From Theory to Practice: NCCU Students Tackle Global Environmental Challenges at Sustainable Innovation Seminar
Date :
2026-04-22
Department :
International Master’s Program of Applied Economics and Social Development
【International Master’s Program of Applied Economics and Social Development】
TAIPEI, TAIWAN (April 15, 2026) – How can we transform social crises into sustainable business opportunities? This fundamental question set the stage for the "Seminar on Sustainable Innovation: Innovate Sustainably, Shape Tomorrow," held at National Chengchi University (NCCU). As part of the Innovation Management and Digital Transformation course, led by Prof. Alicia Say, this seminar bridges academia and industry by connecting students with Taiwan’s most innovative young leaders. By engaging directly with these pioneers, students learn to navigate real-world challenges and market-proven adaptation strategies. The design of this course structure empowers NCCU’s students to move beyond theory, transforming them into future global leaders capable of translating Taiwan’s sustainable business models into actionable solutions for their own home countries.
The seminar brought together more than 40 students from 18 different countries in a highly dynamic learning ecosystem. They did not merely study strategy; they explored how three pioneering entities run businesses orienting toward the future of our planet.
Sowing the Seeds of Change with the Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwan
The session opened with representatives from the Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwan William Chiu. Carrying the spirit of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, they introduced the Social Business model, which departs from traditional charity often reliant on perpetual donations to guide young leaders in designing financially independent business entities .
William outlined their core vision, the "Three Zeros": Zero Net Carbon Emissions, Zero Poverty, and Zero Unemployment. He also mentioned why they placed "Zero Net Carbon Emissions" at the forefront. William explained that climate change acts as a "threat multiplier" that exacerbates poverty and threatens the livelihood of the vulnerable, making it a prerequisite for solving the other two goals. Reflecting on the core philosophy, William noted, "Social business is slightly different from social enterprise. The main concept is that you're running a business, but you are also doing something good for your environment and the society." Students learned that the most robust businesses are those capable of funding their own missions, where every profit is reinvested to expand social impact, creating a cycle of sustainability rather than dependence.
PackAge+: Package as a Service
Two young entrepreneurs, Chris Chou from PackAge+ and Ken Huang from Ridey, shared how they solved real-world pain points through digital innovation.
Chris Chou described the inception of PackAge+, born from the concern over 3 billion single-use packages consumed in Taiwan annually. To demonstrate the solution directly during the seminar, Chris brought physical samples of their circular boxes, allowing students to touch and inspect the high-quality, eco-friendly recycled material. By utilizing these durable materials, they create a circular logistics system integrated with digital data for major corporations.
Chris Chou described the inception of PackAge+, born from the concern over 3 billion single-use packages consumed in Taiwan annually. With their "Package as a Service" model, they create a circular logistics system integrated with digital data for major corporations. Chris candidly shared the "ups and downs" of their early days, including a time when 80% of their packaging was lost due to errors in warehouse SOPs. From this, they learned that innovation is an iterative process, "We had gone through some of the challenges in the 1st year and 2nd year...We have to observe the local habits." By strengthening their backend systems and user education, they ensure every package keeps circulating, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 50%.
Ridey: Carpooling Platform
Moving forward to the innovation of Ridey, one of the biggest carpooling platforms in Taiwan, the company stands as a beacon of creative disruption in the transport sector. By leveraging the power of the sharing economy, Ridey offers a highly creative solution to the inefficiencies of traditional travel. Founder Ken shared his ambitious struggle to democratize access to long-distance transportation for cost-sensitive travelers.
By optimizing empty seats in private vehicles, they successfully transformed expensive travel options such as a 9,600 NTD taxi fare into a sustainable 500 NTD carpooling trip. Ken emphasized that Ridey's innovation isn't just about app code, but about building an "ecosystem of trust" through a robust digital verification system. He was open about the early challenges of balancing user growth with safety, explaining the necessity of their evolution, he said, "I'm very careful about the security... we switch to this kind of function (two-stage certification) to attract more users. Innovators must constantly improve their systems based on user feedback to ensure the solutions remain safe.”
Intellectual Dialogue in an Interactive Session
One of the most engaging moments was the Q&A session. The enthusiasm of international students hailing from France, Germany, Belgium, Rwanda, Peru, and beyond was evident as they dug deeper into the challenges of business expansion.
Students critically questioned how companies strategize when facing different consumer habits in countries where environmental awareness is not yet as high as in Taiwan. Chris Chou responded that being an innovator means being prepared to observe and educate the local market, rather than simply replicating a business model that was successful elsewhere.
Becoming Agents of Change
The seminar concluded with a call to action for students to become "3ZERO Doers" who use their creativity to reach the "Three Zeros" vision (Zero Net Carbon, Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment). With the spirit imparted by Prof. Alicia Say’s class and the inspiration from these young practitioners, the students are now equipped to submit their business ideas to the 6th Taiwan Yunus Social Business Innovation Award, ready to bring real change from Taiwan to the world.
