Who’s making an impact when it comes to Sustainable Development? The Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings was designed to figure it out. With 17 items of consideration, universities around the world are being sized-up based on how well they are performing in activities directly related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And in the recently published 2021 Impact Rankings, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) was among the 35 universities in Taiwan to make the list.
Coming seventh in the country and first among technical universities, NPUST performed particularly well when it came to Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9). Here, out of 680 other universities around the world, NPUST ranked 97th. In total, 1240 universities from 98 countries took part in the Impact Rankings. In the “overall” ranking, NPUST fell into the 301~400 range. While for other indexes, such as Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG8), Reduced Inequalities (SDG10) and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12), her performance placed her in the 101~200 grouping.
When it comes Sustainable Development, NPUST has been making a mark for some time now—and has been having a big impact when it comes to food security, improved nutrition, and sustainable agriculture. Every year since 2013, NPUST has ranked first in Taiwan in the UI Green Metric University Rankings, and in 2020 and 2021, the university was also awarded University Social Responsibility awards from Global View Magazine for its continuous positive influence in social and environmental spheres.
NPUST’s departments are dedicated to research and education in agricultural production, forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries & aquaculture, environmental protection, soil & water conservation, ecological protection, disaster prevention & rehabilitation, animal conservation, health & food safety, and water resources. Cultivating talent in these fields for many years, NPUST President Chang Hsien Tai explained that the university is also enacting short, medium and long term plans to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2020, the university established a Sustainable Development Office to help coordinate related resources and manage SDG and USR activities. The policies the university have adopted are strengthening interdisciplinary work on sustainability and social responsibility, and integrating related concepts into everything from education and research to operations and social services—and ultimately, they’re having an impact.
