NTHU Delegation Forges Ties in the US
2022.12.22
NTHU president W. John Kao (高為元) recently led a delegation to the United States (US), which visited various government agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF). The delegation also visited a number of prestigious universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA, and held four informational seminars about National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan. Kao said that the US government has recently launched the Chips and Science Act, the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, and the Taiwan Fellowship Act, indicating a significant restructuring in geopolitics as well as the global industrial chain and opening an unprecedented window of opportunity for academic and research exchanges between Taiwan and the US.
The delegation set out on December 1 and over the next ten days visited Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington DC, and New York. The trip happened to take place between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays in the United States, which meant that making arrangements was not easy. However, Kao emphasized that it was worth making the extra effort and braving the cold, since “This is a big opportunity for Taiwan, one which we can’t afford to miss out on.”
The Chips and Science Act was signed into law by US President Biden in August of 2022. In September of 2022, the NSF joined forces with Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council in launching the Advanced Chip Engineering Design and Fabrication (ACED Fab) Program, and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company announced that it is building a huge chip plant in Arizona. Kao said that the US government is keen on stimulating investment in the development and manufacture of semiconductors, and that research universities and related companies are also mobilizing their resources in an effort to gain an edge in this critical market.
In addition to providing US$52.7 billion in subsidies to the US chip manufacturing industry, the Chips and Science Act also earmarks US$200 billion for related research over the next ten years, in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computers. The Act also authorizes the establishment of 20 regional technology centers for coordinating technological innovation at universities and manufacturers.
Kao said that the purpose of the delegation to the United States was to establish mutual trust and win-win cooperation in research and education with universities and government agencies. It was timed to coincide with the allocation of resources by the various agencies in charge of implementing the provisions of the Act.
President Biden described the Act as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in America. Kao said that Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has top-notch process technology and a complete supply chain, while the United States has an advantage in software design, making for a win-win opportunity.
Together with College of Semiconductor Research assistant dean Lai Chih-huang, Kao visited the NSF, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US State Department, among other government agencies. The NIST expressed interest in cooperating with NTHU in education and in establishing an exchange mechanism for key laboratories.
The NSF has appointed Professor Hsu Shuo-hung of the Institute of Electronics Engineering and Professor Tang Kea-tiong of the Department of Electrical Engineering to join the ACED Fab Program, and is encouraging NTHU to partner with American universities to jointly apply for the Foundation's International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program.
The NTHU delegation was the first such visit by a Taiwanese school to UC Berkeley since the Covid-19 pandemic began nearly three years ago. The delegation was given a warm welcome by UC Berkeley vice president Lisa Alvarez-Cohen. UC Berkeley proposed seeking corporate sponsorship for setting up an international platform at NTHU for promoting multilateral cooperation in technology, trade, geopolitics, and language training. College of Engineering dean Tsu-Jae King Liu (劉金智潔) suggested that the two universities jointly establish a semiconductor research team.
UCLA president Gene Block pointed out that the two schools already have a long history of cooperation, and that many UCLA alumni have taught at NTHU and vice versa. He is in favor of expanding exchange student opportunities between the two universities in fields such as semiconductors.
The delegation also visited the University of Maryland near Washington, D.C., and was personally received by its president, Darryll Pines. He knows Taiwan very well. When he was the dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, he visited Taiwan every year for seven consecutive years. The quantum research program at the University of Maryland, which is one of the best in the nation, is interested in cooperating with NTHU. Pines suggested establishing a strategic partnership platform for facilitating comprehensive cooperation in research and education.
Kao said that the government of New York state is building a semiconductor park in Albany and a feasibility study is currently underway for establishing a national semiconductor technology center in the state, indicating that in the next few years New York may very well become an important state for the development of semiconductors. For this reason, strengthening cooperation with universities in this area is now a high priority for NTHU.
The delegation's last stop was the Thomas J. Watson Research Center, IBM Research Division in Yorktown Heights, New York, where vice president of science and technology Tze-chiang Chen (陳自強) personally gave a guided tour of the Center’s ultra-efficient quantum computer.
During four informational seminars, the delegation explored possibilities for cooperation with US universities and research institutes in areas such as Chinese language education, general education, and biomedicine.
Kao had a special word of thanks for all the NTHU alumni in the US who assisted in arranging the delegation’s itinerary. He also thanked the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their support. Having spent much of his youth overseas, Kao is well aware of the importance of enhancing Taiwan's visibility on the international stage.
UC Berkeley vice president Lisa Alvarez-Cohen (third from left) welcoming the NTHU delegation.
NTHU delegation members Kao (center), Alumni Service Center director Ming-yen Lu (呂明諺) (left), and special assistant to the president Chia-Yu Huang (黃嘉瑜).
Press conference at NTHU.
Kao sharing the achievements of the NTHU delegation to the US.
The NTHU delegation at the NSF.
The NTHU delegation at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US State Department.
The NTHU delegation at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The NTHU delegation at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The NTHU delegation at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York, where vice president of science and technology Tze-chiang Chen (fifth from left) personally gave a guided tour of the Center’s ultra-efficient quantum computer.
Kao (fourth from right) and Lai (third from left) heading the NTHU delegation at UCLA.
Kao (right) presenting UC Berkeley College of Engineering dean Tsu-Jae King Liu (劉金智潔) with an NTHU souvenir.
NTHU president Kao (right) with University of Maryland president Darryll Pines.
Press conference at NTHU.
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