2023-3-21
On March 2, National Taiwan University (NTU) launched the iNGO Academy with nine partner Taiwanese and international NGOs. The 16-week all-English program gives aspiring students early on-hands experience and equips them with networking skills that they can use in the future to make connections at home and abroad.
The nine cooperating NGOs are the Mustard Seed Mission, Garden of Hope Foundation, Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation, Jane Goodall Institute, Step 30, Taiwan Digital Diplomacy Association, Good Neighbors, Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation (NCF), and One-Forty. Representatives of the organizations attended the launch together with Chen Hsuch-yu, director general of the Ministry of Education’s Youth Development Administration, and Elvie Wu, deputy director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of NGO International Affairs.
In his remarks, NTU President Chen Wen-chang said that when he was a student, he joined a service club which assisted children in remote areas. The experience was something that he will never forget. NTU currently has 40 service clubs and gives relevant awards to recognize volunteering students. Chen said, “I hope that through cooperation with NGOs, we can develop talent who have a spirit to benefit others, respect different cultures, and possess an international outlook. This will make NTU a world-renowned SDG and NGO school.”
Second-year student Hsueh Yi, who is currently interning at NCF, has always been interested in NGOs. She enrolled in the social studies class at Zhongshan Girls High School and joined the World Volunteer Club at university. The iNGO Academy program helps her understand social service provisions and the operations of aid agencies. In terms of her internship content, Hsueh says she works 16 hours a week. She has cleared two days in her class schedule to concentrate on her internship as well as prepare her thesis on NGOs, conduct interviews, and do other work.
