Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract/Objectives

The inaugural "Tsinghua Sustainability Award" aimed to inspire faculty and students to put sustainability concepts into practice. It saw participation from 55 teams, encompassing over 250 individuals, with 9 projects recognized in gold, silver, and bronze categories across students, teachers, and administrative staff. Projects included establishing a materials recycling lab for recovering rare earth elements from waste, interdisciplinary approaches to environmental challenges in the Touqian River basin, and innovative curricula to promote sustainable actions among students. Tsinghua University has integrated sustainability principles into its research and operations, aided by the Sustainability Development Committee. Recent accolades include the first STARS Gold Rating for university sustainability in Asia and consecutive awards for Exemplary Sustainable University in Taiwan. Practical initiatives developed by student teams emphasized urban mining technologies for recycling, while faculty addressed basin governance through interdisciplinary solutions, and administrative efforts engaged students in local ecological and cultural exploration.

Results/Contributions

The first "Tsinghua Sustainability Award" aims to encourage faculty and students to translate sustainability concepts into concrete actions. It attracted a total of 55 teams of faculty, students, and administrative staff, with over 250 participants, ultimately selecting 9 projects for gold, silver, and bronze awards in the student, teacher, and administrative categories. The participating teams built upon Tsinghua's research and teaching strengths to propose diverse and impactful sustainable solutions, including the establishment of a materials recycling laboratory to recover rare earth elements and strategic metals from electronic and industrial waste; forming interdisciplinary teams to address environmental issues in the Touqian River basin; and designing innovative curricula and activities to cultivate students' sustainable actions and local care.

These outcomes reflect that the principles of sustainability have gradually been integrated into Tsinghua's research, teaching, social practices, and administrative operations. The university has utilized the Sustainability Development Committee to integrate various colleges and administrative units to jointly plan campus-wide sustainability strategies and to continuously deepen interdisciplinary collaboration. In recent years, Tsinghua has also received several recognitions for its sustainability efforts, including being awarded the first STARS Gold Rating for university sustainability in Asia in 2022, and winning the first prize for Exemplary Sustainable University in Taiwan for three consecutive years.

In terms of practical implementation, student teams have developed "urban mining" using electrochemical technology to recover rare earth elements and tungsten steel alloys from discarded appliances, batteries, and electric vehicle motors, which reduces the use of chemicals and carbon emissions, showcasing the potential for material recycling. The teacher team focused on "Tsinghua Sustainable Corridor: Living Circle of the Touqian River Basin," integrating fields such as environmental science, information technology, and finance, and proposing diverse solutions for basin governance that range from pollution monitoring and AI image recognition to environmental education. The administrative team has guided students through welcome and experiential activities, encouraging them to explore mangroves, old streets, and other local sites, fostering understanding and engagement with sustainability issues through ecological and cultural perspectives.

Keywords

NTHU Sustainability Award

References

Contact Information

永韌中心
rsdc@my.nthu.edu.tw