17.4.1  Education for SDGs commitment to meaningful education

  • Education integrated across full curriculum
  • Mandatory education for all
The course design at Providence University centers on building knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), integrating SDG concepts into various teaching content and activity programs. This includes professional courses from different departments, required and elective integrated courses, general liberal arts courses (such as "Design Thinking and Practice"), humanities certification, reading and writing courses, diverse pathways for professional service learning, project-based learning (PBL), micro-credits, and micro-projects. The university actively encourages faculty to incorporate SDG knowledge into their teaching designs and activities, enabling both teachers and students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to stay aligned with global trends. Through courses and an effective training system, students are nurtured to care for and identify with their local communities, reflect deeply on the relationship between individuals, the environment, and the planet, and apply their professional knowledge and skills to develop the actions needed for social practice. In doing so, they contribute to the sustainable development of the Earth. In the 2023-2024 academic year, over 70% of the courses at Providence University have already incorporated the spirit or knowledge of the SDGs.
 
The proportion of courses aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Semester

2023 Fall

2023 Spring

2024 Fall

2024 Spring

The proportion of  courses aligned with SDGs

71.37%

73.49%

73.74%

75.37%

Providence University has integrated the concept of sustainable development into its general education curriculum. In response to the issues raised during the 2020-2021 academic year, such as "deepening the Catholic University spirit as outlined in the Catholic University Charter," "addressing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in relation to future lifestyles," and "responding to the educational competencies outlined in Taiwan's 2019 national curriculum guidelines," PU has adopted a transdisciplinary approach. The general education curriculum, previously categorized into six academic disciplines, has been restructured into four dimensions: Sustainability and Locality, Religion and Thought, Technology and Service, and Interdisciplinary and Design. Incorporating sustainability issues has become a necessary aspect of course design, and from the 2022-2024 academic years, all general education cultivation courses (an average of over 110 courses offered each semester) have integrated SDGs into their content. Below are the statistics for the number of courses in each dimension corresponding to SDGs in the 2024 academic year:
Number of courses in each dimension corresponding to SDGs in the 2024 academic year
Sustainability and Locality
Religion and Thought
Technology and Service
Interdisciplinary and Design
SDG 1
15
6
7
1
SDG 2
7
6
3
1
SDG 3
24
26
14
33
SDG 4
53
30
32
62
SDG 5
45
 23 2
13
SDG 6
3
4
12
2
SDG 7
5
0
10
4
SDG 8
522
3
9
9
SDG 9
6
1
11
11
SDG 10
49
18
6
16
SDG 11
44
5
14
46
SDG 12
14
9
8
17
SDG 13
17
14
14
6
SDG 14
6
5
13
7
SDG 15
12
10
9
9
SDG 16
40
19
0
4
SDG 17
37
6
9
21
 
  • Optional education for all

Micro-credit courses aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

To enhance course quality and learning flexibility, Providence University launched a Micro-Credit Course Pilot Program in 2016. Designed around the concept of “small but impactful” learning courses, the program integrates the university’s six core development areas—Information, Service, Internationalization, Communication, Creativity, and Employability. These micro-courses offer diverse, hands-on learning experiences such as workshops, practical training, lectures, site visits, and mock interviews, closely aligned with industry practices. Students can freely select and combine courses from freshman to senior year, earning one academic credit upon completing 18 hours of participation, thereby expanding the flexibility of credit acquisition.

In the 2024 academic year, the university offered 16 micro-credit courses, among which 6 were specifically aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Course topics included career exploration, aging society issues, ecological crises and sustainable development, empathy in gender equality, respect for minority groups, problem-solving in industry, and compassion for life. These themes correspond to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Through these optional educational offerings, Providence University not only strengthens students’ sense of social responsibility and sustainability awareness but also fulfills the vital role of higher education in advancing sustainable development. The university demonstrates its commitment to cultivating globally minded and locally engaged talents prepared to address the challenges of the future.

 

Link 1 : PU General Education Center