HSINCHU, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan has again clinched the Taiwan University Sustainability Award at the 16th Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards (TCSA), organized by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE). The award ceremony on November 15 at the Grand Hotel, Taipei, distinguished NTHU among the 45 participating universities.
NTHU achieved the first position in the comprehensive evaluation and received the University Sustainability Report Silver Award in the individual competitions. Senior Vice President Nyan-Hwa Tai, the Chief Sustainability Officer, accepted the accolades.
SVP Tai emphasized NTHU's commitment to the core principle that “actions speak louder than words.” All 26 administrative and academic units at NTHU have appointed sustainability officers, who form the Sustainability Committee. Sustainability principles are seamlessly integrated into research and teaching endeavors, extending beyond environmental and energy conservation efforts.
Over the preceding year, NTHU established a carbon inventory baseline and devised a roadmap for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Plans are underway to develop a real-time monitoring dashboard for carbon emissions.
Tai highlighted NTHU's excellent results in eco-friendly technology and fostering sustainability at the cultural level. Initiatives such as the preservation of historical artifacts and the establishment of the Taiwan Mandarin Center in India contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, which include “Sustainable Cities and Communities” and “Partnerships for the Goals.”
Faculty members, including Professor Tien-Chien Lee from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Fu-Ren Lin from the Institute of Service Science, retired Professor Ding-Tzann Lii, and alumnus Dr. Wen-Chuan Lee, collaborated with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture to promote the “Regional Support System for Food and Agriculture Education in Greater Hsinchu” program.
This initiative assists local farmers in planting eco-friendly crops and collaborates with nearby schools to promote food and farm education, allowing students to experience the entire food production process from farm to table.
In the current year, NTHU has expanded student participation in sustainability initiatives. The NTHU Campus as a Living Lab held a competition using the “University Proposing Questions, Students Solving Questions” model to encourage collaboration between faculty and students in creating a sustainable campus.
For instance, students addressed the challenge posed by Tsing Hua College: “Activating the Chengde Sky above the Education Hall.” They transformed the rooftop of the Education Hall into an open-air movie theater and hosted a sustainable film exhibition that attracted numerous faculty and students to the venue.
In addition, the Regional Innovation Center organized the “IDEAL Sustainable Campus Practice Project” competition to incentivize students to address practical sustainability issues through a “Students Asking and Solving Questions” approach.
Fourteen student teams have had their proposals adopted, covering themes such as gender equality exhibitions and recycling services for tablets and laptops. Each team will receive a maximum grant of 30,000 New Taiwan Dollars (approximately $957.6), which will help students take action on sustainability issues they are passionate about.
