The Bird Ecology Lab at the NPUST Institute of Wildlife Conservation has long been a promotor of farmland ecological conservation. Most recently, the lab’s innovative “raptor perch” technology and the outstanding results of their promotional activities have won them second place at the “2025 Taiwan Biodiversity Awards”, which are sponsored by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy. The award ceremony was held on July 16th in conjunction with the Taiwan Biodiversity Forum at the National Taiwan University Hospital International Conference Center. The award highlights the important contributions that National Pingtung University of Science and Technology is making towards the protection of farmland biodiversity by combining ecological research, food and agriculture education and university social responsibility. The award-winning project was jointly implemented by Assistant Professor Shiao-Yu Hong of the Institute of Wildlife Conservation and doctoral candidate Hui-shan Lin at the College of Agriculture’s Biological Resources Program. With the support of the MOA Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, they have been setting up numerous raptor perches in farmlands across Taiwan since 2017. Their pioneering perch monitoring technology attracts a variety of raptors, such as black-winged kites and eastern grass owl, to the fields to catch mice, thus reducing reliance on chemical pesticides. They also capture interesting images of birds, which help to promote the technique and show the world the important role that birds of prey can play in eco-friendly agriculture.

The results of the Global Views Magazine “university strengths” survey are out, and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) has won first place among national technical colleges in the area of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and animal husbandry. On July 10th, 2025 NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang represented the university at the awards ceremony, where Minister of Education Ying-Yao Cheng presented him with a medal and commended the university for its significant research investment in biodiversity and “green” and “yellow” carbon sinks. Global Views Magazine’s “Top Taiwan Universities in 2025” evaluated universities based on six major aspects, with considerations given to 69 detailed indicators. National Pingtung University of Science and Technology made a significant improvement this year, raising 15 places and becoming the top “green energy” university in Taiwan. In addition to winning first place among national technical colleges in the areas of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and animal husbandry “university strengths” peer assessment survey, NPUST ranked second among technical colleges in southern Taiwan in the “Comprehensive Performance” evaluation, and third among technical colleges for “Social Reputation”. At the award ceremony, NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang expressed his gratitude to the Taiwanese universities for affirming NPUST in the assessment. National Pingtung University of Science and Technology has long been committed to agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and animal husbandry, and has continuously worked to promote the upgrading and transformation of domestic agriculture. It has also been a strong proponent of sustainable development implementation and University Social Responsibility practices—achieving significant results in each of these areas. In recent years, in response to international trends toward net-zero and climate change goals, NPUST has expanded its research in biodiversity and carbon sequestration technology. NPUST’s president Chin-Lung Chang stated that “in the future, NPUST will continue to use its expertise to contribute to the development of carbon sequestration technology, including soil and forest technologies, while integrating various strategies and measures to promote the optimized development of organic agriculture. It will also work to make contributions towards the reduction of total greenhouse gas emissions, with the goal of becoming an internationally renowned green university.” NPUST has ranked first in Taiwan and second in Asia on the GreenMetric University Rankings for 11 consecutive years. In addition to planting 180,000 trees on its nearly 300-hectare campus, it has also introduced green transportation networks, with electric buses and charging stations, and adopted “net-zero carbon emission technology” as a main focus of education and research. Through its USR programs, NPUST has been working to combine professional knowledge and technology with community characteristics in order to demonstrate the its role as a leader in sustainable community and ecological development while working to implement the country’s 2050 net-zero carbon emission policy.

In response to the challenges of rapid global biodiversity degradation and rural habitat fragmentation, the Institute of Wildlife Conservation at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) has been collaborating with Farglory Life Insurance to promote the “Protecting Every Owl” initiative since 2021. Through scientific research, habitat creation, educational outreach, and friendly agricultural practices, the initiative aims to establish a model of collaboration between academia and industry which promotes ecological sustainability. A presentation of the results was held at 9:30 a.m. on July 11 (2025) at NPUST, co-hosted by NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang and Farglory Life Insurance General Manager Hsue-Hsin Chao. The presentation showcased the remarkable achievements of the initiative and high value of interdisciplinary collaboration between academia and industry when it comes to protecting local ecosystems. The “Protecting Every Owl” project was launched in 2021 by Professor Yuan-Shiuan Suen’s team at the NPUST Institute of Wildlife Conservation. The team has long been engaged in practical work, such as raptor monitoring, nest box installation, field inspections, and teaching material development. Over the last several years, more students have joined the team, helping to expand the work from the university campus to elementary schools and diverse rural settings, assisting with habitat restoration and cross-discipline communication. The team’s work has been an excellent example of the profound power of academic continuity and local practice. By the end of 2024, the project had installed over 100 owl nest boxes in farmlands in Gaoshu, Pingtung; Dongshan, Tainan; and Wufeng, Taichung. They also documented 53 successful breeding cases, with some locations having maintained stable breeding for four consecutive years. Over 100 Farglory Life corporate volunteers participated in nest box painting, farmland inspections, base visits, and the sourcing of non-toxic agricultural products, and together, they are gradually integrating ecological issues into corporate culture and life values. In addition to carrying out on-site conservation work, the NPUST team has been holding lectures and experiential courses for farmers and young students. They also designed a series of picture books and teaching kits, including “When You Become an Owl” and “The Coexistence of Raptors and Agriculture”. By participating in the project, NPUST students have gained valuable experience collaborating with businesses, gained deeper understandings of ESG and sustainable governance, and honed practical cross-disciplinary skills. In its fifth year this year, “Protecting Every Owl” project entered is now led by Assistant Professor Shiao-Yu Hong of the Institute of Wildlife Conservation and Hui-shan Lin, a doctoral student in the Biological Resources Program of the College of Agriculture. This year, the project team was also recognized at the sixth Global Views Magazine USR Awards, receiving the Model Award in the “Ecological Common Good” Category—a clear indication of the positive impact that their joint efforts are having on ecological conservation and social engagement.

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.