Education for SDGs commitment to meaningful education
Sustainable Development Goals
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NTHU Commitment to Meaningful Education for Sustainable Development
THE Impact Rankings 17.4.1 — Education for SDGs: Commitment to Meaningful Education
1. Institutional Commitment to Meaningful Sustainability Education
National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) is committed to providing meaningful educational opportunities related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for students across academic disciplines.
Through general education electives, interdisciplinary programmes, professional courses, experiential learning, international exchange, and student-led initiatives, NTHU connects sustainability knowledge with practical environmental and social challenges.
Its educational activities address climate change, energy transition, environmental conservation, public health, equality, cultural heritage, technological innovation, and responsible governance.
NTHU emphasizes student-centered learning, enabling students to examine sustainability challenges through disciplinary knowledge, field investigations, design thinking, practical projects, artistic creation, and intercultural engagement.
The university provides elective courses and voluntary learning opportunities accessible to students from different backgrounds.
Some degree programmes include compulsory courses addressing sustainability-related educational issues. However, the evidence does not establish a university-wide mandatory SDG course requirement for every student.
2. University-wide General Education Courses Related to the SDGs
2.1 Twenty SDG-related General Education Courses
NTHU's Center for General Education provides a range of courses related to sustainable development and environmental and social issues.
According to the institutional submission, the following 20 courses are available within the university's general education provision:
- Changes and Sustainability of Nature.
- Ecosystem and Global Changes.
- Impact of Global Energy Shortage.
- Global Warming and Environmental Impact.
- Introduction to Energy and Environment.
- Environmental Protection and Life.
- Food Literacy and Sustainable Food Design.
- Exploration and Practice of Aquatic and Wetland Plants in Taiwan.
- Knowing Fungi.
- Changes and Sustainability of Nature: Selected Lectures (MOOC).
- Design Thinking for Sustainable Environmental Governance.
- Food Safety and Life.
- Exploration and Practice for Wildlife Conservation.
- Genetically Modified Foods and Health.
- Naturalistic Intelligence.
- Science of Animal Life.
- Environmental Planning and Management.
- Dark Sky and Sustainability.
- Rebirth of Waste: Circular Materials and the Green Revolution in Energy Storage.
- Sustainable Development.
These courses cover climate action, energy systems, ecology, biodiversity, environmental management, food systems, responsible technology, and sustainable societies.
Students can select courses according to their academic interests and the applicable registration requirements.
2.2 Sustainability Education across Disciplines
General education provides an important avenue through which students from engineering, science, humanities, social sciences, arts, and other disciplines can encounter SDG-related issues.
For example, Food Literacy and Sustainable Food Design connects everyday choices with sustainable food systems.
Dark Sky and Sustainability introduces issues concerning nighttime lighting, ecological conservation, and environmental quality.
Rebirth of Waste explores circular materials and energy-storage technology.
By approaching sustainability through different disciplines, these courses enable students to understand how global sustainability goals relate to scientific research, individual decisions, public policy, and professional practice.
Supporting Evidence
NTHU General Education Course Catalogue:
https://www.ccxp.nthu.edu.tw/ccxp/INQUIRE/JH/6/6.2/6.2.F/JH62f002.php
Source: Tsing Hua College's 2025 institutional submission.
Course schedules, syllabi, and SDG mapping records should be retained to verify the courses offered in the relevant academic year.
Relevant SDGs: 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 17.
3. Sustainability-related Courses across the University
3.1 Institutional Course Statistics for 2025
According to NTHU's Secretariat, the university offered 5,906 courses in 2025, of which 3,787 were classified as sustainability-related.
This represents approximately 64% of the reported course total.
The figures indicate that sustainability-related themes were identified across multiple academic fields.
These themes may include health, energy, industrial innovation, legal institutions, cultural conservation, environmental management, and social inclusion.
3.2 Scope and Verification of Curriculum Integration
Classification as a sustainability-related course does not necessarily mean that the SDGs form the primary learning objective of every course.
The institutional total also does not demonstrate that all students must complete a compulsory sustainability course.
Accordingly, the statistics are presented as evidence of the breadth of sustainability-related education rather than proof that SDG education is embedded in every course.
Supporting Evidence
Source: NTHU Secretariat, 2025 sustainability-related course statistics.
Recommended documentation includes the complete course classification list, inclusion criteria, academic year covered, and the underlying total of 5,906 courses.
4. Experiential Learning and Watershed Sustainability
4.1 Touqian River Research and Community-based Education
In 2025, NTHU's Touqian River project connected environmental science, data analysis, and community engagement with practical sustainability education.
