The President of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), Chi-Hung Lin, traveled to Silicon Valley in Northern California in March to recruit talented graduates, hoping that graduates who study in the United States can return to Taiwan after graduation and contribute their technological skills to the semiconductor industry.
Talent Shortage Crisis: Aging Faculty in Taiwanese Universities Threatens Industry Competitiveness
The technology sector in Taiwan is currently grappling with a shortage of skilled professionals and an aging faculty in local universities. At NYCU, for example, more than half of the faculty members are over 50 years old. Despite this, there is a high demand for young and middle-aged talent in the technology sector, but the continuous downsizing of higher education could adversely affect the competitiveness of both higher education and industry.
For this reason, President Lin, Senior Vice President Chen-Yi Lee, and Chief Innovation Officer Ching-Yao Huang went to the United States recently and visited Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, with more than 40 Taiwanese students studying advanced there. During the visit, they shared the current “Chips Innovation Plan” promoted by the government.
We hope that this group of Taiwanese talents can return to their homeland like salmon, injecting new vitality into Taiwan’s technology and higher education.
-President of NYCU Chi-Hung Lin
Mong-Hsun Tsai, the head of the Science and Technology Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, also highlighted the National Science Council is promoting the 2030 Cross-Generational Young Scholars Program and the pilot project for foreign high-level talents to come to Taiwan for internships. The Ministry of Education also has the Yushan Scholar Program, hoping to attract overseas scholars to return to Taiwan.
Nurturing Taiwan’s Talent Pool: Bridging Generational Gaps in Academia and Semiconductor Industry Growth
“We hope our generation can pass the baton to the young people,” said President Lin. In the 1990s, Taiwan expanded the higher education system, he returned to teach in Taiwan during that time. However, the number of returning students after studying abroad has seen a gradual decline since the turn of the new millennium. Additionally, many scholars who returned in the 1990s have now reached retirement age without a new generation workforce to take over. The current generation of young people possesses immense talent and creativity, and the present moment is critical for Taiwan.
It is, therefore, imperative that we promote the return of scholars to help sustain and advance Taiwan’s advantages.
-President of NYCU Chi-Hung Lin
According to Senior Vice President Lee, NYCU has received significant support from TSMC this year, which has enabled the establishment of a Department of Semiconductor Engineering. The department will not only train undergraduate students in basic professional skills but will also connect with subsequent graduate education, providing high-level R&D and leadership talents needed for the development of the semiconductor technology industry. Moreover, through academic exchange platforms that align with international standards and the injection of industry resources, it jointly cultivates diverse talents for the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing with world-renowned universities.
NYCU’s recent trip to the United States was primarily to attend the inaugural meeting of the Northern California Alumni Association of NYCU. In addition, special arrangements were made for discussions with students from two schools in the Bay Area and visits to local enterprises, hoping to enrich Taiwan’s talent pool.
