NYUST Launches ISO 14046 Water Footprint Program: Industry, Government, and Interdisciplinary Faculty and Students Gather to “Measure Water, Discuss Sustainability”

“Where does water come from, and where does it go?” became a key question repeatedly discussed in the classroom. On February 4 and 9, 115, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (NYUST) held the “115 STEM Program – ISO 14046 Lead Auditor Training Course” at MD107, Management College Building 3. The program brought together participants from academia, industry, and government, creating a cross-disciplinary, cross-role learning environment where the water footprint was no longer just a term in textbooks, but a practical sustainability tool for discussion and application.

The training course was led by Professor Kuo Chao-Yin from NYUST, with SGS instructors introducing international water resource management trends and gradually guiding participants through product water footprint quantification processes and the ISO 14046:2014 standard. Through hands-on use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software, participants actively “measured water,” gaining an understanding of how water footprints can be applied in corporate management and public governance.

A unique scene during the course was teachers and students sitting side by side, learning together. Professors Wan Teng-Chou (Department of Environmental and Safety Engineering), Kong Xiang-Hui (College of Management), and Pan Zhi-Long (College of Intelligent Technology) guided students to join the training, combining perspectives from engineering, management, and intelligent technology to collectively focus on water footprint issues. One professor humorously noted that normally standing at the podium to teach, sitting among the students this time helped them better appreciate the importance of cross-disciplinary learning in water footprint education.

In addition to NYUST faculty and students, the course also attracted government and industry representatives for direct practical dialogue. Participating units included the Water Quality Protection Section of Yunlin Environmental Protection Bureau, Yunlin Irrigation Management Office of the Water Resources Agency, and companies such as Hui Min Industrial Co., Ltd., Neng Shuo Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., Jiesi Environmental Energy Co., Ltd., and Pan Cheng Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd. Notably, the Yunlin Environmental Protection Bureau strongly supported the course, sending the section chief and staff of the Water Quality Protection Section to participate, serving as exemplary female professionals, and actively discussing practical applications of water footprint in local water management and policy implementation. Industry participants also shared that, while ESG discussions in the past mainly focused on carbon emissions, this ISO water footprint training helped them truly understand the impact of “water risks” on business operations.

Students actively engaged in this professional certification course. Some noted that using the LCA software for the first time allowed them to clearly see the hidden water usage structure behind a product, making sustainability no longer just a concept, but something measurable, manageable, and improvable.

Professor Kuo emphasized that water footprint issues are not limited to a single discipline. When promoting the STEM program, the course was deliberately opened to faculty and students without STEM backgrounds, as well as participants from industry and government, to create a truly interdisciplinary learning environment and make sustainability a shared language.

NYUST stated that this highlight program hopes to continue receiving support from the Ministry of Education. Through the STEM program, it aims to nurture green-skilled female talent while connecting the school, industry, and government, so that smart water management and sustainable governance can start from this ISO professional certification and bring intelligent water environments into industry and local communities.

Professors Kuo Chao-Yin and Wan Teng-Chou (Department of Environmental and Safety Engineering), Professor Kong Xiang-Hui (Bachelor Program in Business Administration), and Professor Pan Zhi-Long (Bachelor Program in Industrial Technology) pose for a group photo at the course, demonstrating cross-department collaboration in promoting STEM and sustainability professional development.