Students explored water pollution, river litter, environmental change, and watershed governance through research-informed learning activities.
Working with researchers, community partners, and environmental organizations, students investigated environmental challenges while considering residents' experiences and local management needs.
The project emphasized that sustainability problems involve both scientific evidence and social and institutional conditions.
Students therefore gained opportunities to understand the relationships among environmental monitoring, public participation, industry, and local livelihoods.
4.2 Design Thinking for Sustainable Environmental Governance
The course Design Thinking for Sustainable Environmental Governance was incorporated into interdisciplinary learning associated with urban and rural revitalization.
It also connected with relevant science, technology, and society topics in sustainability-related study pathways.
Learning activities combined classroom instruction, field observations, expert dialogue, and group presentations.
Students listened to community members' concerns about water quality and considered the experiences of river patrol participants and public facility managers.
They then organized their observations and research findings, analyzed problems, and explored possible solutions through group work.
This approach helped students translate SDG concepts into practical questions involving environmental governance and community needs.
4.3 Developing Problem-solving and Collaborative Skills
The Touqian River project demonstrates the value of experiential learning in sustainability education.
Students were encouraged to move beyond theoretical discussion by gathering evidence, examining multiple stakeholder perspectives, and proposing responses to real environmental challenges.
The activities contributed to the development of research skills, interdisciplinary cooperation, and practical understanding of SDGs 6 and 11.
Supporting Evidence
NTHU Touqian River Research and Community Engagement Project Report, 2025:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M1kObgkbzlzjTB4JfUalZNvKgp0bZHVA/view
NTHU USR Project Annual Report, 2025:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i8rv_lD3svXestG2mkSkY5XpRC8bEYFi/view
Recommended materials include student fieldwork photographs, interview records, environmental monitoring activities, and course presentations.
Relevant SDGs: 4, 6, 11, 12, and 17.
5. Interdisciplinary Professional Education and Technology Governance
5.1 Law and Technology Course in 2025
In Fall 2025, Professor Ching-Fu Lin of NTHU's Institute of Law for Science and Technology taught the course Law and Technology.
The course explored the interaction among technological advancement, law, public policy, and social institutions.
Topics included artificial intelligence, digital property and innovation, labor and society, public health, criminal law and intelligent systems, sustainability and corporate governance, gender and law, and intellectual property rights.
Through these topics, students were introduced to the legal and social implications of technological development.
The course encouraged students to consider how emerging technologies interact with equality, human rights, industrial innovation, institutional accountability, and sustainability.
Its reported content relates to SDGs 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 16.
Supporting Evidence
NTHU Law and Technology course materials, 2025:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12RPlyUHMdmtcW_Bq5xEKtzIjv01fVcUz/view?usp=sharing
5.2 Chemistry Education and Sustainability Research
NTHU's Department of Chemistry integrates sustainability-related topics into professional teaching, laboratory learning, and undergraduate research.
Relevant areas include green energy, environmental sensing, sustainable materials, and applications of chemistry to environmental and societal challenges.
The department encourages undergraduate students to participate in faculty research projects, providing opportunities to develop scientific inquiry, analytical thinking, innovation, and problem-solving skills.
These experiences help students connect disciplinary knowledge with sustainability-oriented scientific practice.
Supporting Evidence
Source: NTHU Department of Chemistry's 2025 institutional submission.
Recommended documentation: Undergraduate research outcomes, course syllabi, and laboratory research activities.
5.3 Interdisciplinary Engineering and Microsystems Education
NTHU's Institute of NanoEngineering and MicroSystems integrates biomedical microsystems, sensors, nanomaterials, semiconductor technologies, and advanced manufacturing into graduate education.
Some of these educational themes relate to health innovation, industrial technology, and responsible production.
English-medium courses, international research cooperation, and academic exchanges further support international and interdisciplinary research training.
Supporting Evidence
Source: NTHU College of Engineering's 2025 institutional submission.
Recommended documentation: Course lists, research training records, and sustainability-related graduate research outputs.
6. Industry-led Micro-credit Courses and Sustainable Career Development
6.1 University-wide Enterprise Navigation Micro-credit Programme
NTHU's Career Development Division offers the Enterprise Navigation Micro-credit Programme to provide learning opportunities relevant to students across disciplines.
The programme connects university students with professionals and managers from industries including technology, finance, advanced materials, and innovation.
