Chang Jung Christian University Holds Memorial Service to Honor Dr. Jane Goodall’s “Roots & Shoots” Legacy
Chang Jung Christian University (CJCU) held a solemn memorial service on the afternoon of October 15, 2025, at the International Conference Hall to commemorate Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE — founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and Roots & Shoots, and United Nations Messenger of Peace. Dr. Goodall passed away on October 1, 2025, at the age of 91. Faculty, students, and environmental education partners gathered to mourn and pay tribute to this great global citizen who dedicated her life to practicing the philosophy of “Understanding – Caring – Taking Action.”
The service was officiated by Rev. Cheng Ming-Chih. Attendees joined in singing “Amazing Grace” and watched a tribute video titled “Following in Her Footsteps,” reviewing Dr. Goodall’s lifelong contributions. Representatives delivering memorial speeches included CJCU Board Director Liu Li-Jen, President Sun Hui-Min, former President Lee Yung-Long, Jane Goodall Institute Taiwan Executive Director Kelly Kuo, and Acting Dean of the College of Environmental Education Dr. Ching-Yi Horng. Students from Burundi, Tanzania, and Eswatini performed an original song, reaffirming Dr. Goodall’s vision of a world living in peace and harmony with nature.
Dr. Goodall’s profound friendship with CJCU began in November 2012, when she first visited Tainan and toured the then-restoration site of the Erren River, praising it as “a model of river restoration.” The experience was later shared internationally. She recognized that CJCU’s commitment to “action-based education” resonated deeply with the “Roots & Shoots” principles she founded.
Since 2014, CJCU and the Jane Goodall Institute have built a long-term partnership, co-founding the Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots Eco-Education Center on campus. In 2017, CJCU further established the International College of Practice and Education for the Environment (ICPEE) and the International Program for Sustainable Development (IPSD), with Dr. Goodall serving as Honorary Dean. The university also launched the Jane Goodall Scholarship, fully funded by CJCU, which has supported 158 young students from 13 countries to pursue environmental studies in Taiwan. These international students carry out field-based learning in the Erren River basin, embodying Dr. Goodall’s belief in “inspiring through education and changing the world through action.” From 2015 to 2025, CJCU also organized the annual “Animal Carnival” and “Animal United Nations” events to promote animal welfare.
Guided by Dr. Goodall’s spirit, CJCU has extended its University Social Responsibility (USR) efforts internationally since 2022 through the “Taiwan Experience, Global Practice” initiative in countries such as Tanzania, where students and local communities have already built 75 keyhole gardens. During her final visit to CJCU in June 2025 for the graduation ceremony, Dr. Goodall encouraged everyone by saying, “Every single one of us, every single day, can make a difference,” and reminded them that “hope is born from action.”
To honor Dr. Goodall’s lifelong dedication to ecological conservation and environmental education, CJCU held a tree-planting ceremony following the memorial service. Native Taiwanese species — including Beefwood, Stink Tree, Nine-section Tree, Thick-leaved Osmanthus, Wild Gardenia, Small-leaved Myrtle, Formosan Bush Clover, and Sword Fern — were planted around the Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots Eco-Education Center.
This living tribute symbolizes CJCU’s and its partners’ commitment to continuing Dr. Goodall’s “Roots & Shoots” mission — nurturing hope, sustaining growth, and keeping alive her wisdom, warmth, and the profound beauty she left in the world.
珍古德博士在台南的腳蹤: 延續行動的力量 - 珍古德博士追思會 - YouTube
延續行動的力量❤珍古德博士追思會Continuing the Spirit of Action. In Loving Memory of Dr. Jane Goodall - YouTube
