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SDG 16 : Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16)16.2 University governance measures
16.2.1 - Are there elected representatives on your university’s highest governing body?
Composition of representatives includes: National Formosa University (NFU)'s highest governing body is the University Council, which includes representatives generated through election. The composition of NFU's University Council representatives is handled according to Articles 31 and 31-1 of the University's Organizational Regulations, and the elected representatives cover the three major categories of students, faculty, and staff, proving the system's existence. Taking the 2024 academic year (data year 2024) as an example, the total number of representatives on the University Council list, after the selection process, is 90. The categories and quantified numbers of elected representatives are as follows: First, faculty representatives account for a considerable proportion of the 113th academic year list, with associate professors and above totaling 38 members, meeting the regulation of exceeding two-thirds of the total faculty representatives. Second, staff representatives (non-faculty staff) include administrative staff, security guards, and general workers; as shown in the original list for the 113th academic year, there are 4 staff representatives, 1 security guard representative, and 2 general worker representatives, totaling 7 non-faculty staff representatives. Third, student representatives total 11 members on the 2024 academic year list. All these representatives (students, faculty, and staff) are generated through democratic election procedures rather than university appointment, as demonstrated by the supporting document 2024 University Council Representative Selection Record.zip. Changes to the list are also publicly announced (e.g., the announcement on March 5, 2025, for the 113th academic year, 2nd semester change, involving 1 new ex officio representative and 5 substituted faculty representatives), providing sufficient evidence of the representatives' elected status and actual participation, scoring 1 point for this indicator. All related supporting documents, including the 2024 academic year University Council list, approval documents, election announcement lists, change announcements, and regulatory basis proof (Organizational Regulations and meeting minutes), are publicly announced on the University Secretariat's official website, ensuring public access to the documents. In summary, NFU’s highest governing body’s representative system includes elected representatives covering students, faculty, and staff, achieving transparency and democratic participation through complete official documents, lists, and web announcements.
16.2.2 - Does your university recognize an independent student union?
Functions provided by the student union include: NFU_THE_16.2.2_2024_Final.pdf National Formosa University (NFU) recognizes an independent and autonomous student union that operates according to its own organizational charter. The functions provided by the student union are divided into three areas. 1. Governance input: The student union provides governance input. Student representatives provide governance input by participating in important university meetings (such as the University Council, administrative meetings, and various committees), with their speeches, proposals, and the university's formal responses evidenced by official documents or meeting minutes. 2. Student support: The student union provides student support services. Specific services include, but are not limited to, providing legal consultation, academic tutoring referral, psychological counseling resource introduction, emergency relief application assistance, housing information, part-time job information, and organizing activities such as welcoming events, mental health lectures, and rights explanation sessions, while also offering student welfare services like a list of contracted vendors. 3. Social activities: The student union organizes social and cultural activities, scoring 0.33 points. Activity items cover various social events such as culture festivals, singing competitions, sports events, club expos, lectures, and workshops. The records of these activities, participant statistics, and impact assessments are supported by project proposals or quantified performance reports. Furthermore, the University has provided supporting documents (e.g., the student union organizational charter) to prove the student union's formal status, independence, and the existence of the three functions mentioned above. All supporting documents or their summaries are publicly available via official links (e.g., the student union website https://nfuosa.nfu.edu.tw/stact/law.html), demonstrating the University's adherence to the democratic participation spirit of SDG 16.
16.2.3 - Does your university have a written policy and procedure to identify local stakeholders critical to the university’s mission (including students, employees, and other local community representatives) and engage them in university decision-making?
Policy Creation Year: 2023 Policy Review Year: 2023 National Formosa University has a written policy and procedure to identify local stakeholders critical to the university’s mission and engage them in university decision-making. The written policy is the Stakeholder Engagement Policy, detailed on page 22 of the 2024 Sustainability Report; both the Policy Creation Year and Policy Review Year are considered 2023. NFU identifies 10 categories of stakeholders according to the AA1000 standard, including current students, faculty, staff, community members, alumni, enterprises, government organizations, NGOs, suppliers/contractors, and parents. To ensure local stakeholders (including students, employees, and other local community representatives) participate in university decision-making, the policy's implementation procedures include identifying stakeholders through materiality assessment and integrating their feedback mechanism into the University Council decision-making process. Regarding participation levels, the policy specifically notes that student participation accounts for 60%, employee participation for 25%, and community representatives (such as the Yunlin County Government) for 15%. The University conducts opinion exchange through annual questionnaires and forums, with 427 valid questionnaires recovered in 2024, achieving a response rate of 70%. Furthermore, the policy commits to holding four meetings and feedback sessions annually to ensure stakeholder involvement in decision-making. The University Council convenes at least once per semester, the staff/President forum is held once per year, and the labor-management meeting is held once per quarter. This policy is publicly available in the Sustainability Report, ensuring inclusive and transparent governance and implementing a public, accountable governance structure.