Participating companies identified in the institutional submission include Garmin, Moxa, Bank SinoPac, Applied Materials Taiwan, Heron Neutron Medical, LCY Chemical, Micron Technology, NOVA DESIGN, and Advantest Taiwan.
Through industry-led instruction, practical activities, and career exploration, students gain perspectives on emerging workplace challenges and professional development.
6.2 Connecting Academic Learning with Industry Practice
The programme adopts approaches including flipped learning and practice-oriented projects.
Students are encouraged to examine industry challenges, reflect on their capabilities, and develop interdisciplinary problem-solving skills.
The programme also introduces sustainability and future workplace issues where relevant to participating industries.
It complements formal university courses by connecting academic learning with external professional experience.
Supporting Evidence
NTHU Enterprise Navigation Micro-credit Programme:
https://ccd.nthu.edu.tw/page/2
Related SDG Activities at NTHU:
https://sdgs.nthu.edu.tw/our-response/collections/page/1817f397ff1b4085820ef0426783b788
Programme records and syllabi identifying specific sustainability learning objectives should be retained.
Relevant SDGs: 4, 8, 9, and 17.
7. Cultural Sustainability, Arts, and Digital Humanities
7.1 University-wide Museum and Digital Curation Electives
NTHU's Jie Ying Heritage Museum and Center for General Education jointly offer two electives accessible to students across the university:
Open Up Museums: Appreciate Local Culture.
Digital Curation: The Innovative Link of Humanities and Digital Technology.
Open Up Museums uses the heritage museum as a practical learning site, introducing students to collection management, cataloguing, conservation, exhibitions, and museum education.
The course emphasizes the relationship between cultural heritage preservation, public education, and social responsibility.
Digital Curation combines digital technologies, service design, cultural interpretation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Students explore museum digital transformation and opportunities for presenting cultural knowledge through technology.
Together, these courses enable students from different backgrounds to engage with cultural sustainability through practical learning.
Supporting Evidence
Jie Ying Heritage Museum activity and course records:
Recommended documentation: Course syllabi, student exhibitions, and practical learning outputs.
7.2 Mending the Earth Art Project
NTHU's Center for Arts and Culture incorporated the Mending the Earth initiative into the Art Project course.
Students used mosaic artworks to fill potholes in campus pathways, transforming routine repairs into creative artistic interventions.
The project connected campus environmental improvement with artistic creation and practical education.
By addressing a visible campus problem through creative work, students explored relationships among materials, public spaces, and social responsibility.
Supporting Evidence
Source: NTHU Center for Arts and Culture's 2025 institutional submission.
Recommended documentation: Course records, before-and-after photographs, and completed student artworks.
Relevant SDGs: 4, 11, and 12.
8. Student-led Sustainability Education and Ambassadors
8.1 NTHU Sustainability Ambassadors in 2025
NTHU provides students with opportunities to participate in sustainability advocacy, peer education, and campus activities through its Sustainability Ambassador initiative.
The 2025 programme records indicate that students helped plan the NTHU Sustainability Exhibition.
Their involvement included identifying topics, gathering information, preparing educational content, and coordinating activities.
These experiences allowed students to consider how sustainability knowledge can be communicated to audiences from different backgrounds.
8.2 From Sustainability Awareness to Everyday Action
According to programme reflections, students also explored connections between sustainability and everyday actions, including reducing single-use materials, using public transport, and communicating research findings.
The programme supported peer-to-peer learning, teamwork, public communication, and student initiative.
It offered an additional pathway for sustainability education beyond formal coursework.
Supporting Evidence
Source: NTHU's 2025 Sustainability Ambassador programme materials, referenced in the College of Nuclear Science institutional submission.
Recommended documentation: Student presentations, exhibition records, planning materials, and activity photographs.
9. International and Intercultural Education
9.1 Newbie Program and Global Citizenship Learning
NTHU's Office of Global Affairs established the Newbie Program in 2018 to help international students adapt to campus life through peer volunteering.
In 2025, 51 NTHU students participated as volunteers.
They supported newly arrived international students with practical matters and organized cultural experiences introducing Taiwanese communities, history, and everyday life.
The programme provided opportunities for local students and international newcomers to develop intercultural understanding and mutual support.
Through volunteering and cultural exchange, students could strengthen communication skills, global awareness, and social participation.
Supporting Evidence
NTHU Newbie Program:
https://oga.site.nthu.edu.tw/p/404-1524-289959.php?Lang=zh-tw
Source: Office of Global Affairs, 2025 institutional submission.
