CAMPUS ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

The morning featured a campus ecological education tour, where NPUST guides led attending faculty and student representatives to visit the renowned Pingtung Rescue Center, which plays a vital role in both education and research activities.

Since its establishment in 1992, the center has provided care for over 5,000 animals and currently houses nearly a thousand individuals and approximately 100 species of protected wildlife. Covering an area of about 2.5 hectares, the Rescue Center boasts comprehensive medical and animal care facilities which are used to assist the government in handling endangered and controlled wildlife. It stands as a crucial wildlife conservation base in Taiwan, disseminating knowledge about wildlife protection and proper animal husbandry through activities such as public visits, volunteer training, and summer camps.

SHARED GOVERNANCE AND COLLABORATION

The afternoon agenda focused on two major themes: “Thematic Sharing” and “Working Group Reports.” During the thematic sharing session, Director Yao-Ming Hong of the NDHU Sustainable Development Center and Director Yun-Tzu Chang of the NTUST Construction and Maintenance Division shared their universities’ practical experiences in energy conservation, discussing concrete measures for campus energy management and sustainable facility improvements.

Covering the topic of biodiversity, Hsiao-Lang Wang of the NTU Office of Sustainability and Director Hsin-Yi Wu of the NCU Office of Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility discussed strategies for safeguarding ecological diversity, sharing their approaches and achievements in campus ecological maintenance and ecological diversity promotion.

During the “Working Group Reports”, NTOU led the session on Sustainable Curriculum with Director Wen-Jer Chang of their Center for Social Responsibility Practice and Sustainable Development presenting on the topic. In his presentation, he shared on the university’s practical experiences and outcomes in sustainable curriculum design and teaching innovation. Looking at the topic of Campus Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Administrative Specialist Cheng-Che Lee of NTNU’s Sustainable Development Center reported on the progress and experiences of member universities in conducting campus-wide greenhouse gas inventories.

The annual meeting helps foster communication among members and gives participants an opportunity to explore different pathway for implementing sustainable university campus governance together.

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE

The Taiwan University Alliance for Sustainable Governance was established in 2022, jointly initiated by nine national universities: NPUST, NTU, NTNU, NTUST, NTOU, NCU, NCHU, NSYSU, and NDHU. The Alliance aims to build a network for exchange among higher education institutions, enabling them to shoulder the responsibility for university sustainable development and social commitment. Through continuous experience sharing and collaborative dialogue, the Alliance seeks to expand the influence of Taiwan’s higher education in the field of sustainable development and create a solid foundation for Taiwan’s sustainable future.

While visiting the university’s Big Data Center, Professor Herlin Chien, who serves as Deputy Executive Director at the NPUST Sustainable Development Office, provided details on the work the school is doing with respect to sustainable development. Afterwards, she arranged for a visit to Smart Agriculture Center.

The NPUST Smart Agriculture Center was established to promote the development and integration of smart technologies applicable to the agricultural sector. At the center, cross-disciplinary teams whose members come from such fields as agriculture, engineering, management, humanities, veterinary medicine, international studies, and other professional areas of research work together to promote Sixth Level industries through the development of various products and systems. With the only industrial-level crop cultivation and circular agriculture demonstration site in the country, the center is used to conduct practical education in production, environmental monitoring, machine R&D, big data collection, Internet of Things, food processing, marketing and more. It is also the home of the first technical college-operated “crop cultivation and recycling center” in the country.

While visiting the center, the visitors observed a variety of research results including smart vehicles, the smart greenhouse, tropical orchard bee breeding technology, image recognition systems, carbon sink calculation systems and drone technology. Afterwards, the guests were taken on a visit to one of NPUST’s industry partners, the TCI Group. TCI is an ISO50001 energy management certified biomedical company whose practices have allowed it to achieve carbon neutrality and earn it recognition from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

In recent years, NPUST has been working to incorporate sustainable development into its school governance policies and has actively put the United Nations SDGs into practice. Thanks to the efforts of so many of her teachers and students, the university has frequently won awards and enjoyed outstanding performances in relation to school governance, environmental sustainability, and university social responsibility (USR)—and has won recognition both at home and abroad. The MOE’s choice to incorporate NPUST into the APEC Industry-Academic Collaboration Workshop and the positive response it received from the APEC representatives is yet another example of the positive impact the school is having when it comes to innovation, sustainability, talent cultivation and good practices.

Gavahian said, “energy conservation and waste reduction in the food industry are key to sustainable development, and by combining these with talent cultivation, we can achieve greater results. I am very honored to be able to contribute to this effort.”

