At the 2025 CommonWealth USR University Citizen Awards, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) competed intensely against 111 higher education institutions across Taiwan and ultimately secured 2nd place in the Public Vocational and Technical University category and 7th place among all Taiwanese universities and colleges. The outstanding results testify to the university’s reputation when it comes to integrating “Sustainable Development” and “University Social Responsibility” into its core university affairs.
In the final results, NPUST achieved the highest score on the two major indicators of Social Engagement (7.00) and Special Project Evaluation (8.62). It also had the second highest ranking (8.00) in the University Sustainable Performance Peer Review assessment, clearly indicating that peer institutions affirm NPUST’s profound strength and innovative momentum when it comes to promoting Sustainable Development and University Social Responsibility.
The 2025 CommonWealth Magazine USR assessment introduced a judging panel system for the first time this year, inviting eight prestigious and impartial authorities from academic and business sectors to conduct a two-stage evaluation. The panel was responsible for comprehensively evaluating each school’s performance based on 40 key indicators. These indicators were divided into four main areas: University Governance and Teaching Commitment (30%), Social Engagement (30%), Environmental Sustainability (30%), and University Sustainable Performance Peer Review (10%)—together accounting for 60% of the total evaluation. In the final selection stage, the judges assigned a score to each special USR project, which then accounted for the remaining 40% of the final score which was expressed on a 10-point scale.
NPUST has focused on “Sustainable Development” and “University Social Responsibility” for many years and has even integrated them into its overall strategy for university development. The emphasis of these two concepts is evident throughout the university, and their application has become a collective practice for faculty, staff, and students alike. This has turned NPUST into a key center for the dissemination and transmission of the SDGs to the surrounding regions. By promoting USR projects, the university is fulfilling its essential social responsibility, promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration, and fostering greater local participation. NPUST is also enabling faculty and students to apply their expertise to local needs and actively utilize the power of technology, particularly the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI), to advance various project plans, thereby setting an unparalleled standard for USR implementation among higher education institutions across Taiwan.
As Pingtung’s leading vocational institution, NPUST will continue to fulfill its social responsibility by actively fostering local revitalization and strengthening community ties. It will also carry on its work to advance Sustainable Development and promote USR goals by coordinating resources through the university’s Sustainable Development Office and Center of Interdisciplinary Feature Development. Moving toward its vision of becoming an ‘international first-class comprehensive university of agricultural science and technology’, NPUST will guide faculty and students towards community needs and global issues while focusing on transformative innovation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture, and SDG practices—ultimately working to transform Taiwan’s agricultural sector, boost NPUST’s international standing in vocational education, and foster healthy community development.
