Since 2014, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) has repeatedly achieved excellent results on the GreenMetric World University Ranking, placing first in Taiwan 10 years in a row, and now ranking 4th in Asia and 28th globally. This year, 133 new universities participated in the competition, bringing the total to 1,183 schools from 84 countries. The award ceremony was held in Dubai on December 5, 2023 for in-person and online participation.
The GreenMetric World University Ranking is organized by the University of Indonesia and is judged according to six major indicators: “Infrastructure”, “Energy and Climate Change”, “Water Resources”, “Waste Treatment”, “Transportation” and “Education”.
NPUST saw an improvement in its overall performance this year, and achieved outstanding results in the “infrastructure” assessment. Additionally, to gain more traction in “energy and climate change”, in 2022 the university established a Center for Sustainable Research and Development where focus is being given to innovative technologies, green energy applications, and circular and sustainable economies. When it comes to “education”, curriculum content at each of the school’s institutions gives focus to ecological and environmental subject matter, also paying attention to sustainable management issues such as energy regeneration and ecological disaster prevention technology. In the 2022 Academic Year, the number of courses at the school increased to 2,974, with a deep commitment to cultivating technical and vocational talent with green mindsets. For its efforts, NPUST has seen significant progress in three areas listed above.
On the other three indexes, NPUST has been maintaining a good performance for several years now. In terms of waste treatment, the university established its Agricultural and Forestry Materials Recycling and Value Creation Development Center in 2019 to conduct research focused on the recycling and reusing of waste materials from agriculture, forestry, fishery and animal husbandry activities. “Water resources” are also given special attention on campus. By creating ecological filtering systems, the university is able to achieve zero discharge of domestic sewage. Additionally, when it comes to “transportation”, electric buses are used to provide students with low carbon transportation along campus routes. Thanks to the hard work of all the staff and students of the school, NPUST has once again seen dazzling results on the GreenMetric World University Ranking. And due to its dedication and commitment to the environment, as well as the practical actions it is taking, the university is expected to continue to be a model school for sustainable development for many years to come.