In his commitment to developing new approaches to food processing, Gavahian established a “Novel Processing Methods Laboratory” at NPUST where work is being done to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly value-adding technologies used for processing food and agricultural by-products. His lab has already developed a variety of technologies including energy-saving sterilization technology for milk sterilization, solar food processing systems, shelf-life extension methods and more. His sustainable food processing research results have also been published in many high-impact publications and he has more than 120 SCI journal contributions—serving as first author or corresponding author in over 100 instances. And, with over 3,700 citations, his work is having a widespread impact in his field of study. Gavahian has served as the deputy editor-in-chief, guest editor, and editorial board member for SCI international journals over the years, and has been on the review committee for more than 50 SCI journals—reviewing nearly 400 journal papers. He was also the editor-in-chief for the book, Protocols in Emerging Food Processing Technologies, published by Springer Nature Publishing House in the United States. The book, which is considered the first reference book on novel energy-saving, environmentally-friendly technologies for global sustainable food processing, is having an international impact on sustainable development in the food industry.

Gavahian’s outstanding abilities and contributions to sustainable development in Taiwan are well appreciated, and the Youth Sustainability Leadership Award he was awarded with is a clear reflection of that. As Gavahian carries on his research activities and works to cultivate outstanding sustainable talent at NPUST, expectations are that he will continue to make many notable contributions in his field and his impact on sustainable food production will have a widespread effect.

NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang said that in recent years, NPUST has been promoting the implementation of USR activities in line with the United Nations SDGs and the Taiwan government’s “2050 net zero” goals. It has also been integrating the spirit of sustainable development into its education, research & development, operations, and social services across all of its seven colleges. The university is focused on cultivating agricultural professionals and promoting smart agricultural, circular economies, eco-friendly agriculture, environmental resource protection, and other activities which benefit rural areas and disadvantaged groups. Thanks to the efforts of all teachers and students, on the 2024 World University Impact Ranking, NPUST has managed to jump 100 places from the year before.

The World University Impact Ranking is based on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On the five goals which NPUST achieved the greatest results, it came 36^th in Eradicating Hunger (SDG2), 37^th in Marine Ecology (SDG14), 39^th in Eradicating Poverty (SDG1), 94^th in Climate Action (SDG13), and 100^th in Water Purification and Sanitation (SDG6). Among these, its efforts in Poverty Eradication (SDG1), also earned it the top spot in the Taiwan.

In order to cooperate with Taiwan’s national 2050 net-zero emission policy, NPUST has been actively promoting a net-zero sustainability action plan with specific measures. To enact the measures, the university has established of a number of policy promotion offices, including the Sustainable Development Office, which coordinates resources and works to add depth to sustainable development projects; the College of Agriculture Office for the Promotion of Net Zero and Carbon Sink Tropical Organic Agriculture, which provides guidance to the agricultural industry on low-cost carbon reduction practices; the Center for Advanced Vehicle Technology Research and Services, the Center for Agricultural, Forestry, Fishery, Livestock and Aquaculture Carbon Emission Inventory and Emerging Compounds, and the Research Center of Railway Vehicle— the three of which focus on the research and development of electric vehicles and electric rail vehicles; and the Center for Agriculture and Forestry Auxiliary Materials Recycling and Value Creation, and the Southern Taiwan Agriculture and Forestry Industry Surplus Materials Platform, which are building a bridge between academia and industry, and helping farmers in Pingtung, Yunlin, and Nantou to recycle their agriculture waste and turn it into valuable commodities.

NPUST is also using its educational and research energy to provide guidance related to agricultural and industrial carbon inventories, carbon footprints, and pollution reduction. On campus, the school has been replacing old equipment with power-saving appliances to reduce electricity consumption and lower carbon emissions. With solar panels, biomass energy, digital electricity meters, and energy storage equipment, the university has developed a system to advance green energy goals on campus. It is also actively promoting commuting policies designed to reduce carbon, including the introduction of “green buses” and green energy charging stations for electric vehicles. The school has also created artificial wetlands on campus which are used to treat and purify waste water. With its various treatment and recycling facilities, NPUST is able to achieve full recovery and reuse and of domestic sewage, with zero discharge. Cooperating with the business sector, NPUST also organizes tree planting activities with a hundreds of volunteers participating every year, and so far, their dedication has resulted in the planting of more than 5,000 saplings.

NPUST has achieved outstanding results in its effort to promote sustainable and net zero practices, and has received recognition at home and abroad for its work. Through the 2050 Net Zero City Expo, the university was able to share its own experiences and learn from the experiences of others. In the future, the school will continue to work with industry and government to promote and practice sustainable development, and fulfill its commitment to university’s social responsibility—for the benefit of society, the environment and the economy.

