National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) has added a new element to its efforts in sustainable development research: On August 4th and 5th, the university’s College of Agriculture and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) linked up with Japan for the “Taiwan-Japan Online Seminar for Smart and Circular Agriculture”. The seminar was opened with a speech made by Mr. Huang Hsin-Chien, the executive director of the central branch of the ITRI. Following this, NPUST President Chang-Hsien Tai, welcomed all the distinguished guests from industry, government and academia and thanked them for their contributions to sustainable development. The Pingtung County magistrate, Mr. Pan Men-An, and the Director of the Economic Section of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Mr. Nobuyuki Shikasho, were also invited to speak. Hopes are that through the cooperation of industrial, academic, and research organizations in Taiwan and Japan, new applications of Smart technology will be used to help achieve Circular and zero-carbon production. The seminar attracted over 300 online participants.

A workshop on Taiwan’s grass owls was organized under the “Gao-Ping Area Ecological Blueprint Construction Project”, bringing together the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) Department of Forestry, the Pingtung Forest Management Office, Guansheng Ecological Co., Ltd., and many other interested parties.

With cute owls and hawks playing the starring roles, the “Guarding Every Owl” environmental and ecological restoration project was jointly launched by Farglory Life Insurance and the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST). To carry out the work, several ecological restoration bases have been established in Gaoshu Township (Pingtung). NPUST’s long-term local wildlife research will be combined with Farglory Life’s practical experience in caring for rural areas. The two parties have formed an interdisciplinary industry-academic alliance and are working to create sustainable ecological chains—with owls at the top. Sustainable ecology, non-toxic production, and healthy living are being linked to drive community industry and rural economic development. Also, in the future, the Farglory Life Volunteer Group will work with teachers and students at the NPUST Institute of Wildlife Conservation to hold multilateral practical exchanges on friendly farming and support disadvantaged rural areas.

This year, to commemorate the 300 year anniversary of Liudui, the Hakka Affairs Council and NPUST cooperated to host the “300 Year Anniversary Research Conference: A History of Prosperity among Diverse Ethnic Groups”. On June 3rd, the opening ceremony was held online, with the internationally renowned scholar, Myron L. Cohen, and former professor of Tokyo Metropolitan University, Yoshio Watanabe, invited to present their research.