SDG 17.4.2 Education for SDGs: specific courses on sustainability
NCUE actively uses its curriculum to promote sustainable development and help faculty and students understand the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, NCUE ranks second nationwide among teacher-education universities in training capacity, with the Ministry of Education approving more than 650 places each year for secondary-school teacher education. Through sustainability-literacy courses, NCUE seeks to cultivate forward-looking teachers who can pass accurate sustainability concepts on to the next generation when they enter the profession. The promotion of sustainability education therefore has far-reaching implications for Taiwan's society and the nation as a whole.
When planning courses, NCUE's faculty members generally take the relevance of course content to the SDGs into account and record it in the course offering system. Courses in such areas as human rights education, career education, Indigenous education, gender equity education, environmental education, energy education, multicultural education, rule-of-law education, and international education are all closely related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. When the 17 SDGs are grouped into seven categories, NCUE offered 1,721 course instances in the 2024–2025 academic year that embodied relevant SDG concepts (a single course may involve more than one category). These courses accounted for 4,241 credits and 49,771 cumulative student enrollments. See Table 1 and Figure 1.
| United Nations Sustainable Development Goals | Number of Courses | Credits | Student enrolments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equality: SDGs 1, 10, and 16 - Eliminating inequality and building an equitable, inclusive society governed by the rule of law | 304 | 748 | 8,831 |
| Environment: SDGs 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 - Agriculture, energy, economic development, terrestrial and marine ecosystem conservation, and sustainable development | 314 | 780 | 8,799 |
| Health: SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages | 207 | 512 | 6,332 |
| Education: SDG 4 - Quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning | 275 | 665 | 8,307 |
| Gender: SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower women | 236 | 574 | 6,924 |
| Economy: SDG 8 - Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth and achieve full and productive employment | 212 | 540 | 5,670 |
| Global: SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals | 173 | 422 | 4,908 |
| Total | 1,721 | 4,241 | 49,771 |
17.4.2 - Figure 1. Screenshot of statistical data on SDG promotion through diverse university courses