16.2.4 – Does your university, as a whole, ensure that local stakeholders within the university—including local residents, local government, and civil society representatives (which may include groups such as refugee resettlement agencies)—have mechanisms for meaningful participation in university decision-making?
NFU’s core mechanism is the annually held "Landlord Symposium," which is a formally established participatory institution dedicated to identifying and interacting with local stakeholders. Local stakeholders invited to the symposium include representatives from the local government, police and fire departments (such as officers from the Huwei Fire Brigade and Huwei Precinct), and community landlord representatives. The latest supporting document is the 2024 Academic Year Landlord Symposium and "Cloud Rental Platform System" Consultation Service Meeting Minutes, which specifically records the quantified outcomes of the actual interaction. The meeting was held on May 22, 2025, lasting 2 hours (19:00 to 21:00). Discussion topics focused on student rental safety, electricity safety, traffic improvement, access control safety, and accommodation needs for international students, with these opinions incorporated into university planning and decision-making. Quantified outcomes show that, regarding traffic issues, the University continuously reviews and improves the motor vehicle operating environment with the Huwei Precinct, and provides subsidies for students returning home during winter and summer vacations, specifically subsidizing 70% of the round-trip cost for motor vehicle shipping, while also offering 50% funding subsidy for those taking public transportation, thereby reducing traffic accidents. For rental safety management, university staff coordinate with certified landlords on the cloud platform to conduct scheduled guidance visits with police and fire personnel during May and June each year, assessing safety criteria and issuing safety certification labels upon passing. Furthermore, landlords enthusiastically donated to establish a scholarship fund specifically for off-campus students, tangibly supporting their academic pursuits. These activity records, supporting documents, and key interaction facts prove the actual interaction of the participatory institution. The University also ensures that meeting announcements and supporting documents (such as formal meeting minutes) are publicly accessible, implementing the spirit of transparent governance. This mechanism ensures that local stakeholders have a specific and institutionalized channel for meaningful participation in university decision-making regarding issues related to students' local life and safety environment.
16.2.5 - Has your university published principles and commitments against organized crime, corruption, and bribery?
National Formosa University has formally published documents on the principles and commitments against organized crime, corruption, and bribery, proving full compliance with the scoring criteria. The University adheres to the principles of integrity, honesty, and transparent governance, based primarily on the following documents: 1. NFU Code of Conduct for Faculty and Staff Conflicts of Interest, which was passed and implemented on September 12, 2006 (during the 95th Academic Year, 2nd Administrative Meeting). This code regulates that faculty and staff must recuse themselves if they or their relatives have an interest in matters such as faculty appointment review, promotion, reward/punishment, performance evaluation, auditing, tendering, procurement, and financial management. 2. Public Officials Conflict of Interest Disclosure Zone, which publicly discloses potential conflicts of interest pursuant to Article 14, Paragraph 2 of the Public Officials Conflict of Interest Avoidance Act. The zone provides templates for both [A. Prior Disclosure] and [B. Post Disclosure] identity relationship forms, dated 2022-02-24, and explicitly states that violations of Article 14, Paragraph 2 will result in fines ranging from NT$50,000 to NT$500,000. All supporting documents mentioned above have been publicly released through the University's official channel, the Personnel Office website, ensuring public access without special accounts or permissions, achieving information accessibility. By establishing clear anti-corruption and conflict of interest regulations and publishing formal documents on the campus website, NFU demonstrates a solid commitment to integrity governance.
16.2.6 - Does your university have a policy supporting academic freedom, protecting critical areas of research, and open speaking and teaching in their research area?
Policy Creation Year: 2004 Policy Review Year: 2022 National Formosa University (NFU) possesses and supports a policy guaranteeing academic freedom, named the "NFU Guidelines for Faculty Research Grants," which aims to encourage faculty to actively engage in research and innovation to enhance teaching and research standards, and explicitly supports the faculty's academic freedom and right to research, safeguarding their freedom of expression in teaching and research. The quantified target group supported is full-time lecturers and above, covering the research and teaching freedom of both senior scholars (e.g., professors, associate professors) and junior scholars (e.g., assistant professors, lecturers). This guideline is a formal policy document, which is publicly accessible via the University's R&D Office website. The Policy Creation Year was 2004, and the Policy Review Year was 2022.
