Tunghai wins Taiwan Sustainability Action Awards by Creating a Society of Shared Good
Tunghai University filed a total of 5 entries in the 2021 TSAA (Taiwan Sustainability Action Award) selection to demonstrate our results of the four major sustainability actions in recent years. Winning the awards is an affirmation for Tunghai for its innovative practices in actively implementing SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), and the results of promoting sustainability have also produced far-reaching social influence.
Tunghai University won Taiwan Sustainability awards with President Mao-Jiun Wang (center), Research & Development Dean Hui-Chen Lin (left), and Institutional Research Officer Shu-Ming Hsu (right)
In terms of ecological sustainability, Tunghai University took the theme of " one university guarding one stream" and cooperated with the Taichung City Government and the university vicinity business owners to entice the concept and actions on citizen participation, community building, and ecology restoration and landscape construction while improving the water quality of Dong-da Creek. With the completion of the Dongdaxi and Razixi Water Culture and Environmental Education Centers, Tunghai furthered the efforts in promoting environmental education on water culture. This project corresponds to SDG6 and was recognized by the Taichung City Government with a Low-Carbon Sustainable Outstanding Contribution Award.
Tunghai University won Taiwan Sustainability awards with President Mao-Jiun Wang (center), Research &
Development Dean Hui-Chen Lin (left), and Institutional Research Officer Shu-Ming Hsu (right)
In terms of social sustainability, Tunghai has expanded various actions to promote LOHAS lifestyle for elders in the local community and cooperated with enterprises to build a complete industry chain. The social return on investment (SROI) is as high as 5.05. Another winner of the Gold Award was the Digital Learning Buddy Program. For 13 years, the program been leading 1,200 university students to help students from 14 primary and secondary schools in remote areas. Up to 800 students have benefitted from information technology for learning and enhanced their vision and life experiences. The Program has also won the "Outstanding University Companionship Award" for six consecutive years since 2015.
Digital Learning Buddy Program connected 800 students from 14 schools and 2 digital learning centers in central Taiwan
In terms of economic sustainability, the "From Cloud to AI, Assisting in Industrial Digital Transformation and Talent Cultivation" project corresponds to SDG9-Industry and Innovation Infrastructure. Starting from the establishment of the first Cloud Academy in Taiwan in 2018 with Amazon AWS, Tunghai has integrated the campus AI Center and Smart Transformation Center to form a sheet metal AI strategic alliance with the local industry. Through such industry-university cooperation, more than 4,000 sheet metal industry manufacturers have increased production capacity and yield in addition to cultivating more than 5,000 industrial talents within three years.
In terms of cultural sustainability, the "Regional Revitalization through Education" action project focused on the educational turnover and training of disadvantaged students nearby Tunghai University. In addition to responding to the SDG4 education quality, it also responded to the government's promotion of local revitalization goal. In 2021, the project achieved in the development of a localized new curriculum module and the creation of the “Dadushan Knowledge Platform” in cooperation with local communities. A collective memory of the community will be the momentum to promote an ecosystem of common benefit, co-prosperity, and sustainability.