[Reporter: Mei-Hsiu Hung / Hsinchu Report] National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) held its first Sustainability Award competition, attracting 55 teams comprising faculty, students, and administrative staff—more than 250 participants in total. Some teams established laboratories for materials recycling, recovering rare earth elements from electronic and industrial waste, while others formed interdisciplinary groups to address sustainability issues in the Touqian River Basin. Among them, PhD student Shao-Chi Lo developed an electrochemical technology to recover rare earth elements and tungsten carbide alloys from discarded home appliances, batteries, and electric vehicle motors. His innovation significantly reduces the use of chemical agents and carbon emissions. With the concept of "urban mining," Lo was awarded the grand prize.
Under the guidance of Professor Chih-Huang Lai, Lo, a doctoral student in the Department of Materials Science, created an electrochemical method that recovers strategic metals from waste. These metals, which are difficult to mine and highly polluting to extract from raw ore, include rare earth elements and tungsten alloys. Lo emphasized that his approach aligns with the spirit of sustainability through the concept of "urban mining."
Lo noted that while the field of sustainability may not yield short-term returns as quickly as the semiconductor industry, he firmly believes that "circular materials scientists" have vast potential in the future. He added, "On the path to sustainability, only those who give up will fail." In a show of commitment to sustainability, he pledged NT$200,000 of his prize money from local and international competitions to NTHU as a scholarship fund to support interdisciplinary talent development.
NTHU Vice President Nien-Hwa Dai stated that sustainability has taken deep root on campus. The gold, silver, and bronze award-winning projects selected in this inaugural Sustainability Award are exemplary. In addition to the award selection, the university is hosting a "Sustainability is Communication" exhibition to engage students, faculty, and the public in experiencing sustainability in action.
Dai also noted that several years ago, NTHU established a Sustainability Development Committee that brings together academic and administrative units—such as academic affairs, student affairs, and general affairs—along with sustainability officers from each college. This coordinated effort led to NTHU receiving Asia's first STARS Gold Rating for university sustainability in 2022 and winning Taiwan’s top award for model sustainable universities for three consecutive years.
NTHU Chief Sustainability Officer Fu-Jen Lin remarked that with nearly 4,000 graduates each year, if every graduate carries a mindset of sustainability into their future careers, they will become a driving force for meaningful change in Taiwan.
In the faculty category, Professor Hsiu-Chuan Chou from the Institute of Environmental Engineering received the Gold Award for her project "NTHU Sustainability Hub: Touqian River Basin Living Circle." The project involved guiding students in field investigations of the river basin, studying the impact of river sediment pollutants on human cells, incorporating AI image recognition for pollution detection, launching general education courses to promote sustainability action, and collaborating with local environmental groups. It presented sustainable solutions for the river basin from multiple perspectives, including pollution control, environmental education, and green finance.
NTHU also launched the Tsing Hua Sustainability Exhibition, showcasing award-winning Sustainability Award projects, sustainability ambassadors' campus initiatives, campus living labs, and visual storytelling works. The exhibition runs until April 21 at the first floor lobby of the Macronix Building.
The news source is from Liberty Times Net, dated April 16, 2025.