TAIPEI, TAIWAN (April 15, 2026) – How can we transform social crises into sustainable business opportunities? This fundamental question set the stage for the "Seminar on Sustainable Innovation: Innovate Sustainably, Shape Tomorrow," held at National Chengchi University (NCCU). As part of the Innovation Management and Digital Transformation course, led by Prof. Alicia Say, this seminar bridges academia and industry by connecting students with Taiwan’s most innovative young leaders. By engaging directly with these pioneers, students learn to navigate real-world challenges and market-proven adaptation strategies. The design of this course structure empowers NCCU’s students to move beyond theory, transforming them into future global leaders capable of translating Taiwan’s sustainable business models into actionable solutions for their own home countries.
The seminar brought together more than 40 students from 18 different countries in a highly dynamic learning ecosystem. They did not merely study strategy; they explored how three pioneering entities run businesses orienting toward the future of our planet.
Sowing the Seeds of Change with the Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwan
The session opened with representatives from the Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwan William Chiu. Carrying the spirit of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, they introduced the Social Business model, which departs from traditional charity often reliant on perpetual donations to guide young leaders in designing financially independent business entities .
William outlined their core vision, the "Three Zeros": Zero Net Carbon Emissions, Zero Poverty, and Zero Unemployment. He also mentioned why they placed "Zero Net Carbon Emissions" at the forefront. William explained that climate change acts as a "threat multiplier" that exacerbates poverty and threatens the livelihood of the vulnerable, making it a prerequisite for solving the other two goals. Reflecting on the core philosophy, William noted, "Social business is slightly different from social enterprise. The main concept is that you're running a business, but you are also doing something good for your environment and the society." Students learned that the most robust businesses are those capable of funding their own missions, where every profit is reinvested to expand social impact, creating a cycle of sustainability rather than dependence.
PackAge+: Package as a Service
Two young entrepreneurs, Chris Chou from PackAge+ and Ken Huang from Ridey, shared how they solved real-world pain points through digital innovation.
Chris Chou described the inception of PackAge+, born from the concern over 3 billion single-use packages consumed in Taiwan annually. To demonstrate the solution directly during the seminar, Chris brought physical samples of their circular boxes, allowing students to touch and inspect the high-quality, eco-friendly recycled material. By utilizing these durable materials, they create a circular logistics system integrated with digital data for major corporations.
Chris Chou described the inception of PackAge+, born from the concern over 3 billion single-use packages consumed in Taiwan annually. With their "Package as a Service" model, they create a circular logistics system integrated with digital data for major corporations. Chris candidly shared the "ups and downs" of their early days, including a time when 80% of their packaging was lost due to errors in warehouse SOPs. From this, they learned that innovation is an iterative process, "We had gone through some of the challenges in the 1st year and 2nd year...We have to observe the local habits." By strengthening their backend systems and user education, they ensure every package keeps circulating, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 50%.
Ridey: Carpooling Platform
Moving forward to the innovation of Ridey, one of the biggest carpooling platforms in Taiwan, the company stands as a beacon of creative disruption in the transport sector. By leveraging the power of the sharing economy, Ridey offers a highly creative solution to the inefficiencies of traditional travel. Founder Ken shared his ambitious struggle to democratize access to long-distance transportation for cost-sensitive travelers.
By optimizing empty seats in private vehicles, they successfully transformed expensive travel options such as a 9,600 NTD taxi fare into a sustainable 500 NTD carpooling trip. Ken emphasized that Ridey's innovation isn't just about app code, but about building an "ecosystem of trust" through a robust digital verification system. He was open about the early challenges of balancing user growth with safety, explaining the necessity of their evolution, he said, "I'm very careful about the security... we switch to this kind of function (two-stage certification) to attract more users. Innovators must constantly improve their systems based on user feedback to ensure the solutions remain safe.”
Intellectual Dialogue in an Interactive Session
One of the most engaging moments was the Q&A session. The enthusiasm of international students hailing from France, Germany, Belgium, Rwanda, Peru, and beyond was evident as they dug deeper into the challenges of business expansion.
Students critically questioned how companies strategize when facing different consumer habits in countries where environmental awareness is not yet as high as in Taiwan. Chris Chou responded that being an innovator means being prepared to observe and educate the local market, rather than simply replicating a business model that was successful elsewhere.
Becoming Agents of Change
The seminar concluded with a call to action for students to become "3ZERO Doers" who use their creativity to reach the "Three Zeros" vision (Zero Net Carbon, Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment). With the spirit imparted by Prof. Alicia Say’s class and the inspiration from these young practitioners, the students are now equipped to submit their business ideas to the 6th Taiwan Yunus Social Business Innovation Award, ready to bring real change from Taiwan to the world.