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On a warm Tuesday evening, as the summer light lingered over campus, the third cohort of the NTU iNGO Academy gathered for “SDG in Practice – Global Challenges and Opportunities.” The session was not just another lecture; it was a reminder of how personal conviction and professional expertise can intersect to shape global change.
Our lecturer, Jack Huang, arrived with both titles and stories. He is a dedicated consultant and researcher with extensive experience in the fields of renewable energy, sustainable development, and impact investment. Currently serving as an online UNV for the United Nations Multi-Country Office (UN MCO), Jack focuses on developing innovative strategies to support climate adaptation and mitigation in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions. In addition, Jack contributes to the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT), where he supports digital transformation initiatives aimed at advancing global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The NTU iNGO Academy, with the SDGs as its core theme, the program aims to help international students understand Taiwan's unique social issues and NGO ecosystem. For participants, understanding how the SDGs are implemented globally and applying the same mindset within their current internship organizations is a key skill for building a sustainable career in the NGO sector. Drawing from personal experiences engaging with various social enterprises such as d.light and Sidewalk Labs, Jack shared how these organizations have developed idealistic yet practical solutions to address societal challenges, and how they have succeeded in gaining acceptance from governments and national bodies. In addition, Jack offered a detailed overview of the current progress on each of the SDG goals, emphasizing that with only five years remaining until the target year, NTU students—as important altruistic actors—should consider how they can start contributing through changes in their own daily lives.
Then came the question that lingered long after the session ended: How do we each influence one hundred million people? The easy answer, Jack noted, is to become a global influencer. But he challenged us to think differently, pointing to the legacy of Dr. Tetsu Nakamura, who spent decades in Afghanistan transforming communities five lives at a time. Influence, Jack suggested, is not always measured in reach but in depth, in the ripple effect of one person inspiring another to act.
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