NSYSU and the University of Hawaiʻi Collaborate to Promote an International Marine Program, Realizing the Sustainable Vision of "One Ocean, One Family, One Health"

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NSYSU and the University of Hawaiʻi Collaborate to Promote an International Marine Program, Realizing the Sustainable Vision of "One Ocean, One Family, One Health"

National Sun Yat-sen University, Institute of EducationImage — National Sun Yat-sen University, Institute of Education

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, College of EducationImage — University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, College of Education

Participants conducted a microplastic survey and sampling at Sizihwan Beach.Image — Participants conducted a microplastic survey and sampling at Sizihwan Beach.

Participants visited the Wutai to learn about local models of place-based education.Image — Participants visited the Wutai to learn about local models of place-based education.

At the Kanewai Cultural Garden, participants learned traditional taro cultivation methods.Image — At the Kanewai Cultural Garden, participants learned traditional taro cultivation methods.

A traditional navigator introduced how to determine direction and time by observing the stars.Image — A traditional navigator introduced how to determine direction and time by observing the stars.

Through cross-ocean dialogue and collaborative learning, participants cultivated sustainable educators with both local identity and global vision.Image — Through cross-ocean dialogue and collaborative learning, participants cultivated sustainable educators with both local identity and global vision.

Participants received certificates, applying what they learned to teaching practice and continuing the spirit of intercultural learning.Image — Participants received certificates, applying what they learned to teaching practice and continuing the spirit of intercultural learning.

NSYSU and the University of Hawaiʻi Collaborate to Promote an International Marine Program, Realizing the Sustainable Vision ofImage

2025-10-13

(Provided by Institute of Education) National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) jointly launched the international course "Place-Based Educational Research," founded on the core sustainable concept of "One Ocean, One Family, One Health." Integrating diverse marine topics such as Austronesian navigation culture and microplastic pollution, the course creates a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary learning journey. Through on-site visits and online exchanges between the two countries, graduate students in education and elementary and secondary school teachers deepen their understanding of the relationship between humans and the ocean, explore Indigenous knowledge systems, and incorporate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the curriculum, ultimately cultivating sustainable educational capacities that develop local identity with global vision.

During the Taiwan part of the program, participants visited NSYSU's College of Marine Sciences and a microplastic research lab at the National Museum of Marine Biology to explore issues of marine pollution and health. They also traveled to Indigenous communities in Pingtung and Taitung and visited the National Museum of Prehistory. Through cultural exchange and field learning, participants experienced the traditional ecological knowledge and sustainable living wisdom of Taiwan's Indigenous peoples, further deepening their understanding of the profound connections between Taiwan's multicultural society and its environmental context.

The Hawaiʻi part extended the spirit of the Taiwan part, emphasizing cultural dialogue and local action. The program included sharing of higher education research, observation of STEM teaching plans, traditional agricultural learning at Kā Papa Loʻi o Kanewai, and participation in outdoor education, such as removing invasive fish species from community rivers, strengthening awareness of land ethics and social responsibility. In these diverse learning environments, participants explored biomimetic design, biodiversity, and Indigenous education systems, inspiring new thinking in teaching and curriculum design.

With support from the College of Marine Sciences' University Social Responsibility (USR) project "Set Sail—An Ocean Education Journey of Exploration and Stewardship," the course also presented the "Taiwan Austronesian STEAM Sustainable Ocean Mobile Exhibit Box" exhibition at the Waikiki Aquarium in Hawaiʻi. Co-curated by multiple institutions, the exhibition integrates stories of Taiwan's Indigenous fishing culture, interactive teaching materials, and bilingual information cards, showcasing how Taiwan's Indigenous peoples combine traditional knowledge with modern science to practice sustainable fishing and ecological conservation. It emphasizes the concept of educational action and sustainability culture. Through cross-cultural dialogue, the project promotes the exchange of diverse perspectives and advances the application of traditional ocean ecological knowledge in educational contexts. The Mobile Exhibit Box will continue to expand domestically and internationally, deepening sustainable education and place-based literacy.

At the conclusion of the course, participants stated that the learning journey, both in Taiwan and in Hawaiʻi, allowed them to redefine their roles and responsibilities as educators, transforming their inspiration into teaching practice and reflecting on how to carry forward the spirit of cross-cultural learning. Professor Paichi Pat Shein of NSYSU's Graduate Institute of Education noted that the program enabled participants from different cultural backgrounds to jointly explore the educational significance of local knowledge. Through cross-ocean dialogue and collaborative learning, it cultivated sustainable educators with both local identity and global vision. She emphasized that the two universities will continue to deepen their collaboration, developing culturally sensitive and practice-oriented international curricula and Mobile Action Box exchange initiatives, jointly infusing new energy into global sustainable education.

(Edited by Public Affairs Division)

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