Certificates recognizing NYCU’s achievements across multiple SDGs in the 2026 THE Impact Rankings.

Beyond Rankings: Measuring Real-World Impact

According to NYCU Senior Vice President Chien Chou, the significance of the SDGs lies in their focus on challenges shared by societies worldwide. “Taiwan cannot remain on the sidelines of global sustainability issues,” Chou said. “As one of Taiwan’s leading research universities, NYCU has a responsibility to contribute solutions through education, research, and innovation.”

Chou noted that the value of the THE Sustainability Impact Rankings extends beyond international recognition. More importantly, they provide a common framework that enables universities worldwide to assess and strengthen their sustainability efforts.

Speaking after attending the THE Global Sustainable Development Congress in Indonesia, Chou observed that many participating institutions were less concerned with improving rankings than with exploring how sustainability could be embedded into research, teaching, university governance, and public engagement. “The goal is not simply to achieve better rankings,” she said. “The goal is to make sustainability part of the culture and decision-making process of a university.”

Health and Well-Being: Advancing Through the Integration of Medicine and Technology

NYCU ranked 17th globally in SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), reflecting the growing impact of interdisciplinary collaboration between medicine, engineering, artificial intelligence, and biomedical research following the university merger.

As one of Taiwan’s few comprehensive research universities with strengths in both medicine and engineering, NYCU has expanded initiatives in smart healthcare, precision medicine, healthy aging, and digital health technologies. Researchers across the university are developing AI-assisted clinical decision systems, smart ward-round technologies, and precision healthcare applications while advancing research in cancer treatment, neurodegenerative diseases, and regenerative medicine.

The university’s commitment to global health collaboration was also reflected in the 2026 NYCU College of Medicine International Symposium: A New Ecosystem for Medical Research, held in June. The event brought together nearly 200 scholars, clinicians, and researchers from Taiwan, the United States, Japan, Singapore, and other countries to explore how artificial intelligence, digital healthcare, and interdisciplinary research are reshaping the future of medicine.

Building Innovation Ecosystems from Semiconductors to AI Governance


NYCU ranked 26th globally in SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), reflecting its contributions to technological innovation and industrial development.

For decades, the university has served as one of Taiwan’s key talent pipelines for the semiconductor and high-tech sectors. NYCU maintains close partnerships with industry leaders, including TSMC, MediaTek, and NVIDIA. This year, NYCU and TSMC jointly launched a summer semiconductor program that offers specialized courses to university students nationwide, providing broader access to semiconductor knowledge and practical training while helping to address the growing global demand for advanced technology talent.

Beyond talent development and research, the university has also begun examining emerging sustainability questions associated with artificial intelligence. As AI models continue to grow in scale, the management and allocation of computing resources have become increasingly important challenges for universities and research institutions worldwide.

To address this issue, NYCU recently partnered with Phison Electronics to establish a campus-wide AI heterogeneous computing resource management platform. The system enables intelligent scheduling of GPUs and other computing resources, improving utilization efficiency while exploring new approaches to compute governance—a field that seeks to make advanced computing infrastructure more accessible, efficient, and sustainable.

From Individual Achievements to Institutional Transformation

For NYCU, the latest ranking represents more than international recognition. It also serves as a benchmark for evaluating long-term progress in sustainability governance. In recent years, sustainability initiatives at the university have evolved from isolated projects into institution-wide efforts supported by administrative units, academic departments, faculty members, students, and researchers.

Ding-Han Wang, Associate Director of NYCU’s Office of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, said one of the university’s most significant changes has been the growing integration of sustainability across different areas of campus life. Faculty members are incorporating SDGs into research and teaching. Students are participating in University Social Responsibility (USR) projects and community engagement initiatives. Administrative units are developing new policies and governance mechanisms that align with sustainability goals.

According to Wang, achievements in smart healthcare, artificial intelligence, semiconductor technology, and net-zero sustainability collectively contributed to NYCU’s strong performance in this year’s rankings. “International rankings should not be the destination,” Wang said. “They are the result of sustained efforts. By continuing to strengthen collaboration across the university and building more comprehensive systems and mechanisms, NYCU can further expand its positive impact on society and contribute to sustainable development on a global scale.”


NYCU presents its sustainability programs and SDG achievements at the THE Global Sustainable Development Congress, providing an opportunity to engage with universities and sustainability leaders worldwide.