National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST, Taiwan Tech) supports education and community outreach on water-resource management and the conservation of fresh-water and aquatic ecosystems through University Social Responsibility (USR) practice, engineering research and development, and local and transnational action. Its flagship is the Ministry of Education USR programme “Engineers in Action” (EIA), which draws on research capacity in architecture, construction engineering, chemical engineering, materials science and industrial management to bring fresh-water and water-resource knowledge to remote Indigenous communities in Taiwan and to communities in Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal and Japan.
NTUST teams work with local communities and partner universities to support off-campus water conservation: repairing leaking ponds and irrigation channels, upgrading drainage, and installing water-saving irrigation and rainwater-harvesting systems, strengthening community capacity to manage and maintain water resources.
In summer 2026, the EIA team worked with Widya Mandala Catholic University (UKWMS) in the Gubug Lazaris community, repairing leaks in ponds and channels to reduce water loss and maintaining greenhouse irrigation facilities to meet residents’ farming water needs. In 2025 the team had already restored an idle organic greenhouse in the same community and installed an automatic sprinkler irrigation system with new pipes and wiring, replacing flood irrigation with targeted watering to save water.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2026-09-24] Central News Agency (CNA) | NTUST Engineers in Action head to Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan to meet community needs https://www.cna.com.tw/postwrite/chi/445125
▸ [2025-10-08] NTUST Campus News | NTUST Engineers in Action deepen work in Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-140988,r167.php?Lang=zh-tw
From June to July 2026, NTUST and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) students spent two weeks in Kemiri Village, Pacet, Mojokerto, East Java. The flagship work was a Rainwater Harvesting System—gutters, pipes, filters and storage tanks providing an alternative water source and promoting water conservation and efficient use. The team also built an aquaponics system in which culture water is recirculated. ITS’s official news linked the project to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
Related news and website links:
▸ [2026-07-19] ITS News (Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia) | ITS dan NTUST Transformasikan Desa Kemiri melalui Engineers in Action 2026 https://www.its.ac.id/news/?p=110370
EIA has worked with the Dongyue Atayal community in Nan’ao Township, Yilan, since 2020. In 2024 a volunteer team of about 50 cleared sediment from the waterway beside Dong’ao Elementary School, installed new downspouts and rearranged stones to reduce hazards, turning the channel into a safe foot-soaking area, and built an aquaponics system that recycles water. In 2025 about 60 students and teachers from NTUST, Songshan Vocational High School, Osaka Institute of Technology (Japan) and Widya Mandala Catholic University (Indonesia) restored the long-closed Babaw Kulu trail, cleaning drainage ditches and using eco-friendly construction methods that balance trail drainage with protection of the mountain environment.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2024] NTUST English News | Taiwan Tech mobile engineers bring passion and professionalism to Dong'ao for social welfare https://www.secretariat.ntust.edu.tw/p/16-1063-128503.php?Lang=en
▸ [2025-06-30] NTUST Campus News | Taiwan Tech engineers team up with Japan and Indonesia to empower rural Dong'ao (Chinese) https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-138039,r167.php?Lang=zh-tw
▸ [2025-06-30] NTUST English News | Taiwan Tech engineers team up with Japan and Indonesia to empower rural Taitung https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-138260,r1182.php?Lang=en
NTUST’s architecture and construction researchers have long studied site water retention and the water budget of ecological ponds. A graduate thesis applied the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) inventory model to simulate the replenishment and storage of ecological ponds and analyse water savings, providing a reference for local hydrology and water allocation. This line of work now extends to water-quality monitoring and water-purification technology.