16.2.7 - Does your university publish university financial data?
National Formosa University (NFU) demonstrates the principle of public and transparent financial governance through its measures for University Financial Data Publication. The University regularly and publicly releases annual budget, annual final accounts, and monthly report information via the Accounting Office website, ensuring all data is freely accessible to the public. Specific supporting documents include the NFU Accounting Office financial statement public webpage and the fund budget execution status query system, accessible at: https://accweb.nfu.edu.tw/webppr/EQPAPER.HTM. Regarding the quantified publication of financial data, the final accounts for the 2024 income and expenditure statement show that the total operating income amounted to NT$2,042,554,882, accounting for 100.00%. Of this, teaching income final accounts totaled NT$858,577,221 (42.03%), industry-academia collaboration income totaled NT$337,246,326 (16.51%), and university teaching and research subsidy income totaled NT$827,575,000 (40.52%). Total operating costs and expenses for the same period amounted to NT$2,317,227,344, accounting for 113.45% of operating income, of which teaching costs totaled NT$2,047,206,117 (100.23%), and management and general affairs expenses totaled NT$202,328,108 (9.91%). Additionally, non-operating income for 2024 totaled NT$157,626,915 (7.72%), including donation income of NT$41,589,268 (2.04% of operating income). After deducting non-operating expenses of NT$62,492,174, the net surplus (deficit) for the period was a deficit of -NT$179,537,721, an increase of 84.14% compared to the budgeted deficit of -NT$97,500,000 for the year. The University discloses the annual budgeted figures, the current year's final accounts, the comparison of increase/decrease amount and percentage, and the previous year's final accounts, ensuring the comparability and transparency of financial data both horizontally and longitudinally.
16.3 Working with government
16.3.1 - Does your university provide expert advice on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) policy making to local, regional, or national government or regional NGOs, through policy guidance, committee participation, or evidence provision?
National Formosa University (NFU) provides expert advice on SDG policy making to local, regional, and national government levels through three specific actions: policy guidance, committee participation, and evidence provision. Cooperation levels include: local level (Chiayi County Government) and national level (Ministry of Education, Aeronautical Systems Research Division of CSIST, Civil Aeronautics Administration). In 2024, NFU executed the Ministry of Education-approved "UAV Industry Talent and Technology Incubation Base" project, which received national-level funding, directly influencing national policy and promoting SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Specifically, regarding policy guidance, NFU provided recommendations to the Chiayi County Government, successfully establishing the nation's first dedicated UAV airspace, covering 30 hectares, which substantially influenced local policy making and facilitated the establishment of the "Asian UAV AI Innovation Application R&D Center". Regarding committee participation, the University, along with the Chiayi County Government, CSIST, CAA, and the UAV Association, jointly formed an inter-agency technical inventory committee, creating a four-party alliance among academia, government, research institutions, and industry, providing key technical recommendations within the committee. Regarding evidence provision, NFU established a low-speed wind tunnel and testing environment, offering industry low-cost R&D and evidence-based data as a scientific basis for policy verification. Furthermore, to contribute to SDG 4, the project simultaneously offered 32 UAV-related courses to align with industry needs. All primary supporting documents, including official project proposals, media reports (e.g., Global Views Magazine report on 2024 performance), and outcome links, are publicly available for public review, proving the existence and actual impact of the expert advice.
16.3.2 - Does your university provide outreach services, general education, skills enhancement, and capacity building on topics such as economics, law, technology, migration, and climate change to policy and law makers?
