Sonam Wangchuk is indeed a highly respected educationist, environmentalist, and innovator in India. He gained international recognition when he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2018 for his exceptional contributions.

As the founder of the Student's Educational & Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), Sonam Wangchuk has been dedicated to bringing reforms to the government school system in Ladakh. He played a crucial role in the launch of Operation New Hope in 1994, which aimed to improve the quality of education in government schools. The initiative involved collaboration between the government, village communities, and civil society, focusing on training teachers, establishing Village Education Committees, and developing localized textbooks for Ladakh. These efforts led to a significant increase in the pass percentage of 10th-grade students, from a mere 5% to 55% within seven years.

Recognizing the challenges faced by students who failed their state exams, Sonam Wangchuk founded the SECMOL Alternative School Campus near Leh. The school adopts a unique admission criteria where failure in exams, rather than grades, is the basis for admission. Through a supportive and creative environment, the school has witnessed students who were initially considered failures excel in their chosen fields and achieve international acclaim as entrepreneurs, filmmakers, politicians, teachers, and more.

Sonam Wangchuk, an engineer by profession, has been teaching innovation at the SECMOL Alternative School. Together with his students, he has designed and built solar-heated buildings using low-cost, earth/mud materials that maintain a temperature of +15°C even in Ladakh's extreme winter conditions, where temperatures can drop to -25°C.

To address the water crisis resulting from climate change and melting glaciers in mountain regions, Sonam Wangchuk invented the Ice Stupa, an artificial glacier. This innovative solution involves storing wasting stream waters in the form of giant ice cones or stupas during winter and releasing the water in late spring as the ice melts, precisely when farmers need water.

The SECMOL Campus, where students, staff, and volunteers live, work, and learn together, is an eco-village that promotes practical, environmental, social, and traditional knowledge, values, and skills. The campus is powered and heated by solar energy, and students engage in a wide range of activities, including learning Ladakhi songs, dance, history, and modern academic knowledge. They also actively manage and maintain the campus.

Sonam Wangchuk's innovative work extends beyond education and the environment. He has been helping farmers in Ladakh overcome water shortages by harnessing meltwater to create artificial glaciers. With the support of the Rolex Award, he aims to build up to 20 ice stupas, each 30 meters high, and initiate a significant tree-planting program in the desert area near their school once the new water supply system is established.

As a highly respected and dynamic motivational speaker, Sonam Wangchuk has addressed audiences of thousands, spreading practical knowledge and solutions for the world's biggest environmental, educational, and social challenges. He emphasizes the interconnection between education and environmental care and envisions establishing an alternative university in the Himalayan region to engage young people in eco-solutions for mountain areas.

Sonam Wangchuk's motivational talks provide a roadmap for creating a more prosperous business, economy, and world, inspiring individuals and organizations to tackle challenges and contribute to positive change.