Date for Online Expo: Now until December 31, 2024 Address for Online Expo: https://smartcityonline.org.tw/pavilion.php?vip=nd

Deputy CEO Fangyi Liu said that they have been committed to sustainable development curriculum design and certification training since 2023, covering “Sustainable Development Carbon Management”, “Sustainable Energy and Resource Management”, and many other topics. In 2024, courses to instruct “ESG Sustainability Report Managers”, “Carbon Asset Managers”, “ISO14064-1 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Managers”, “ISO14067 Carbon Footprint Inventory Managers” and “ISO50001 Sustainable Energy Managers” will be further launched along with other standard training and certifications. The goal is to create a triple-win situation where “pragmatic learning and application are integrated, green-collar talent is cultivated, and seamless employment integration is facilitated”.

The agreement reflects NPUST’s commitment to sustainable development. Through the tripartite cooperation between industry, government and academia, they will be able to further promote Taiwan’s sustainable development curriculum and cultivate more green talent with in-depth research capabilities and practical skills; and together, they hope to bringing new impetus and greater opportunities in area of ESG.

In response to global sustainability trends, NPUST incorporated the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its mid- and long-term institutional development plans beginning in 2015. The university identified four strategic pillars—Technological Agriculture, Eco-Industry, Silver Society, and Sustainable Economy—and adopted the “Production–Ecology–Lifestyle–Health (Three Lives and One Health)” model as its core development strategy. Through these efforts, NPUST has actively advanced sustainability education and talent cultivation, earning significant domestic and international recognition for its ESG performance in recent years.

Governance:
NPUST has repeatedly been recognized for its high-quality institutional governance. It was selected by Cheers magazine as one of the “Top 20 Universities with the Most Improved Performance” in both 2018 and 2020. In the Global Views Monthly university rankings, NPUST ranked 19th nationally and 7th among universities of science and technology in 2018; 19th nationally and 5th in 2019 and 2020; and 20th nationally and 6th in 2021 and 2022—demonstrating consistently strong performance among Taiwan’s 149 higher education institutions.

Environment:
To actively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the university has invested institutional funds to establish several carbon inventory and circular economy research centers. NPUST has also implemented large-scale afforestation initiatives to enhance carbon sequestration, achieving remarkable outcomes. The university has ranked No. 1 in Taiwan for nine consecutive years in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. Notably, in 2022, among 1,050 universities across 85 countries, NPUST ranked 27th globally and 3rd in Asia.

Social Responsibility:
NPUST has long been a leader in University Social Responsibility (USR), serving as an important think tank for regional development and a key partner to local communities in rural revitalization. The university has received numerous national recognitions for its work in ecological conservation and the promotion of environmentally friendly farming practices. Key achievements include:

• 2021 – Global Views USR Awards, First Prize in the “Eco-Friendly Group”
• 2022 – First Prize in the “Technical and Vocational Group” (Overall Performance) and Model Award in the “Eco-Friendly Group”
• 2023 – First Prize in the “Green Campus Group” and Model Award in the “Well-being Co-living Group”

These accomplishments reflect the collective dedication of faculty, staff, and students.

President Chang, Chin-Long emphasized that the 2022 Sustainability Report highlights not only the university’s determination and innovation in sustainability practices but also its forward-looking vision and long-term commitment to sustainable development. NPUST will continue advancing the SDGs, expanding its social impact, and inspiring greater public engagement in sustainability—moving society toward a more sustainable future.

NPUST has made many outstanding achievements in its effort to promote Taiwan’s sustainable development goals. For example, it was the first partner of the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative among domestic technical and vocational colleges in Taiwan. Professor Meihui Chen and her team have played a leading role on this front through their work with 11 rural communities in Pingtung and the assistance they are providing them with the development of various sustainable economic activities. In addition to being a two-time first place ‘Action Plan’ winner at the National Sustainable Development Awards twice, her team has also won the National Environmental Education Award, the Ministry of Education USR EXPO ‘Best Practices’ Award, the Youth Community Engagement Initiative “Actor Group” gold medal and many more.

In response to Taiwan’s 2050 net-zero emissions goals NPUST established its “Tropical Organic Agriculture Net-Zero and Carbon Sequestration Promotion Office” which now provides guidance to agriculture and forestry industries on how to achieve carbon reduction goals at lower costs. Research across the university is continuously taking into account related targets and working to find innovative ways to move in the right direction, whether it be vehicle engineering or animal husbandry, waste treatment or materials utilization, NPUST is finding innovative ways to improve the environment and educate students on sustainability.

NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang said “this National Sustainable Development Award for Education not only affirms our school’s work in sustainable development, but also tributes the unremitting efforts of all of our teachers and students. Our school will continue to expand on and deepen sustainable education through innovation and the continuous practice of Environmental Sustainability, Social Responsibility, and School Governance. In this way we will cultivate outstanding talent who follow sustainable ways of thinking and who, as global citizens, will work together to build a better future.”

