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【Translator : Siou-Yao Han】

【Promotion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) series】

2024-01-03 The National University of Kaohsiung (NUK) has once again made it to the world rankings! In the latest "UI GreenMetric World University Rankings," NUK's global ranking has risen from 319th to 285th place, entering the top quarter. This reflects the university's commitment to incorporating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its core administrative governance, successfully practicing and promoting the concept of a green university.

President Yueh-Tuan Chen of the National University of Kaohsiung (NUK) stated that linking with society and industries, and responding to national policies, has always been the school's goal. In 2022, NUK took the lead in responding to the government's "Net Zero 2050" policy, declaring its commitment to the direction of becoming a "green university." In addition, the university has been actively installing public art to shape the cultural atmosphere on campus and promote environmental education. These efforts have contributed to the positive results in the "UI GreenMetric World University Rankings," and President Chen attributes this success to the collective efforts of all faculty, staff, and students. NUK will continue its endeavors in promoting environmental sustainability, education, and research.

The "UI GreenMetric World University Rankings" is constructed based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators, with evaluation categories encompassing "Setting and Infrastructure," "Energy and Climate Change," "Waste," "Water," "Transportation," and "Education and Research." The 2023 edition of this ranking was organized by Universitas Indonesia and was released last month on December 5th. A total of 1,183 universities from 84 countries participated in the competition, including 31 universities from Taiwan.

The Office of General Affairs at the National University of Kaohsiung (NUK) took the lead in participating in this ranking. Mr. Shih-Heng Tung, the Dean of General Affairs, pointed out that NUK has been actively applying for the ranking since 2022, and the university's performance has improved consistently. Moving from 319th place in 2022 to 285th place in 2023, significant improvements were observed in all six evaluation categories. This indicates the continuous refinement of the university's environmental strategies and practices.

For example, in the "Setting and Infrastructure" category, the National University of Kaohsiung (NUK) in Taiwan is ranked 8th among participating schools. This recognition is attributed to the university's commitment to environmental sustainability from its inception, marked by the signing of the "Talloires Declaration (June 5, 2004)," making it the first green university in Taiwan. The university's campus, formerly agricultural fields and fishponds acquired through land requisition by the Kaohsiung City Government, spans 82.5 hectares. After a series of environmental restoration efforts, the campus now boasts a forest and vegetation coverage of 51.64%.

Furthermore, within the NUK campus, there are ecological ponds, East Lake, ecological water channels, and natural watercourse. In addition, there are 10 pieces of public art scattered throughout the campus, including installations like "Le Zai Yiqi (Have fun together)." The university has also integrated the surrounding 300 hectares into a university community, promoting environmental education and management under the concept of the "lung of the community." This approach not only attracts people for recreation but also facilitates outdoor education.

In the "Transportation" category, the National University of Kaohsiung (NUK) stands out, ranking 10th among participating schools in Taiwan. This recognition is attributed to several measures, such as controlling motorcycle access to the campus. All motorcycles of faculty, staff, and students, except for delivery and official vehicles, are required to be parked in designated areas. Additionally, NUK has collaborated with the Kaohsiung CityGovernment and YouBike, implementing 10 bike-sharing stations across the campus. This initiative facilitates easy movement for faculty, staff, students, and the public. Moreover, the university manages vehicle numbers through a campus entrance fee for cars, and it has planned five locations for "shared taxi" pick-up points, encouraging the use of public transportation and reducing reliance on private vehicles.

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#SDG4 #SDG6 #SDG7 #SDG9 #SDG11 #SDG12 #SDG13 @Department of General Affairs &Research