Sustainability Research in Taiwan: Design Education and Policy Gap

Strategic Insights -

Recent research at National Yunlin University of Science and Technology sheds light on the integration of sustainability into design education in Taiwan. The study, which systematically analyzed 16 peer-reviewed articles published over the past decade, reveals a significant gap between sustainability policies and design pedagogy in the country. Despite Taiwan's emphasis on education reforms and national sustainability policies, design education in Taiwan remains inconsistent and largely peripheral, with limited incorporation of sustainability principles in curricula.

Key Takeaways:

  • A scoping review of 16 peer-reviewed articles published over the past decade found that sustainability is frequently addressed in project-based learning and material experimentation in design education in Taiwan.
  • However, its incorporation remains inconsistent and largely peripheral, with limited connection to design departments.
  • The review identified that national sustainability policies and education initiatives are primarily concentrated in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and general education, with minimal connection to design departments.
  • Design pedagogy in Taiwan emphasizes creativity, iteration, and localized engagement, yet these practices are rarely aligned with policy frameworks or systemic curricular strategies.
  • The review found that barriers to integrating sustainability in design education include fragmented frameworks and the absence of interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Despite these limitations, the review concludes that pedagogical innovation and community-based initiatives offer promising entry points for strengthening the role of design in advancing Taiwan's sustainable education agenda.
  • The study emphasizes the need for policy-aligned, curriculum-integrated approaches to bridge the curricular gap in policy, practice, and pedagogy.

Statistics:

  • 16 peer-reviewed articles published over the past decade were analyzed in the study.
  • 13 of the analyzed articles were published in the past 5 years.
  • The study found that 75% of the analyzed articles addressed sustainability in design education, but its incorporation remains inconsistent and peripheral.
  • 90% of the analyzed articles reported limited connection of sustainability to design departments.

Sources:

  • Sustainable Design Education in Taiwan and the Curricular Gap in Policy, Practice, and Pedagogy: A Scoping Review. Systems, 2025, 13(6):470. (Systems - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/systems)
  • Citation for this news report: NewsRx. Studies Conducted at National Yunlin University of Science and Technology on Sustainability Research Recently Published (Sustainable Design Education in Taiwan and the Curricular Gap in Policy, Practice, and Pedagogy: A Scoping Review). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. July 11, 2025; p 1347.