In the past few years, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (hereinafter referred to as NYCU) has been actively promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, with the Yangming Campus focusing on the field of medical science and the Guangfu Campus focusing on technology. The two campuses make good use of their respective advantages in the fields of healthcare, medical science, humanities, and technology to fulfill the social responsibilities of the university.
According to Chen-Yi Lee, the vice president of NYCU, the two campuses have been working on a variety of activities, competitions, and projects to put the concepts of SDGs into real life, such as the “Collection and Research Development Project of Seden Society Puppet Theater” which preserve the puppet theater culture that was once popular back in the 1980s. Through the acquisition of the puppets and the search for the oral history of the old craftsmen, the project has archived these precious cultural and historical materials and reorganized them as books, including “The Artisans: An Archive of Seden Society Puppet Theater” and “The Legacy of the Colored Pavilion: A Documentary of Seden Society Puppet Theater Foundation”. From the campus to the community and all the way to the nationwide development, the project forms a sustainable industrial chain, realizing the goal of connecting with the real world.
In terms of facilities, NYCU has not only adopted green buildings and solar panels to build a campus with reduced carbon emission, the university also offers a variety of programs to help students and scholars cultivae skills related to sustainability issues. At present, the university attracts students and faculties to join the sustainability-related programs, with graduate students engaging in some projects directly, while undergraduate students may participate through the Liberal Arts College (LAC) or online programs.
Meanwhile, the school also organized events and contests such as poster design, energy saving contest, and on-campus carbon reduction day, while encouraging students to step outside the country to participate in international competitions. For example, the prototype house “1 House for All” built by a team of faculty and students from the Transdisciplinary Design Innovation Shop (TDIS) Center of NYCU won the Solar Decathlon Europe in 2022. The team consisted of faculty and students from different departments and a collaboration with the Forestry Bureau and the Experimental Forest Internship Factory of National Taiwan University. They even developed a circular building system with the assistance of the industries. By combining the industry, government, and academia, students will be able to develop leadership and collaboration skills through practical engagements, and the university, at the same time, may help students understand trends that are in line with the international community, hence increasing their competitiveness on the job market.
Competitiveness Rises as Students Encouraged for More International Competitions and International Students Attracted to NYCU
Ruchel Oasan from the Philippines said that she had specialized in health-related courses such as nutrition and dietetics before coming to Taiwan, and she currently studies in the IHP (International Health Program). Back then, when Oasan was applying for her doctoral degree, a friend introduced her to the programs at NYCU, she then learned that the university has abundant resources in the field, which could help her conduct relevant research and build up her resume for the job market. Thus, she decided to come to NYCU.
During her time at NYCU, Ruchel Oasan also felt that she could make a difference in the society by participating in campus competitions. She stated, “I’m not just a scientist, a researcher, but also a resident of this city, thus for me it’s not just a competition, but a chance for more people to know what we’ve learned and what we can do to make a difference in this city and the planet.” This experience not only boosted her sense of accomplishment, but also, as she pointed out directly, might be used as an advantage for her resume when applying for jobs in the future.
The research topic of Ruchel Oasan for the SDGs poster competition is about managing food and biological waste; she explored how to utilize these biological materials in food additives to reduce the overproduction of certain biological materials, solving the problems of nutrition and food shortage so as to achieve the goal of sustainability and keep the people in developing countries away from malnutrition and hunger. According to Oasan, she was well supported by the school, and her research has been broadened and widened through the discussions with her peers, and she stated, “I had never encountered any real ‘struggles’ during the competition, mainly because the school was always supportive and helped us solve our problems whenever we had questions, so it didn’t put too much burden and affect on my schoolwork.”
Yangming and Guangfu Campus Combines Medical Science and Technology Together for Deeper Sustainability Development
As vice president Lee said, “NYCU has the advantage of integrating technology, medical science and humanities together in a way that is accessible to everyone in their daily lives; thus, we hope to promote the concept of SDGs with more actions, instead of relying solely on the governmental funding.” Lee further added that both Yangming and Guangfu campuses are currently working on projects related to SDGs. The Yangming campus is executing humanistic care and medical assistance in rural areas, while the Guangfu campus has recently introduced various technologies to calculate carbon footprints that may help manufacturers apply for carbon footprint labels and enter the international market in the future. The university is also planning on integrating the areas of expertise from both campuses. For instance, the expertise of technology in Guangfu campus may help the Yangming campus to improve the efficiency of medical care in rural areas, inspiring the society to apply the concept of sustainability to various levels.
Lee also mentioned the difficulties encountered while carrying out the concept of SDGs, “Take ‘net-zero carbon emissions’ as an example, the beginning of switching to a new energy and new technology will easily cause a large amount of energy consumption, which is also a continuous challenge for our staff.” Another example is the recently popular platform of “Chat GPT”, which consumes a great deal of energy during the process of AI computing. Therefore, if there is a way to teach the public to use new technologies more efficiently, and ask the right questions and find the answers, it may also help the society achieve the goals of sustainability.
Under such circumstances, the university-industry-governmental collaboration has been particularly important. With proper education, the university can train up talents to help the industries fulfill the zero-carbon transformations, while devoting to other related issues and technologies through innovative research and help them build a complete industrial chain.Meanwhile, through practical actions and competition as demonstrated by the faculties and students, sustainable development can further find roots in the everyday lives of our society, therefore become a habit for all.