The master’s thesis by Tsai (蔡政融, 2007), NTUST Graduate Institute of Architecture, treats the water held in an ecological pond as an “inventory” and borrows the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) concept from inventory management to simulate the pond’s replenishment mechanism, examining how much water to add and when, as a reference for reducing external top-up water and improving water savings. The study is cited by later work such as National Chung Hsing University’s “A Study on the Management Model of Ecological Ponds”, and serves as a methodological reference for water-quantity control and water-saving analysis of building-site and campus ponds.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2007] Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (NCHU) – reference list | Tsai, C.-J. (2007) 'Simulating the water-quantity management mechanism of ecological ponds with the EOQ model', NTUST Graduate Institute of Architecture (cited in 'A Study on the Management Model of Ecological Ponds') https://swcdis.nchu.edu.tw/AllDataPos/JournalPos/%E7%B7%A8%E8%99%9F50/%E7%AC%AC1%E6%9C%9F/5%E7%94%9F%E6%85%8B%E6%B0%B4%E6%B1%A0%E7%AE%A1%E7%90%86%E6%A8%A1%E5%BC%8F%E4%B9%8B%E7%A0%94%E7%A9%B6.pdf
▸ Related website | National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan (search NTUST ecological-pond theses) https://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/
In April 2026, a Materials Science team and National Taiwan University developed a self-powered water-quality monitoring system that detects heavy metals and disinfects water without an external power supply; the work was published in Advanced Functional Materials offering a new technical direction for real-time fresh-water quality monitoring. In January 2026, Prof. Hung Wei-Song’s Chemical Engineering team unveiled a graphene “black magic carpet” that purifies water and generates electricity using only solar and wave energy.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2026-04-07] NTUST Campus News | NTUST and NTU develop a self-powered water-quality monitoring system that detects heavy metals and disinfects https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-146288,r167.php?Lang=zh-tw
▸ [2026-04-07] United Daily News (udn.com) | NTUST and NTU develop self-powered water-quality monitoring system https://udn.com/news/story/6928/9427114
▸ [2026-04-07] Liberty Times | NTUST–NTU team develops wireless sensing bottle for real-time water-quality monitoring https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/5395648
▸ [2026-01-19] NTUST Campus News | Prof. Hung Wei-Song's graphene 'black magic carpet' purifies water using solar and wave energy https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-143957,r167.php?Lang=zh-tw
In February 2026, NTUST and its alumni built an ecological defence against biting midges, managing campus green and water areas with eco-friendly methods and restoring campus greenery, making the campus a teaching site for urban fresh-water and green-space ecology.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2026-02-19] NTUST Campus News | Taiwan Tech and alumni build eco-defence against biting midges, reviving a greener campus (Chinese) https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-144455,r167.php?Lang=zh-tw
▸ [2026-02-19] NTUST English News | Taiwan Tech and Alumni build eco-defense against biting midges, reviving a greener campus https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-145350,r1182.php?Lang=en
Through Engineers in Action, NTUST faculty and students bring engineering expertise to remote villages and mountain towns in Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal and Japan, improving irrigation, drinking-water quality, slopes and water facilities while promoting environmental education and community collaboration. Running since 2020, the programme was invited to the 2025 Osaka Expo as the only Taiwanese USR project on show and received a 2026 Global Views USR award.
In 2026, with Can Tho University (CTU), the team installed a reverse-osmosis (RO) drinking-water filtration system at Hoa-An 1 Primary School, improving pupils’ drinking water and sanitation, and paired it with hydroponic vegetable racks that reuse water so that children learn about the water cycle through growing plants.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2026-09-24] Central News Agency (CNA) | NTUST Engineers in Action head to Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan to meet community needs https://www.cna.com.tw/postwrite/chi/445125
Since 2019 the team has built agricultural irrigation equipment in rural Indonesia and Vietnam. In 2024 it installed solar-powered aquaponics and greenhouses in Magetan, Indonesia; in 2026, with ITS, it built a solar aquaponic greenhouse in Pacet Village, using recirculated water for fish farming and cultivation to reduce water use.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2019] Storm Media | NTUST goes to rural Indonesia and Vietnam: toilets, libraries and agricultural irrigation equipment https://www.storm.mg/article/1854715
▸ [2024-10-01] NTUST English News | From Indonesia, Vietnam to Japan: Taiwan Tech Engineers in Action promotes sustainable development across rural areas https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/16-1000-131167.php?Lang=en
▸ [2026-09-24] Central News Agency (CNA) | NTUST Engineers in Action head to Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan to meet community needs https://www.cna.com.tw/postwrite/chi/445125
