10.1 Spirit of the SDG and the University’s Philosophy
SDG 10 focuses on transcending differences in race, ethnicity, gender, disability, and economic status, and implementing policies and measures to ensure equal opportunities for social participation in school, work, and life. In response to this goal, higher education universities need to address how disadvantaged students can have equal access to higher education opportunities, pay attention to and support teachers and students from physically and mentally handicapped and underrepresented groups, and provide relevant support policies, services, and facilities.
The University actively responds to SDG 10 in reducing inequality. In terms of overall institutional governance, the University has formulated relevant support policies to guarantee the appointment and enrollment opportunities of underrepresented faculty and students, such as minority, disadvantaged, and specific ethnic groups, and has set up dedicated units to address this. NTNU provides a support system to ensure a fair and friendly living environment for all faculty and students in the University, with the goal of constructing an all-round integrated campus.
At both the national and international levels, the University focuses on its responsibilities in higher education, continues to cooperate with government units at all levels to develop and promote national special-education work, invests in research into and the publication of forward-looking topics, regularly conducts special-education-related international academic seminars, and participates in international special-education, activities and exchanges.
10.2 Achievements
Constructing NTNU as an all-round integrated campus
The University pays attention to and values all kinds of underrepresented faculty and other staff. The University has always adhered to fair, just, and open policies since the beginning of student enrollments and faculty appointments, regardless of characteristics such as ethnicity, gender, and nationality. For enrollments, eight categories of additional places and priority admissions are provided to ensure that certain percentages of economic and culturally disadvantaged students have admission opportunities. Tracking is carried out on a regular basis every year to understand their enrollment status. All units in the University are encouraged to recruit underrepresented faculty and other staff, and assist them with disabilities by redesigning positions and overcome difficulties experienced in the workplace. The University has also established committees and specialized units, including the Teacher Appeals and Appraisal Committee, Staff Appeals and Appraisal Committee, Student Appeals and Appraisal Committee, Special Education Promotion Committee, Gender-Equality Education Committee, Aboriginal Student Resource Center, and Special Education Center Resource Classroom, to protect the rights of ethnic groups that are underrepresented at the University, and to promote related activities and provide various support services.
Fully supporting physically and mentally handicapped students at NTNU to adapt to learning and life
The University pays particular attention to students with disabilities, including by how various rooms and departments are connected on campus and with off-campus resources. Through systematic and individualized needs assessments, individualized support service plans are drawn up, and various support services for students with disabilities are provided, including academic-work counseling, life counseling, psychological counseling, career counseling, assistive device services, learning adjustments, graduation transfer services, scholarships and bursaries, and a campus barrier-free environment and facilities. In 2020 there were almost 2,500 instances of various support services being provided to students with disabilities, 86 instances of subsidies totaling NT 2 million dollars being provided, and 29 environmental facility improvements in the University completed.
Exerting the impacts of higher education to promote the development and reform of special education nationwide
The University established the country’s first special-education center in 1974. It has been entrusted by the Ministry of Education to plan and handle various national special-education projects for a long time, and is the leading organization involved in special education in Taiwan. In 2020, the University performed research related to special education, provided special-education appraisal and consulting services, provided professional reconstruction services, and had other initiatives that reached and served more than 63,000 cases. In addition, a nationwide “Quality Special Education Development Network System and Teaching Support Platform” has been established, which was viewed by 2 million people in 2020. The University focuses on its responsibilities to higher education, and invests in research into and the publication of forward-looking topics. For example, in 2021 it published a university education re-engineering plan for mentally handicapped students to promote the development and reform of special education in Taiwan, and it regularly organized international academic seminars and participated in international special-education activities and exchanges, thereby demonstrating Taiwan’s strength in special education and enhancing the country’s international visibility.
10.3 Featured Highlights
10.3.1 NTNU fosters students with disabilities to develop their potential and advantages, improve themselves, and allow them to give back to society
NTNU actively cultivates its students with disabilities to show their strengths and potential, and offers specific programs such as “Disabled and Self-Advocacy” to promote student leadership and advocacy skills. Students from the University when to Hong Kong in 2017 and the United States in 2019 to participate in exchange activities, and since 2018, students with disabilities have gone to schools at all levels in Jinma Islands to conduct special education and promote integrated campuses. The university helps disabled students to step out of their protected comfort zone, allows students with physical and mental disabilities to broaden their horizons, perform independent learning motivation and reflection, and also to demonstrate social responsibility, giving back to society, speaking out for themselves as well as other physically and mentally handicapped people, and break societal barriers experienced by the physically and mentally handicapped in order to help remove the weakness stereotype.
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10.3.2 The “Together we move” team at NTNU proactively advocates equality in sports for people with disabilities
NTNU has spared no effort in promoting and supporting equality in sports for people with disabilities. Since 2019, the “Together we move” team has facilitated people with disabilities to be able to perform in national mainstream sports activities, including triathlon events and a one-day Taipei-Kaohsiung cycling challenge, which lets both the organizers and the general public know and understand more about the possibilities of people with disabilities. The University also promotes barrier-free sports venues, invites model athletes with disabilities to share initiatives, and actively creates an inclusive and friendly sports environment.
10.3.3 Exerting influence of higher education by promoting the development and reform of special education in Taiwan
NTNU established the country’s first special-education center in 1974, which is dedicated to research, consultation, guidance, and the promotion of special education, and has been entrusted by the Ministry of Education to plan and handle several national special-education projects for a long time. By focusing on its responsibilities to higher education and investing in research into and the publication of forward-looking topics, in 2021 NTNU published a university education re-engineering plan for students with mental disabilities to promote the development and reform of special education in Taiwan, and regularly holds international academic seminars to showcase Taiwan’s strengths in special education and enhance the country’s international visibility.
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