2024 SDGs Teachers Empowerment Camp Held with Great Fanfare

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations are now widely understood across various sectors. Integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) with SDGs, known as ESDGs, is a global trend in education. Following the positive response to the first SDGs Teachers Empowerment Camp in 2022, the CTCI Education Foundation (CTCI EF) and the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE) co-organized the 2024 SDGs Teacher Empowerment Camp - Winter Session. The event this year combined physical and online activities, drawing in around 300 professors from diverse fields to discuss sustainable education. It also aimed to promote the four volumes of the Sustainable Development Goals education series authored by experts and scholars from diverse fields invited by the Foundation.

Ambassador-at-Large Eugene Chien, Chairman of CTCI EF and TAISE delivered the opening remarks for the event. Ambassador-at-Large Chien noted that education lies at the heart of achieving sustainable development. To enhance teaching quality in the field of sustainability and improve student learning outcomes, competitions are organized to foster exchanges. It is also hoped that the teaching method will encompass the impartation of professional knowledge, industry-academia collaboration projects and service-learning, thereby teaching how to respond to sustainability issues like climate change and biodiversity.

In this event, we invite the teachers committed to promoting education for sustainable development to come together and share insights. It is hoped that through the Teachers Empowerment Camp, sustainable concepts will be imparted to students, fostering a deeper understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals among the next generation. Regarding the lineup of speakers, educators who won the 2023 Excellence in Teaching Sustainability Award, co-organized by the Foundation and TAISE, were invited, including Assistant Professor Shu-Hui Kuan from National Ilan University, Associate Professor Te-Chuan Li from University of Taipei and Professor Wei-Cheng Wang from National Cheng Kung University. Professor Tsai-Chi Kuo, Chairman of Department of Industrial Management at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, served as the introducer and moderator. 

Furthermore, two scholars, who have integrated the Foundation's “Sustainable Development Goals” education series into their courses, were also invited to share their insights on teaching, including Professor Hui-Chou Shao from National Cheng Kung University and Assistant Professor Chia-Ming Hsuan, who also serves as the Vice Dean of the International Affairs Office at Minghsin University of Science and Technology. Finally, Professor Pen-Chi Chiang, an emeritus professor at National Taiwan University, was invited to deliver the keynote speech. He introduced the usage and of practical application of the four volumes of the Sustainable Development Goals series. In addition, Dean Yu-Pin Lin from the College of Bioresources and Agriculture at National Taiwan University served as the introducer and moderator. It is hoped that this event will inspire more educators to integrate SDGs into various aspects of school curricula, joining efforts to promote education for sustainable development!

(From left to right) Assistant Professor Shu-Hui Kuan, Secretary-General Tao-Tung Lin, Professor Tsai-Chi Kuo (also Department Chairman), Ambassador-at-Large Eugene Chien, Associate Professor Te-Chuan Li and attendees gathered for a group photo at the opening ceremony.

(From left to right) Professor Hui-Chou Shao, Dean Yu-Pin Lin (Convener), Emeritus Professor Pen-Chi Chiang and Assistant Professor Chia-Ming Hsuan (also Vice Dean of International Affairs Office) in a group photo.