Associate Professor Hsiao (蕭博謙, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering) and students have worked for years with the Zhu Zhu Mama Child Education Care Association in Upper Pisang, Annapurna region. In 2024 they levelled slopes and laid stone steps for an orphanage in Kathmandu; in 2025 they built a retaining wall in front of a century-old house and planned evacuation routes and assembly points suited to the mountain terrain, strengthening the town’s disaster resilience.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2024-07] NTUST English News | USR Beyond Borders: Taiwan Tech Students Build a Pathway for an Orphanage in Nepal https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/16-1000-127813.php?Lang=en
▸ [2025-09-23] NTUST Campus News | NTUST deepens work in Nepal mountain town for revitalisation and disaster-prevention education (Chinese) https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-140536,r167.php?Lang=zh-tw
▸ [2025-09-23] NTUST English News | NTUST deepens work in Nepal mountain town (English) https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/16-1000-141506.php?Lang=en
In 2024 in Kawakami Village, Nara Prefecture, the team taught local pupils to build spring-water filters from PET bottles, activated carbon, quartz sand and cotton, introducing water-source protection. In 2025 the programme exhibited at the Osaka Expo, attracting over 600 visitors in three days.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2024-10-01] NTUST English News | From Indonesia, Vietnam to Japan: Taiwan Tech Engineers in Action promotes sustainable development across rural areas https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/16-1000-131167.php?Lang=en
▸ [2025-12-03] NTUST Campus News | Taiwan Tech USR gains international visibility: Engineers in Action invited to Osaka Expo (Chinese) https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-142778,r167.php?Lang=zh-tw
▸ [2025-12-03] NTUST English News | Taiwan Tech USR Program, Engineers in Action, gains global spotlight at Osaka World Expo https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-143617,r1182.php?Lang=en
▸ [2026-04-30] NTUST Campus News | NTUST wins two awards at the 2026 Global Views USR Awards https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-147199,r167.php?Lang=zh-tw
Coordinated by the Center for Sustainable Development and Institutional Research together with the Center for General Education, NTUST integrates the SDGs—including water and ecosystem goals SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land)—into teaching and campus activities. According to the Commercial Times, NTUST offers about 1,500 courses with SDG and USR content each year, attracting about 50,000 enrolments.
The Center for Sustainable Development and Institutional Research and the Center for General Education regularly run a “Sustainable Campus” series promoting the UN SDGs and university social responsibility. NTUST received the 2024 National Sustainable Development Award for its smart energy management, greenhouse-gas inventory, innovative research and sustainability education. The Center for General Education’s Social Practice Course System lets students carry out sustainability projects with off-campus communities and NGOs.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2024-12-20] Commercial Times | NTUST wins the 2024 National Sustainable Development Award https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20241220700579-431204
▸ Related website | NTUST Center for General Education – Social Practice Course System https://sp.cge.ntust.edu.tw/
The 2nd NTUST Unlimited Festival (2023) took sustainable development as its theme, holding seven sustainability workshops with participation from nearby primary and junior-high schools, and working with neighbouring borough chiefs and residents. In May 2026, NTUST and the Ministry of Environment co-hosted a “Youth Participation in Climate Action” lecture attended by about 130 students and members of the public.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2023-11-09] Commercial Times | 2nd NTUST Unlimited Festival opens with sustainability as its theme https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20231109701290-431202
▸ [2026-05-28] Central News Agency (CNA) | NTUST and the Ministry of Environment hold climate-action lecture on data technology for sustainable cities https://www.cna.com.tw/postwrite/chi/434666
At Dong’ao Elementary School, EIA volunteers taught pupils to build simple water filters from PET bottles and gravel to understand water purification; in 2025 they ran eight STEAM sustainability workshops covering power generation, acid–base reactions and carbon footprints. In Vietnam and Japan, hydroponics and spring-water filtration teaching likewise bring fresh-water and ecosystem-conservation concepts into communities.
Related news and website links:
▸ [2024] NTUST English News | Taiwan Tech mobile engineers bring passion and professionalism to Dong'ao for social welfare https://www.secretariat.ntust.edu.tw/p/16-1063-128503.php?Lang=en
▸ [2025-06-30] NTUST Campus News | Taiwan Tech engineers team up with Japan and Indonesia to empower rural Dong'ao (Chinese) https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/406-1000-138039,r167.php?Lang=zh-tw
▸ [2024-10-01] NTUST English News | From Indonesia, Vietnam to Japan: Taiwan Tech Engineers in Action promotes sustainable development across rural areas https://www.ntust.edu.tw/p/16-1000-131167.php?Lang=en