The Taiwan University Alliance for Sustainability Governance was established in November 2022, less than a year ago. Within this short time, nine universities have established dedicated sustainability units and announced their respective low-carbon transformation goals. The emphasis of the workshop was on how to effectively implement these goals once they are announced, with the hope of gaining practical insights through the sharing of experiences from each university.

In the morning session of the workshop, a campus tour was organized at the National Taiwan University Visitor Center. The tour followed a thematic route focused on waterway restoration and environmental sustainability. Accompanied by knowledgeable guides, participants were given a comprehensive and easy-to-understand introduction, allowing members of the alliance to appreciate the rich cultural heritage and ecological achievements of National Taiwan University.

During the afternoon session of the workshop, two main topics were covered. The first topic, “University Sustainability Governance,” was presented by Director Zhang Zichao from National Taiwan Normal University’s Office of Sustainable Development and CEO Cai Menghao from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology’s Office of Sustainable Development. They shared insights on “University Influence and International Rankings” and “Sustainability Report Compilation.” This discussion emphasized introducing the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) for international university sustainability assessments and explained the process of creating a sustainability report for a university. This process includes conducting surveys on key sustainability issues within the university and compiling the university’s sustainability achievements.

The second topic, “Setting Low-Carbon Transformation Goals and Strategies,” was presented by Assistant CEO Xie Yihuan from National Taiwan University’s Office of Sustainability and Editor-in-Chief Wang Weizhen from National Sun Yat-sen University’s Environmental Safety Center. They shared their experiences in formulating campus low-carbon transformation goals, which encompassed tasks such as establishing promoting committees, setting carbon neutrality objectives, conducting greenhouse gas inventories, planning carbon neutrality pathways, and executing energy-saving strategies.

The workshop aimed to facilitate knowledge exchange and experience sharing among the alliance members to enhance the effectiveness of university sustainability governance. It sought to harness the collective efforts of each university to make a more significant social impact and contribute to the sustainable future of Taiwan.

In the most recent World University Impact Rankings, NPUST’s performances on the three indicators of climate action (SDG13), marine ecology (SDG14) and responsible consumption and production (SDG12) were the most eye-catching, with rankings of 66^th, 73^rd, and 89^th in the world, respectively. For both climate action (SDG13) and marine ecology (SDG14), it also ranked the highest in the country. NPUST has long been cooperating with the private sector to conduct tree planting, conserve energy on campus, and introduce renewable energy. It has also received wide recognition for its committed efforts in climate action and governance, and for helping local governments to build community awareness, conduct disaster prevention & relief, and improve community disaster resistance. The university’s preventive measures in this area have achieved remarkable results and its efforts in water ecosystem protection and restoration, waste disposal, and recycling have also been outstanding.

Every year, through multiple channels of funding, NPUST is providing support to economically disadvantaged domestic and international students. It is also committed to developing sustainable agricultural production systems and cultivating talent to achieve the goals of eliminating hunger, while taking food security and the promotion of sustainable agriculture into account. In conjunction with Taiwan’s “5+2 Industrial Policy”, NPUST is implementing industry-government-academic research cooperation on “smart machinery”, “green energy technology”, “biomedical development”, “new agriculture” and “circular economies”. The university also runs a wildlife center which rescues domestic and foreign endangered species and strengthens sustainable practices such as land ecological protection and restoration. NPUST ranks 101-200 in the world on 4 indicators including poverty eradication (SDG1), hunger eradication (SDG2), infrastructure, industrialization and innovation (SDG9) and terrestrial ecosystems (SDG15). Among these, their performance in poverty eradication (SDG1) has earned it the third spot in the country.

NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang said that the school was founded nearly a century ago. In order to comply with environmental and sustainable development trends, SDGs have been integrated into the school’s development plan, with “technological agriculture”, “ecological industry”, “platinum society” and “sustainable economy” serving as its four main development axes of development. NPUST is also echoing the international concept of “One Health”, using ‘production, ecology, life and health’ as a core development strategy to promote sustainable education and create a sustainable campus culture. President Chang also pointed out that NPUST has ranked No. 1 in the country on the Greenmetric World University Rankings for nine consecutive years, beginning in 2014. Last year (2022), it ranked 3^rd in Asia and 27^th worldwide. From 2020 to 2023, it won the “Global Views Magazine University Social Responsibility Award” for various outstanding projects, with 3 first place prizes and 4 model awards. the implementation of sustainable development goals has been recognized by many different sectors. In 2022, together with 9 national universities including National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University, NPUST jointly established the “Taiwan University Alliance for Sustainable Governance” to cooperate sustainable development goals. This year, it also established Taiwan’s seventh “Sustainability Hub” on campus, to serve as a platform for industry-government-academic research cooperation and social and agricultural practices. Such things demonstrate the determination NPUST has in promoting sustainability and social responsibility, both internally and externally through a multi-pronged approach.