STUST held the annual International PBL Transnational Project Workshop and has completed it recently, with a total of 10 students in the school participated in the 5-day transnational workshop. This workshop introduced the spirit of 7 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the workshop. Based on solar energy in clean energy research and technology, the theme for this year was "Smart Energy Control Challenge 2022."

【A group photo of teachers and students of the 2022 iPBL Transnational Project Workshop held at STUST】

This year iPBL members came from Osaka Institute of Technology in Japan (OIT), the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJR) in the Philippines, and STUST. There were a total of 50 teachers and students attending the workshop. Due to the impact of the pandemic, “online grouping” and “transnational grouping” were used to divide the knowledge fields required for solar power generation into three categories—system simulation, programming, and circuit implementation—before assigned to student groups from Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

【A group photo of students at 2022 iPBL transnational workshop】

In this workshop, Taiwanese students had to adjust various parameters related to solar power generation through system simulation, Filipino students were responsible for Raspberry Pi programming, and Japanese students were asked to implement and measure solar power conversion circuits, in order to optimize power generation efficiency. The goal was to ask students from different countries to use English to communicate with each other for experimental data and results. Through the close interaction of "hands-on" operation, students could develop great teamwork. Each group must also organize and report the daily results. In the process, students learned not only what to do with professional knowledge but also how to explain the results in English, including the problems found and the expected solutions.

【The students of STUST were discussing online with the students from Osaka Institute of Technology in Japan and the University of San Jose-Recolatos in the Philippines.】

Prof. Jun-hong Yang from the Department of Electronics, STUST, said that since 2017, STUST and Osaka Institute of Technology has started iPBL activities, and in 2019, they invited the University of San Jose-Reclate in the Philippines to work together, expanding from the original 2 universities to the transnational 3 university exchange activities. Since the event was held, iPBL has been recognized at home and abroad, and it also provided a transnational learning environment for students from southern Taiwan. During the event, Taiwan students not only learned knowledge but also learned to communicate with foreign elites, and it continued after the event. To maintain cross-border friendship, STUST also continued to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, so that students could understand global problems and explore solutions as soon as possible, continuing to work hard to cultivate Taiwan's next generation of sustainable social talents.

【STUST students were reporting their daily work progress at the 2022 iPBL Transnational Project Workshop.】

【The 2022 iPBL Transnational Project Workshop gathered Japanese, Taiwanese and Filipino students for a group photo online.】