NFU actively and specifically provides outreach services, education, skills enhancement, and capacity building on topics such as technology and climate change to policy and law makers. This service encompasses three aspects: policy advocacy, educational outreach, and skills and capacity building. In 2024, NFU engaged in deep collaboration with the Yunlin County Government to jointly advance local sustainability policies and governance, aiming to provide green governance and carbon reduction education to policy and law makers. Specific actions include responding to the Yunlin County Government's commitment to signing the "Public Sector Sustainability Development Initiative". NFU's Office of Sustainable Development organized the first "Sustainability Week" in 2024, themed "Net-Zero Sustainability, NFU Must Act," promoting net-zero carbon emissions, green living, and social practice concepts. This successfully delivered green governance and carbon reduction education to local government departments, schools, and social welfare groups, categorized as sustainability education aimed at decision-makers and legislators. NFU President Chang Hsin-Liang further declared the "2048 Net-Zero Carbon Emission Declaration" during the event, demonstrating concrete policy action in school-local collaboration toward sustainable governance. The services and supporting documents provided by the University fully meet the scoring requirements for this indicator, proving the formal existence and actual implementation of the service mechanism. To prove the actual implementation of the service, NFU planned to organize the Yunlin County Government's mobile executive meeting between 2024 and 2025, offering lectures and professional advice on topics such as technology and climate change response. To demonstrate the public availability of evidence, NFU provided public links, including the NFU Office of Sustainable Development's official website link regarding the Sustainability Week activities, and three news report links from different media as public evidence of implementation, along with the Yunlin County Government's official website link proving NFU's participation in cultivating green professionals for the public sector. Through these actions, NFU demonstrates its efforts in capacity building for policy makers on topics related to economics, technology, and climate change.
16.3.3 - Does your university work with government departments on policy-focused research?
NFU, on behalf of the University as a whole, works with government departments on policy-focused research. In 2024, the University executed government-collaborated policy-oriented research projects, including two major categories: "Government Industry-Academia Projects" and "Other Government Ministry/Department Projects," totaling 50 items. These collaborations cover multiple critical policy areas with clear policy relevance. For example, regarding environment and sustainable development, collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture's Agricultural and Food Agency executed the "Yunlin Pineapple Residue Resource Recycling Facility Construction Project," with a total amount of NT$33,584,400, making it the largest policy cooperation project this year. Another collaboration with the Yunlin County Government, the "Yunlin County Power Saving Partner Energy Governance and Promotion Service Project," totaled NT$6,550,000, directly supporting the local government's energy-saving policies. In energy research, the University undertook the "Measurement of Atmospheric Pressure Combustion Characteristics of Natural Gas-Hydrogen Blends" project commissioned by the Taiwan Power Company Research Institute, totaling NT$4,180,750, categorized as a policy research item commissioned by a state-owned enterprise. For agricultural safety and regulation, the University's Agricultural and Biotech Product Inspection Service Center undertook fast pesticide residue testing and safety management projects commissioned by the Agricultural and Food Agency, including 2 items of the "Agricultural Product Pesticide Residue Fast Testing Project" totaling NT$4,596,000 and NT$2,450,000, respectively, and the "Hygiene and Safety Supervision and Management of Contracted Rice Production and Marketing Group Areas" project, totaling NT$339,300. NFU also collaborated with the Ministry of Environment on the "Feasibility Study on Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Survey Ship Exhaust Composition and Estimate Fuel Sulfur Content," totaling NT$2,600,000, supporting environmental monitoring and pollution prevention policies. Regarding the standard for evidence provision and substantial cooperation, the aforementioned policy research items are formal cooperation contracts or projects signed between the University and government agencies (such e.g., central ministries, local governments, state-owned enterprises, or affiliated research institutions), proving substantial collaborative relationships. Furthermore, the University meets the requirement for public disclosure of evidence; all industry-academia cooperation and policy research information, including collaborating units and quantified project totals, are publicly disclosed on the official website's "Industry-Academia Collaboration Public Information" page (e.g., links https://reurl.cc/ekYp and https://reurl.cc/QaQ), accessible without special permission.
16.3.4 - Does your university provide a neutral platform and 'safe' space for different political and ideological groups to discuss sensitive topics?
National Formosa University (NFU) explicitly provides a neutral platform and 'safe' space for different political and ideological groups to discuss sensitive topics, primarily through the Student Union, established as an independent and neutral student self-governance organization under the NFU Student Union Organizational Charter (August 26, 2017). Platform Existence: Article 1 of the Student Union Charter establishes its purpose as promoting student self-governance and cultivating democratic and rule-of-law concepts, confirming the legal foundation of the neutral self-governance platform. Article 2 further stipulates that the Student Union is the highest self-governance organization for all students, free from interference by other campus units, organizationally guaranteeing political and administrative neutrality, meeting the evidence requirements for the existence of a neutral platform, with the Student Union Organizational Charter serving as the supporting document. Evidence Provision: The design of the Student Union ensures diversity of opinions and equal participation.