9.2 Summer Spanish Language Programme
NTHU offers an annual summer language programme at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
The approximately one-month programme combines language study with cross-cultural learning.
According to the Office of Global Affairs, the programme is optional and available to students across the university.
It supports intercultural experience and broader understanding of international issues.
However, direct evidence of specific SDG teaching content would require the programme syllabus or relevant learning records.
Supporting Evidence
Source: NTHU Office of Global Affairs, 2025 institutional submission.
Recommended documentation: Programme brochure, course curriculum, and relevant student learning records.
9.3 Australian University Exchange and Student-centered Learning
NTHU's Interdisciplinary Program of Tsing Hua College promotes student-centered bilingual learning through international engagement.
Reported activities involved exchanges with the University of Sydney, Macquarie University, and the University of Wollongong.
Students presented Taiwanese glove puppet performances, organized hands-on cultural experiences, exchanged drone photography knowledge, and shared stories through postcards.
These experiences allowed students to apply their academic and creative skills in intercultural settings while developing communication and collaboration abilities.
Supporting Evidence
NTHU Tsing Hua College Overseas Exchange Report:
https://ipth.site.nthu.edu.tw/p/406-1462-312997,r9940.php
Relevant SDGs: 4, 10, 11, and 17.
10. Educational Equity and Student Support
10.1 Inclusive Access and Learning Support
NTHU promotes inclusive educational opportunities through diverse admissions and student assistance arrangements.
Reported mechanisms include alternative admission pathways, learning assistance, career support, and financial support initiatives, including the study-for-work substitution programme.
These measures aim to reduce barriers faced by students from economically or culturally disadvantaged backgrounds.
They provide an institutional foundation for broader participation in university learning opportunities.
Such support is relevant to SDGs 4 and 10, although equitable access programmes should be distinguished from dedicated SDG instructional activities.
Supporting Evidence
NTHU Student Assistance Website:
https://totakeoff.site.nthu.edu.tw/index.php
10.2 Student Clubs and Extracurricular Learning
NTHU's Division of Student Activities supports approximately 180 student clubs.
Through club activities, students develop teamwork, leadership, independent learning, and organizational skills.
Clubs concerned with environmental activities, volunteering, social engagement, and international cooperation provide additional opportunities for sustainability-related learning.
However, the total number of student clubs does not establish that every club directly teaches the SDGs.
Supporting Evidence
NTHU Student Club Directory:
https://cms.club.nthu.edu.tw/public/cl/club_list.php
10.3 Alumni Support for Experiential Learning
NTHU's Alumni Association and Alumni Center support student teams, competitions, international volunteering, and social engagement projects.
These activities provide opportunities for students to develop skills through educational outreach, technology applications, intercultural exchange, and community involvement.
Alumni networks also contribute professional experience, mentoring, and knowledge sharing.
This support complements sustainability education through extracurricular opportunities.
Supporting Evidence
Source: NTHU Alumni Association and Alumni Center institutional submissions for 2025–2026.
Recommended documentation: Student support records, project reports, and sustainability-related activity outcomes.
11. Teacher Education and the Extension of Sustainability Learning
NTHU's Center for Teacher Education incorporates sustainability-related educational issues into pre-service teacher preparation.
Relevant issues include gender equality, human rights, environmental education, multicultural education, technology, and special education.
Through the Teaching Practice Connection Support Programme, the center encourages instructors to develop learning units connected to these issues within teaching methods courses and teaching practicum arrangements.
Teacher candidates learn how to translate educational and sustainability-related issues into curriculum design and classroom practice.
This approach enables university-level education to support future teaching in primary and secondary schools.
Compulsory requirements within teacher education programmes do not establish a university-wide mandatory SDG course requirement for all NTHU students.
Supporting Evidence
Source: NTHU Center for Teacher Education, 2025 institutional submission.
Recommended documentation: Programme requirements, course syllabi, teaching plans, and practicum outcomes.
12. Continuing Commitment
National Tsing Hua University will continue expanding meaningful sustainability education through general education, interdisciplinary learning, experiential projects, student-led initiatives, and international engagement.
The university aims to enable students from different academic backgrounds to understand the SDGs and connect sustainability concepts with practical challenges.
Future efforts will also emphasize improved documentation of sustainability-related courses, learning objectives, student projects, and educational outcomes.
By combining classroom learning with research, design thinking, artistic practice, community engagement, and intercultural education, NTHU seeks to strengthen students' capacity for interdisciplinary collaboration, social responsibility, and sustainable action.