Taipei: National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech) signed an agreement with Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) on Wednesday to join a Taiwan-Germany semiconductor talent development program. The partnership will take effect this fall, making Taipei Tech the fourth Taiwanese university to participate in the Semiconductor Talent Incubation Program Taiwan (STIPT), as informed by Josef Goldberger, head of the Saxon Science Liaison Office Taiwan.
According to Focus Taiwan, the program aims to increase the number of German students coming to Taiwan each year, with expectations rising from around 70 to approximately 100 students. The six-month program, detailed on TU Dresden's website, combines semiconductor-related coursework at a Taiwanese university with practical training at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) in Taichung. The program was established to cultivate semiconductor talent needed in Dresden, in conjunction with TSMC's investment in Germany, as stated by German Institute Taipei Director General Karsten Tietz.
German students have shown a growing interest in semiconductors and artificial intelligence as promising career fields. Tietz noted that students in Dresden were among the first to recognize the opportunities created by the TSMC-led plant under construction there. "Taiwan is the world champion in this area," said Tietz, emphasizing the program's appeal to German engineering students who can study on the island and train at TSMC.
TSMC's investment has also increased awareness among German students of Taiwan's expertise in microelectronics and electrical engineering. Goldberger emphasized the importance of learning from Taiwan to be a part of the industry. Taipei Tech was chosen for the program because it offers English-language semiconductor courses at the master's level, maintains strong ties with German academia, and quickly responded to the proposed partnership, Goldberger informed CNA.
Taipei Tech President Jen Yi-Jun highlighted the university's shared focus with its German counterparts on hands-on engineering education and industry-oriented research. This collaboration provides a strong basis for training students to solve real-world industrial problems. Taipei Tech joins National Taiwan University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in STIPT. National Cheng Kung University is set to join in spring 2027, increasing the number of Taiwanese partners to five, as Goldberger mentioned.
Starting this year, Germany's Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space and the Free State of Saxony will fund half of the program's participants. Students selected for the program have their tuition and program fees covered and receive a monthly grant of 700 euros (US$816.5) and a travel allowance of 1,500 euros, according to TU Dresden's website.