In the face of global climate change and net-zero carbon emissions challenges, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) and Taiwan Sugar Corporation officially signed a “Memorandum of Cooperation on Low-Carbon Agriculture and Sustainable Land Use” on June 20th (2025). Under the MOC, which was signed by NPUST president Chin-Lung Chang and Taiwan Sugar Chairman Ming-Chang Wu, the two parties will combine academic research and practical experience with “low-carbon production and sustainable use of resources”. More specifically speaking, they will use Taiwan Sugar Corporation farms as test platforms for water resource management, energy-saving irrigation, low-carbon farming and other technologies developed by NPUST. A standardized operation model will be used to build a demonstration field for low-carbon agriculture, and together they will promote research and technological innovation, carbon management strategies, the reuse of resources and green circular economies.

Factors such as poaching and demand for traditional Chinese medicine have caused global pangolin populations to declined rapidly or even disappeared in some parts of the world. However, thanks to conservation efforts in Taiwan in recent years, its local pangolin populations have become much more stable. Nevertheless, since pangolin habitats are mostly distributed in low-lying mountain areas, they still face many threats to survival, including intrusion by stray dogs, habitat degradation, or traps set for other animals. Therefore, with the support of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), a research team headed up by Assistant Professor Ching-Min Sun of the NPUST Institute of Wildlife Conservation has been deeply engaged in research on the pangolin’s unique way of life so that they can provide more specific conservation recommendations to concerned parties. Through their work, a radio tracking network and community reporting mechanism has been established, and the team has been able to gain valuable insight on the pangolins’ range of activities, population size and reproductive status. Also, for the very first time, the team has been able to evaluate the pangolin’s ability to raise offspring after losing a tail and observe the challenges it faces in the process.

The 2025 Soil and Water Conservation Month—Soil and Water Conservation Festival was held at the Pingtung V.I.P Zone (Shenglixing Village) on May 17, 2025. The event was hosted by the Pingtung County Government, the Tainan Branch of the Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, and the Soil and Water Conservation Department. National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) also enthusiastically participated in the activities and set up booths for visitors to enjoy. In total, 21 promotional booths were carefully arranged to bring entertaining and educational experiences to the public, and provide both young and old with scientific knowledge on soil and water conservation and sustainable rural practices.

Watt Solid State Lighting CO., LTD. recently donated 14 smart LED street lights to National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) to help brighten up the campus at night. The street lights, which were installed around the Department of Plant Industry and the Department of Plant Medicine, received positive feedback from teachers and students who said that they made walking on campus at night safer and more convenient.

The Department of Wood Science and Design’s annual graduation exhibition was held from April 19th to 23rd (2025) in the Library and Exhibition Hall under the banner of “WE DO!”. The exhibition brought together three major professional fields of study, including furniture production, wood science, and spatial design—with 20 items on display. Combining innovative design, sustainable concepts, and local characteristics, highlights of the exhibition included the “Fiber Trace” bionic bicycle, “Birds Arrive Home” conservation project, the “RE:Act” modular architecture design for local revitalization on Penghu, and the “PIÉTON” bio-imitation leather. Among these, the “Fiber Trace” bionic bicycle frame was built using local agricultural waste products, with each frame allowing for the sequestration of 8.43 kg of carbon.

In order to promote the implementation of “under-forest economies”, the MOA Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency has established Under Forest Economic Development Centers in the Northern, Central, Southern and Eastern regions of Taiwan. The Southern District Under-Forest Economic Development Center, which is managed by the Department of Forestry at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST), is collaborating with local communities and tribes to study economic crops suitable for growing in forest understories in tropical monsoon climates. The research teams need to ensure that the crops can grow well in forest environments without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. They must also be able to perform well under low-light and low-management conditions, so that a stable production model can be established. Based on these criteria evaluations were conducted on Bletilla formosana and Gynostemma pentaphyllum, and this year they were officially added to the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s list of under-forest economic products.