The Deeper Meaning of 110 Certifications: When Universities and ITRI Join Forces, Sustainable Talent Development Takes Root on Campus
The net-zero transition is more than a policy pledge. The partnership between Shu-Te University and ITRI is proving through action that universities are the ideal incubators for sustainability talent.
WisdomGarden with leaders from Shu-Te University of Science and Technology and ITRI
To address the environmental, health, ecological, and energy challenges brought on by climate change, Shu-Te University of Science and Technology and ITRI joined forces to advance a sustainable net-zero program, introducing an online digital course, "Fundamentals of Net-Zero Sustainability," into the general education curriculum.
Working with WisdomGarden, the program provided a comprehensive digital learning platform to help faculty and students gain an in-depth understanding of the trends, regulations, standards, technologies, industries, and practical knowledge surrounding net-zero sustainability. At the end of the second semester of the 2023–24 academic year, an online assessment was completed, with 110 faculty and students passing—one instructor achieving a perfect score.
ITRI Training Director Liao Chao-Hung led a team south to Kaohsiung to visit Shu-Te University President Wang Chao-Hsiung and present certificates to the faculty and students who passed the assessment. Director Liao noted that Shu-Te University was ITRI's first partner in rolling out this digital course, and expressed how much he valued the active participation of the university's faculty and students, voicing hope for more industry-academia collaboration in the future to jointly focus on industry issues. President Wang expressed gratitude for ITRI's support, adding that future collaboration between the two sides would proceed along two tracks—one for the university and one for its teachers. The university would fully support the drive toward net-zero sustainability and planned to make the sustainability course a required subject so that more students can take part in the net-zero transition.
The 2050 net-zero transition is no longer merely an ideal, but an inevitable future. Yu-Ping Tu, Director of the Office of Institutional Research and Sustainable Development, noted that to meet this challenge, the university drew on resources from the Higher Education Sprout Project to launch the online digital course in partnership with ITRI and WisdomGarden, aiming to raise awareness of climate change and the net-zero transition among all faculty and students and to apply sustainability knowledge in coursework and on the job.
What concrete steps is your organization currently taking to develop sustainability talent?
Want to learn more? Let’s talk.
Talk with WisdomGarden about how a digital learning platform can support your sustainability training and ESG talent-development programs.