher was very tolerant, however, and provided the utmost freedom and space for him to develop in the field of literature. This opportunity to learn to think independently and freely allowed him to achieve the things he would eventually come to achieve. Wu Sheng encouraged the young students to cultivate a literary and creative uniqueness while they study in their professional fields, explaining that their cultural accomplishments would allow them stand out among their peers. One of the students in the audience asked the famous writer how he worked through periods where inspiration is in short supply. The poet replied that he had never lacked inspiration, and he encouraged the students to experience life more and get a feeling for the people and things around them—and they should read prolifically to stir up an endless energy and creative motivation.

Wu Sheng, whose real name is Wu Sheng-Hsiung, was born in 1944 in Xizhou Township in Changhua, Taiwan. He graduated from the Department of Animal Husbandry at the Pingtung Agricultural College (which would later become NPUST). He later taught in the Biology Department at Changhua Xizhou Junior High School until his retirement, and now specializes in farming. In 1980, he was invited as a poet to participate in the “International Writing Program” of the University of Iowa in the United States. His published works include “The Soil: Wu Sheng’s 20th Century Poems”, “He’s Still Young – Wu Sheng’s 21st Century Poems”, “Peasant Woman”, “Dian Zaitou”, “Wu Sheng’s Selected Prose”, “My Love, My Sorrow” and many more writings base on his personal experiences of life on the farm, his observations of Taiwan’s rural areas, and other local sentiments. After the age of 40, he began exploring the fate of farmers in light of socio-economic changes, and created thought-provoking masterpieces which give focus to social changes in Taiwan.

The Library & Exhibition Hall and the Center for General Education are working together to shape the literary atmosphere on campus and help students make literature a part of daily life. For six consecutive years they have been jointly organizing the “Southern Wind Reading Season” and “Jingsi Lake Literature Season” to help promote these objectives. This year, as the university marks its 100^th anniversary, the “Centennial Play IN: ∞Special Screening Room” has been organized, with plans to hold nearly 30 movie screenings. Those who are interested in participating in the activities are encouraged to check the Library and Convention and Exhibition Center website for the screening details.

On December 4^th, a special “Ninety-Nine Loves Reading” and Christmas Lighting Ceremony event was held at the Library to encourage participants, and bring added attention to iRead eBooks and other features of the program. NPUST’s President, Chin-Lung Chang, participated in the event together with Director Shan-Ru Chao, Center for General Education Director Kuo-An Wang, Vice-President for Education Shang-Min Ma, and many other university executives and representatives of the digital reading company, Airiti Inc

In his speech President Chin-Lung Chang said “during the university’s 99th anniversary, the theme of ‘NPUST Ninety-Nine Literary Fun’ was adopted to encourage the diversification of reading forms and activities. A series of 13 activities were planned along the four main axes of “Creation & Appreciation”, “Reading & Sharing”, “Images, Art and Literature”, and “Rewards & Borrowing”. Congratulations to all the award-winning students, and thank you to everyone who participated and shared the beauty of reading. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.”

The first 20 writing contributors will receive the “Early Bird Award” for the first stage of the program. After the submission deadline, teachers from university’s Chinese language division will then reviewer the works to select 30 finalists for the second stage. After that 8 winners will be selected in the third stage.

The promotional activities also emphasize the value of digital materials, such as iRead eBooks. With the rapid development of mobile communications and information mediums, the university library is actively promoting digital reading. Through experiential sharing activities, teachers and students are provided with tips on how to make good use of e-books to expand their knowledge, and cultivate their bodies and minds. Hopes are that after the event comes to a successful conclusion, more teachers and students at the university will take advantage of the e-reading resources and technological products available to make the most of their reading experiences!