NTNU Sustainable Development Goal 5
SDG5 Gender Equality
Proportion of Female Academic Staff and Senior Administrators at NTNU
The proportion of female academic staff and senior administrators at NTNU has exceeded 40% for consecutive years, while the share of female full-time faculty continues to grow, demonstrating the University’s commitment to gender equality.
Strengthening Gender Equality and Building an Inclusive Campus Environment
NTNU has long been committed to fostering a campus environment grounded in gender equality and diversity. Through coordinated efforts in governance, education, and spatial planning, the University has progressively built a gender-friendly environment that reflects its core values of equality and inclusion.
In the area of governance, 45.3% of NTNU’s first- and second-level academic and administrative supervisors in 2024 were women. From 2022 to 2024, the proportion of female full-time faculty steadily increased from 42.3% to 42.4% and 42.8%, demonstrating consistent growth. In 2024, the College of Science achieved a milestone with women representing more than 70% of its academic leadership positions, marking a significant shift from past male-dominated leadership structures. This development highlights a governance culture characterized by inclusiveness and innovation, recognizes women’s professional contributions in research, leadership, and management, and positions NTNU as a model for gender equality governance in higher education.
In terms of educational outreach, the Center for Teaching and Learning Development administers the “Guidelines for Supporting Gender Equality Educational Activities,” encouraging colleges and administrative units to organize gender-related programs that strengthen gender awareness among faculty and students. The University also offers courses on diverse gender issues and hosts lectures and forums to promote cross-disciplinary dialogue. For example, on 24 October 2024, NTNU held the “2024 Northern Region Gender and Space Symposium for Higher Education Institutions,” which brought together more than 30 universities and over 40 faculty representatives to examine the relationship between spatial design and gendered experiences, further exploring how campus planning can better address gender needs and embed gender-conscious perspectives into physical learning environments.
With regard to gender-inclusive campus spaces, all three NTNU campuses provide lactation rooms to support faculty, staff, and students in need of breastfeeding facilities. NTNU also established Taiwan’s first gender-inclusive dormitory floor—featuring a design with mixed-gender floors but separate rooms—to promote respect for diversity and foster learning and interaction among residents. Additionally, NTNU currently has ten gender-inclusive restrooms across its campuses, with plans to add 27 more, aiming to ensure that every academic building has at least one gender-inclusive restroom, thereby providing safer and more comfortable facilities for people of diverse gender identities.
Through integrated efforts across institutional policies, educational initiatives, and spatial planning, NTNU continues to strengthen a culture of gender equality and demonstrates its commitment to fostering a diverse, respectful, and inclusive campus.
The “2024 Northern Region Gender and Space Symposium for Higher Education Institutions,” hosted by NTNU Dean of Academic Affairs Mei-Hui Liu, featured a keynote lecture on “Gender and Space” delivered by NTNU Dean of Student Affairs Mei-Chun Lin.
In 2024, women accounted for 70% of academic leadership positions in NTNU’s College of Science. From left: Department Chair Mei-Chen Yeh (Computer Science and Information Engineering), Department Chair Yu-Tzu Li (Chemistry), Dean Yu-Ying Hsu (College of Life Science), Associate Dean Tsu-Yi Fu (College of Science), Department Chair Ting-Hua Lu (Physics), Department Chair Hui-Hsuan Chen (Earth Sciences), and Institute Director Hsiang-Yao Liu (Graduate Institute of Science Education).
Student-Led Gender Equality Initiatives: The EROZLIFE Festival Fostering an Inclusive Campus Culture
The NTNU Gamily Club, a long-standing student organization dedicated to promoting gender awareness on campus, organizes the EROZLIFE Festival, which has become a key student-led platform for advancing gender equality education. The 13th EROZLIFE Festival in 2024 adopted the theme “Rizz,” examining gender issues from multiple perspectives—including history, literature, religion, and folk culture—to deepen campus understanding and engagement with gender diversity.
This year’s program featured a rich array of activities, including lectures, film screenings, photography exhibitions, a drag queen music performance, and a literary writing competition. The lectures covered diverse topics ranging from academic research and creative practice to religious culture and frontline gender education, inviting experts from various fields to engage in cross-disciplinary dialogue with students and faculty. The film screenings showcased domestic and international works centering on gender and bodily autonomy—such as Drug Shore and The Great Artist—and included post-screening discussions that encouraged deeper reflection and exchange between audiences and speakers.
For the first time, the Festival also hosted an on-campus drag queen music show, using the power of performance to introduce drag culture to the broader community. The event encouraged participants to embrace self-expression, recognize diverse gender and sexual identities, and appreciate the uniqueness of individual experiences.
As a student-led initiative, the EROZLIFE Festival highlights the strong autonomy and dedication of NTNU students in promoting gender equality. The Festival not only enriches gender awareness on campus but also reflects NTNU’s ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse, respectful, and inclusive learning environment.
Poster of the 13th EROZLIFE Festival
The Drag Queen Music Show featured performances by Marian, Feilibing IceQueen, Honey Ji, and Yugee.
Over a Decade of Collaboration to Inspire Female Students in the Natural Sciences
Since 2012, NTNU’s Departments of Chemistry and Life Science have collaborated with the Wu Chien-Shiung Education Foundation to promote the “Science Outreach Program for Female High School Students,” an initiative designed to encourage young women to pursue studies in the natural sciences. Through cross-school visits, the program delivers hands-on laboratory courses in subjects such as physics, chemistry, and biology, helping students build practical scientific skills. By incorporating core elements of the International Science Olympiad competitions, the program strengthens students’ confidence through experimentation and nurtures their interest and potential in science.
In addition to experimental courses, the program invites recipients of Taiwan’s Outstanding Women Scientists Award and Rising Star Award, along with distinguished female professors, to give scientific lectures on high school campuses. These speakers share their academic and research journeys, serving as role models who broaden students’ perspectives on future careers in science. Over more than a decade, the program has visited nearly 40 high schools and reached more than 10,000 students.
In Academic Year 2023, the outreach program visited 12 high schools, with total participation exceeding 1,600 students. These efforts not only expand female students’ exposure to scientific disciplines but also advance the core principles of gender equality and equal educational opportunity. Through sustained promotion and interdisciplinary collaboration, NTNU is committed to fostering a gender-inclusive environment for science education, encouraging more women to enter scientific and research fields, and cultivating a diverse and outstanding pool of future scientific talent.