The Ministry of Education has approved NYCU’s establishment of the first Institute of Industry–University Innovation in Taiwan. Through industry–university cocreation, NYCU shall jointly cultivate next-generation high-level semiconductor research and development talents with seven major high-tech companies including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and MediaTek.
NYCU has played a major role in cultivating talents in the Taiwanese semiconductor industry, founding a steady root for the industry and facilitating the industrial and economic miracle in Taiwan. However, the qualification gap between academia and industries has surfaced in the technological development in Taiwan today.
According to President Chi-hong Lin, after the semiconductor industry development has reached its limits, a new generation of basic scientific research and development is required to push the technology further into the next generation. Recently, President Lin has paid close attention to the promotion of the Statute for Industry–University Collaboration and Talent Cultivation and Innovation in Major National Industries and participated in the legislative council. After the statute was passed, President Lin completed the proposal within the shortest time and submitted it to the central authority for review, forming the first semiconductor academy in Taiwan. President Lin expressed his realization that cultivating the next-generation talents for the Taiwanese industries is pivotal and urgent, and he plans to promote industry–government–university–research cocreation in the future.
According to President Lin, industry–university cocreation involves establishing a cycle of continuing progress through redefining the interaction between academic and industries, similar to the concept of “teach, learn, train, and use” in medicine. After the merging of NYMU and NCTU, medicine has been integrated with technology. Industry–university cocreation involves incorporating the concept of “teach, learn, train, and use” in industries and effectively incorporating industrial workforces in the cycle of talent cultivation.
Vice President Yung-fu Chen added that industry–university cooperation used to be one-sided, with industries funding the professor in executing projects without substantial interactions between both sides. Today, industry–university cocreation is reciprocal; in addition to funding university projects, industries research with universities and have professionals teach in universities to share knowledge and facilitate technology transfer, establishing a long-term collaborative relationship. The Institute of Industry–University Innovation is founded on the spirits of industry–university cocreation, talent cultivation, applying learning to practice, and remembering one’s benefactors, establishing a cycle of industry–university innovation. The industry–university innovation project has been met with substantial affirmation by industries. The seven major high-tech companies, namely Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., MediaTek, Novatek, Hon Hai Precision Industry, Wistron, and Advantech, will collaborate with NYCU in cultivating high-level semiconductor research and development talents.
As an institute with multiple departments, the Institute of Industry–University Innovation will begin enrolling students in the 2020–2021 academic year and contain the Institute of Prospective Semiconductors and Institute of Smart Systems. The Institute of Prospective Semiconductors cultivates high-level industrial talents in prospective designs, manufacturing processes, packaging, and material systems; and accept 60 and 15 students for its master and doctoral programs each year, respectively. The Institute of Smart Systems focuses on developing professional talents with integrated specialties across key domains to enable the advancement of national industries; and admit 40 and 10 students for its master and doctoral programs each year, respectively.
Chinese version: https://www.nycu.edu.tw/news/2250/