After having been committed to environmental and ecological protection for decades, National Dong Hwa University in 2020 has signed the SDGs（Sustainable Development Goals）declaration to build a sustainable development vision for 2030. In the 2023 World University Impact Rankings（THE Impact Rankings 2023）, the overall ranking is 301~400 in the world, and the "terrestrial ecology" and "affordable and clean energy" in the SDGs are among the top 100 in the world.

Two universities that have signed memorandums of cooperation（MOUs）, The University of Philippines, Diliman and University of Santo Tomas, UST were visited. With the former, the delegation discussed academic and research collaborations, faculty exchanges, student internships or short-term exchanges. On the other hand, the "2024 Joint UST - NDHU International Symposium on "THE Environment and Sustainability" was held with UST. The faculty members from both sides shared the research projects. The topics of NDHU included "Intelligent Prevention and Control of Natural Disasters and International Cooperation in Earth Sciences", "Ecosystem Service Evaluation Framework under Adaptation", "Balance: Virology and Organic Agriculture for a Sustainable Future", and "Application of 2D Layered Materials and Quantum Computers". The topics of UST included "Mangrove Conservation and Sustainability", "Philippine Non-native Freshwater Fish", "People and the Earth", "Renewable Energy Technology", and "Advances in Materials Physics". Over a hundred faculty and students attended with enthusiastic responses.

In order to expand the scope of international partners, the delegation visited The University of Philippines, Los Baños for personnel exchanges and field visits. After learning about the current situation and future direction of both, Los Baños University expressed the willingness to sign a memorandum of agreement（MOA）with NDHU.

In addition to academic exchanges, the delegation also visited the Asian Development Bank（ADB）, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture（SEARCA）and the Asean Center for Biodiversity（ACB）. The forthcoming cooperation would cover sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, climate action, and disaster resilience. During the trip, NDHU even offered tailored consulting for two prospective Filipino applicants.

The visit has not only strengthened the international collaboration for NDHU, but also opened up new opportunities for exchanges of education, research and sustainable development. In the future, NDHU will continue to deepen its friendly relations with the Philippines and jointly promote the concept and practice of sustainable development.