The winners of the 5th Asia-Pacific Sustainability Action Awards (APSAA) 2026 were recently announced, with Tamkang University receiving a Silver Award in SDG 11 for its project, “Festivals as Mobilization for Resilient Cities: Tamsui Lifestyles Festival.” Vice President for Administrative Affairs Huei-Chun Chi, Professor Jui-Mao Huang of the Department of Architecture, and other representatives attended the awards ceremony held on August 27 at Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1, where Chi accepted the award on behalf of the university.
Organized by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE), the Asia-Pacific Sustainability Action Awards recognize outstanding achievements and contributions toward the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s competition attracted 107 organizations and 187 project submissions. Tamkang’s award-winning project was submitted by the University Social Responsibility (USR) initiative “Tamsui Good Life,” which focuses on local culture, community participation, and urban resilience in the Tamsui area. Using the “Tamsui Lifestyles Festival” as a platform, the project connects residents, schools, and community resources. Over nine days, the project held 50 activities to explore sustainable mechanisms for advancing resilient urban development.
Project principal investigator Jui-Mao Huang noted that the team’s “Resilient Communities: Tamsui Lifestyles Festival” project received a Bronze Award in SDG 11 at last year's Taiwan Sustainability Action Awards. This year, the team further deepened the initiative's impact, engaged more local partners, and gained broader recognition for its work. In response to challenges such as declining birth rates, climate change, and globalization, Huang believes universities should produce knowledge more closely connected to local communities and real-world social contexts. Now in its third year, the Tamsui Lifestyles Festival has expanded beyond its continuing focus on Tamsui Old Street to include community streets in Xingfu Village and Denggong Village. The project collaborates with neighborhood offices to promote circular reuse markets and related initiatives, while also helping second-generation operators of Old Street businesses develop management capabilities, contributing to the long-term continuity of local development.
Huang emphasized that the core value of USR projects lies in “talent cultivation,” including both community partners and students. The festival therefore incorporates dedicated student participation, enabling students to engage directly in planning, implementation, and evaluation while developing practical, job-ready skills. He expressed hope that these hands-on experiences could eventually become innovative courses and contribute positively to the transformation of higher education at Tamkang. He also encouraged more faculty members to bring students into authentic field settings so that the festival can truly serve as a platform for collaboration between the University and the local community.
After the awards ceremony, a signing ceremony was held for the “Public-Sector Sustainable Development Initiative” jointly promoted by the Ministry of Education and TAISE. Vice President Chi attended on behalf of Tamkang University, along with other participants, to witness an important milestone in Taiwan’s promotion of sustainable development.
Chief Sustainability Officer Ruey-Shiang Shaw stated that Tamkang University continues to advance sustainability initiatives on campus. Through its “Campus Living Lab,” the university encourages students, in a competition-based format, to observe, identify, and respond to issues arising from campus life. Through proposal selection, hands-on implementation, professional mentoring, and final presentations, students are guided to turn sustainability concepts and creative ideas into concrete action in real-world settings such as the campus and the Tamsui community, thereby creating opportunities for social innovation.
During the 2025–2026 academic year, the “Campus Living Lab” involved 53 student participants, with the top-performing teams eligible to receive scholarships of up to NT$20,000. To allow students to share their sustainability achievements with the wider public, the Center for Sustainable Development and Social Innovation arranged for six finalist teams to participate in the 2026 Asia-Pacific Sustainability Expo, held from August 27 to 29. Students presented their project outcomes and interacted with visitors throughout the event. The enthusiastic exchanges showcased Tamkang students’ strong capacity for practical action and their commitment to sustainability.
