NTU incorporates the principle of altruism into its international exchanges, which can be seen especially in the “NTU-YLL Project,” “iNGO Academy,” and “NTU Overseas Internship Program” initiatives.
The NTU-YLL Project, established in 2019 by the OIA, invites external NGOs and non-profit organizations (NPOs) to present the current challenges or bottlenecks they face in their development. Students then collaborate with these organizations to devise practical solutions tailored to their specific issues. To date, over 100 organizations and 1,200 students have participated in this program. In addition, the Y.L. Lin Huang Tai Education and Culture Charity Trust, in collaboration with the Y.L. Lin Huang Tai Education Foundation, generously sponsors students to attend overseas training and 3 internships. Over 250 students have received subsidies for internships in 20 different countries across more than 100 schools and organizations. The OIA has organized over 50 workshops covering 20 different topics, aimed at empowering students to contribute toward building a better world.
Since 2023, the OIA has been collaborating with Impact Hub Taipei to establish the “iNGO Academy.” This program enables NTU students to intern at NGOs or iNGOs dedicated to addressing international issues, which fosters the application of sustainable development goals through project-based learning. The OIA supplements this experience by offering courses on practical skills for working with NGOs and organizing visits to NGO premises. Upon completion of their internships, a demo day is organized for students to recap, share insights, and reflect on their learning journey.
The NTU Overseas Internship Program is Taiwan’s inaugural university-level overseas internship initiative, which provides NTU students with opportunities for summer internships and placements at overseas companies, NGOs, and research institutes. Since its inception in 2023, the program has facilitated numerous overseas service projects. Examples include sending students to Fab City Grand Paris in France to practice social innovation, to Step30 International Ministries in Kenya to aid in public health education and community development, to the Taiwan-Reyhanli Centre for World Citizens in Turkey to empower refugee children, and to Impact Hub Phnom Penh in Cambodia to support local agricultural development. This initiative fosters a unique synergy between altruism and international mobility.
In addition to the initiatives led by the OIA, numerous faculties, departments, and student societies actively engage in international projects driven by the ethos of altruism. Notable examples include the Malawi Global Health Program conducted by the College of Public Health, the Overseas Technical Service Program conducted in collaboration with TaiwanICDF by the College of Bio-Resources & Agriculture, and the impactful service contributions of the World Volunteer Society and the Northern Thailand Service Learning Society. NTU remains steadfast in its commitment to nurturing altruistic individuals striving to build a more equitable and compassionate international society.
“NTU-YLL Project” This program involves actually going onto the streets to comprehend the challenges and needs of the homeless community and converting empathy into tangible actions. The photo shows trainees providing assistance to the homeless by trimming their hair.
Carissa Teja Wiguna (left), a student from the Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, and Hui-Ting Lin (right), a student from the Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures, organize supplies at the “iNGO Academy” in collaboration with The Mustard Seed Mission.
In the “NTU Overseas Internship Program”, Han Chen, a student from the Department of Civil Engineering, is pictured alongside Syrian refugees at the Taiwan-Reyhanli Centre for World Citizens.