The results of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Sustainability Action Awards (APSAA) and Taiwan Sustainability Action Awards (TSAA) were recently announced, with Tamkang University once again achieving outstanding results, winning one Silver Award and three Bronze Awards. Chief Sustainability Officer Prof. Ruey-Shiang Shaw and Professor Yen-Ling Lin of the Department of Economics attended the award ceremony held on September 11 at the Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1, with Shaw receiving the awards on behalf of the university.
In APSAA, Prof. Lin’s project, “Borderless Water—TKU’s Experiential Approach to Global Sustainability Actions”, won the SDG 6 Bronze Award. In TSAA, among 251 institutions and 503 competing projects, TKU secured three additional honors: SDG 15 Silver Award – “Empowering Satoyama and Satoumi Through Technological Innovation”, led by Assistant Professor Yi-Lung Lin of the Department of Educational Technology; SDG 4 Bronze Award – “Street Museum”, authored by Assistant Professor Pai-Ching Chu of the Department of Architecture; SDG 11 Bronze Award – “Resilient Communities: Tamsui Lifestyle”, authored by Professor Jui-Mao Huang of the Department of Architecture.
Prof. Yen-Ling Lin’s award-winning project focuses on water resource issues. From 2022 to 2023, she led student teams from Cambodia to Thailand’s eastern border, developing a regional framework for sustainable water resource practices across Southeast Asia. In 2024, the team expanded to Switzerland to conduct a water resource exploration project, observing and comparing the practices and systems of water management and ecological conservation. By tracing their path on foot, they connected water resource experiences across different regions, elevating the issue of water from a local perspective to a global level of sustainability action.
Reflecting on winning the award for two consecutive years, Prof. Lin said she felt deeply honored, noting that although she does not have an industrial technology background in water resources, she has worked hard to lead students from various departments in achieving cross-disciplinary learning. “Winning for two years in a row is not just recognition of results—it represents ongoing practice, long-term commitment, and the value of visible action. It also proves that Tamkang University’s efforts can transcend borders and connect globally. I am grateful to our students and international partners who have accompanied us from Cambodia to Switzerland, and on to Australia, step by step, accumulating experience and vision, and closely integrating international education with global action. Together, we will continue our journey toward sustainability—further, deeper, and longer.”
Asst Prof. Yi-Lung Lin, also recognized again this year, applied his academic expertise to promote environmental and ecological education in Tamsui’s Satoyama and Satoumi through technological innovation. His project integrates AIoT sensing technologies, AR/VR immersive experiences, and digital interactive teaching materials, implementing sustainable teaching practices through cross-disciplinary approaches. Surprised and honored by the award, he especially thanked Prof. Jui-Mao Huang for leading him into the USR “Good Life in Tamsui” project team: “I simply focused on moving toward my goals with persistence, hoping to help more students learn about the natural ecology of their hometown, cultivate civic awareness, and foster environmental responsibility. I also hope they will further consider issues of local revitalization and sustainable development, contributing to their communities in the future.” He noted that future plans include gradually extending landscape education to the North Coast region.
