How universities can work together with local communities to create a green, sustainable future

¹ Office of President, National Chi Nan University, 1 University Road, Puli, Nantou 54561, Taiwan, ROC
² Department of Civil Engineering, National Chi Nan University, 1 University Road, Puli, Nantou 54561, Taiwan, ROC
³ Environmental Protection and Occupational Safety and Health Center, National Chi Nan University, 1 University Road, Puli, Nantou 54561, Taiwan, ROC

^* Corresponding author: yosu@ncnu.edu.tw

Abstract

Over the past few years, National Chi Nan University (NCNU) has made significant achievements in its development as a “green university.” Besides continuing to implement sustainable development of its campus, NCNU has also been implementing the “Citizenship Cultivation Plan,” “University without Boundary Project” and “University Social Responsibility (USR) Plan,” using the local community as a test-bed, and working actively to integrate NCNU’s curriculum with the community, so as to enhance awareness of local environmental issues among students, faculty members and local residents, and build consensus of sustainable environmental development. NCNU has implemented a range of action plans and practical courses of environmental education to work together with local residents for environmental issues, such as water resources, air quality, waste, etc. Through these activities, NCNU’s students and faculty members and local residents are able to develop a better understanding of the environment, and how they can make a bigger contribution towards environmental protection. Regarding the international voluntary service activities, NCNU has endeavored to fulfil its social responsibility as a university. Under the dynamic leadership of President Dr. Yuh-Long Su, College of Science and Technology and College of Management have joined forces with “Chunghwa International Sunshine Charitable Association” established by Taiwanese businesspeople in Southeast Asia, using NCNU’s knowhow and technology to build the water purification systems in Cambodia, providing clean and safe drinking water for people in remote and disadvantaged areas. NCNU has strongly rooted in the local community with the content of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to build capabilities in four key areas - educational development, local action, industry-academia collaboration, and global integration - and to expand the scope of its activities from the local to the international. In the future, NCNU will continue devoting itself to sustainability and environmental issues, working wholeheartedly to meet its social responsibility goals as a university.