Dr. Tzu-Chau Chang (TC) is currently a professor at the Graduate Institute of Environmental Education of National Taiwan Normal University, while also playing an Advisory role with the Taiwanese government on developing environmental education (EE) teaching materials.

TC studied Environmental Education at Cornell University in the 1990s. He went back to Taiwan to teach in 1994. Since then, TC has been a pioneer for EE in Taiwan and the Asian-Pacific region. With experiences as a mid-school teacher, TC worked on EE promotion in the formal education systems in Taiwan. Since then, he has been recognized as the “big guy” in formal EE for over twenty years. TC and other EE professors and teachers in Taiwan also did some milestone work to establish the foundation of EE in Taiwan and link Taiwan through NAAEE to environmental educators in other countries.

Shin-cheng Yeh, said: “I would say that he is one of the most important people in the EE development history in Taiwan. I have learned a lot from him. I recommend him to be the candidate of the EE Innovation Award without reservations.”

TC was the pioneering influence behind the development of the leading national EE programs for the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, including the Green Campus Program and the Sustainable Campus Program. He was invited to serve as the Executive Secretary of the Task Force of Environmental Protection of the Ministry of Education for several years. He included the disaster prevention and mitigation programs into the Task Force, establishing the foundation for further development of the national disaster prevention and mitigation school program.

TC is one of the key persons contributing their energy and efforts to passing EE legislation. He served as the Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of EE (Taiwan, Republic of China) from 2001 to 2003, working with other professors, NGOs, and parliament members for promoting legislation that supports EE. This led to the passing of the EE Act in 2011. In recent years, TC actively participated in the Global Environmental Education Partnership (GEEP) activities, as the country representative of Taiwan and a board member in many committees. He participated in the Taiwan-Vietnam EE camp this summer, educating young people in Vietnam about EE and creating the linkages between the countries in GEEP.

Since 2018, he has served as the President of the Chinese Society of EE, doing whatever he can in the field of EE. TC’s commitment to EE is exemplary. His expertise, guidance, and innovative thinking have helped shape EE in Taiwan, and have provided inspiration for EE leaders and policymakers around the world