SDG 14

Establishing institution-level units and community plastic-reduction organizations to jointly advocate for plastic reduction

The NTNU Committee for Sustainable Development coordinates the promotion and exploration of various sustainable-development-related issues. One proposal at the “17th Academic and Administrative Directors Joint Conference” on June 23, 2020 was the “Campus Plastic Reduction Protocol.” Meetings between various units on campus and the office administration have led to suggestions and regulations for reducing the use of plastic products on campus, in particular disposable plastic products. The Community Plastic Reduction Promotion Center provides formal courses, informal courses, and planning and design services plus activities for inclusion in potential courses, and combines with the University’s surrounding communities, the business district of NTNU, interschool, and collaborations with related industries to jointly address the core issues of life reduction, sustainable use of marine resources, and active conservation of the oceans.

Enhancing the marine conservation literacy of teachers, students, and the general public through the design and practice of curriculums

The University established an interschool plastic-reduction teacher community based on formal curriculum planning and design to integrate and advocate the SDGs for underwater life, and designing practical activities for environmental plastic reduction. There were 26 courses related to plastic reduction established, with 782 students attending. In addition, the University has adopted various types of plastic-reduction action plans to enhance interactions between teachers and students, industry professionals, and community residents, and actually lead students into performing plastic-reduction actions, and attempting to use multiple plastic-reduction promotion actions to continue to awaken the concern of the general public about the environment and increase the attention paid to practices so as to improve the overall ecological environment. The action categories include plastic-reduction activities, workshops, camps, lectures and exhibitions, market stalls, concept promotions, visits, and work competitions, which attracted almost 6,422 faculty, other staff, and community members to participate in the grand event.

Cooperative the government, academic units, and the industry through research projects

The University accepts commissions and subsidies from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, and technology companies to implement improvements to water-resource sustainability and marine-conservation plans in the water source protection areas. Research is carried out on biologically active substances in deep ocean waters, and in related fields and topics such as the marine lithosphere, Pacific Ocean and Kuroshio, shore-based currents, submarine earthquakes, topographical dynamics, and the evolution of coastal sand dunes. Other research includes related issues such as the formation mechanism and predictability of Taiwan’s heavy-rain precipitation system, and on hydrological characteristics, interactions, and issues related to the hydrological cycle of the alpine hydrogeological environment. Both research and development are performed on key technologies for an artificial intelligence system for underwater unmanned vehicles, involving 19 projects such as the impact of multiple-timescale circulation disturbances on the daytime and nighttime precipitation characteristics of Taiwan and neighboring countries, and updating the web-page architecture of the Deji Reservoir water-level prediction system. More than NT$ 2 million was received to support the academic influence of university research institutions and promote the development of understanding and practices related to underwater life in Taiwan.