Taiwan Tech held its second annual Taiwan Tech Infinity Festival from November 1st to 19th, including the opening ceremony on November 8th. The festival consisted of various activities aimed at promoting sustainability on campus. These activities comprised a photography competition capturing sustainable moments both inside and outside the campus, as well as seven workshops encouraging practical actions towards sustainability. Participants included faculty, students, and nearby primary and secondary school students. Additionally, there were events such as a sustainable reading book exhibition, a recruitment fair for University Social Responsibility projects, a collaborative exhibition, and a sustainability campus map. These diverse activities were designed to connect students, faculty, and the general public. On November 8th, a sustainability-themed market was also set up, inviting a total of 12 booths from both within and outside the university to vividly promote the concept of an unlimited university and perpetuate the spirit of “infinite sustainability”. These efforts demonstrated Taiwan Tech's dedication and emphasis on sustainable development within its campus.

The opening ceremony of Taiwan Tech's Infinity Festival invited the Deputy District Chief, nearby elementary school principals, and community leaders to plant trees together. From left to right: Deputy Chief Tiao-Huang Li from Da'an District, President Jia-Yush Yen of Taiwan Tech, Principal Chin-Fu Hsu from Gongguan Elementary School, and Village Chief Chun-Lin Li from Xuefu Village.

Since the United Nations announced the “2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” to the world in 2015, the concept of sustainable development has been gradually fermenting globally. Since last year, Taiwan Tech has integrated the wave of SDGs into its vision of “2030 Unlimited University”, making a sustainable, carbon-reduced campus one of its crucial driving forces. The university encourages students not only to break boundaries and create personal value but also to cultivate a spirit of sustainability, love for the planet, and societal contribution. President Jia-Yush Yen publicly declared a carbon reduction pledge last year, announcing Taiwan Tech's commitment to achieving a 50% carbon neutrality goal by 2030 and a 100% carbon neutrality goal by 2049.

President Jia-Yush Yen of Taiwan Tech delivered a speech.

Principal Chin-Fu Hsu from Gongguan Elementary School delivered a speech.

President Jia-Yush Yen of Taiwan Tech stated that this year's Infinity Festival, themed "Fearless Challenges, Dreams into Reality", revolves around sustainable development. The university also initiated a large-scale greenhouse gas inventory project this year (2023). This project aims to examine the sources, types, and total emissions of greenhouse gasses emitted by the school. After consolidating the inventory results, a "Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report" will be produced. The university anticipates passing ISO certification in mid-November this year, marking the first step towards Taiwan Tech's carbon neutrality goals.

A group photo from the opening ceremony of Taiwan Tech's Infinity Festival on November 8th.

In order to realize sustainable practices on campus and align with the university's unlimited vision for academic affairs, Dr. Ji-Cheng Liu, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development and Academic Affairs Research at Taiwan Tech and also the Vice President, outlined two major strategies concerning carbon reduction and sustainability initiatives. Firstly, to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many of the on-campus equipment have been in use for several years and it's time for them to be phased out. Taiwan Tech plans to gradually review and eliminate outdated equipment while replacing them with newer models. Additionally, they aim to progressively shift towards using electrical equipment over fuel-based machinery.

The second step involves initiating change from a consciousness perspective by altering the university's existing consumption patterns. This includes incorporating the concepts of green consumption and green offices within the campus community. By doing so, they aim to mitigate the generation of carbon footprints, fostering a dual approach at both material and spiritual levels to collectively establish a carbon-reduced and sustainable campus. Simultaneously, the university is committed to fulfilling its social responsibility by expanding involvement with neighboring partners. Collaborating with the leaders and residents of Xuefu Village and Shuiyuan Village, they aim to assist the Ministry of National Defense in the assessment and restoration of old buildings, collectively constructing a sustainable and influential "City South Gongguan”.

President Jia-Yush Yen of Taiwan Tech also expressed hopes that by the university's 50th anniversary celebration in 2025, the Infinity University vision combined with the concept of a sustainable campus will outline new values for Taiwan Tech's technical and vocational education for the next half-century.

Taiwan Tech Infinity Festival Online Photography Contest Award Ceremony Group Photo.