National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) was honored with the Silver Award in the “Sustainable Agriculture Partnership” category at the 2026 Taiwan Sustainable Agriculture Awards, held on September 9th at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. The recognition affirms the concrete achievements of the Taiwan Sustainability Hub @ NPUST (TSH@NPUST 1.5-Degree Food Production and Consumption Transition) in actively promoting cross-disciplinary and transnational cooperation, as well as in connecting domestic and international partners to advance sustainable agriculture. Associate Executive Director of the NPUST Sustainable Development Office and Head of the NPUST Sustainability Hub, Dr. Herlin Chien, attended the ceremony to accept the award on behalf of the university.
Organized by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE), the Taiwan Sustainable Agriculture Awards recognize the specific actions and outcomes of the agricultural sector in implementing principles of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) sustainability. This year in the “Partnership” category, NPUST showcased their practical results in promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration and international knowledge exchange on regenerative agriculture between 2024 and 2025.
Over the 20-month performance period, the NPUST Sustainability Hub established cooperative relationships with 39 domestic cross-disciplinary entities and expanded its international cooperation network. It advanced transnational exchanges and partnerships with 13 countries across various regions: Australia and Papua New Guinea in Oceania; Japan and South Korea in East Asia; Malaysia in Southeast Asia; India in South Asia; Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia in the Caribbean; Peru and Belize in Central and South America; and Finland, Germany, and Italy in Europe. While echoing the spirit of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals, these stellar achievements demonstrate NPUST’s ongoing success in fostering deeper international networks for sustainable agriculture.
The cross-disciplinary and cross-sector partners collaborating with the NPUST Sustainability Hub on the project include the ICLEI Kaohsiung Capacity Building Center; Southern Taiwan Water Resources Branch; Blue Donggang Creek Conservation Association of Taiwan; Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.; Pingtung County Ren-Ai Elementary School; Nature Environment Technology Co., Ltd.; Unity Sustainability Services Co., Ltd.; Rural Development and Water Conservation Agency; Yugans Experience Co., Ltd.; Nanzhou Township Farmers’ Association; King’s Ground Biotech Co., Ltd.; Kaohsiung Management Administration Irrigation Agency (MOA); Taiwan Environmental Protection Union; Greater Chaozhou Artificial Recharge Lake Monitoring Center; Pan Cheng Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd.; Changhua Hupu Community College; and Dongpian Community Development Association. Through the joint efforts of these partners, academic research, industrial practice, and local initiatives have been interconnected to further drive the application of sustainable agriculture principles.
NPUST stated that moving forward, it will continue to leverage its strengths in agricultural technology and cross-disciplinary integration to deepen partnerships with domestic and international collaborators. Through ongoing research, education, and industry-academia cooperation, the university will work to drive the sustainable transformation of agricultural and food systems and expand its impact on environmental sustainability, agricultural innovation, and international cooperation.
