NCKU Semiconductor Academy Leads Taiwan-Europe Collaboration — 2025 International Semiconductor Training Program Launched-國立成功大學永續發展SDGs

The Academy of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) has once again partnered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to host the third edition of the Taiwan-Europe Semiconductor Short-term Training Program. This year, 32 outstanding science and engineering students from six Central and Eastern European partner countries—the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Romania, Lithuania, and Slovakia—have come to Taiwan to participate in a one-week intensive course in chip design held at NCKU.


The opening ceremony on June 30, 2025, was chaired by Professor Ming-Chi Mitch Chou, Vice Dean of the NCKU Semiconductor Academy. Associate Vice President for International Affairs, Shu-Jung Hu, also attended and extended a warm welcome to the international participants on behalf of the university. Slovak Representative to Taiwan, Martin Hobno, was present to personally meet with the six Slovak participants and other international students. In his address, Associate Vice President Hu emphasized that NCKU, as one of Taiwan’s top-tier universities, remains committed to innovation in education and key technologies, striving to expand Taiwan’s global visibility and impact. Representative Hobno greeted each Slovak student individually and praised the city of Tainan as a beautiful and welcoming place, sharing that he has visited many times over the past three years. He expressed hopes that the students would benefit greatly from this academic exchange. David Steinke, Czech Representative to Taiwan, and Marco Lombardi, Italian Representative to Taiwan, also joined the ceremony virtually. They applauded Taiwan as the ideal destination for semiconductor training and encouraged students to enjoy Tainan’s famous local cuisine and, if time permits, visit Taipei 101.


Since its establishment in 2021, the NCKU Academy of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing has actively promoted international education. It organizes annual English-language summer programs, inviting students from around the world to study and engage in academic exchange. These efforts showcase Taiwan’s technological leadership in semiconductors while enriching global learning experiences. Vice Dean Ming-Chi Chou noted that this is the second time NCKU has been entrusted with organizing the MOFA-backed Taiwan-Europe Semiconductor Short-term Training Program. This year’s training focuses on emerging trends and future directions in semiconductor technology and IC design, highlighting NCKU’s vital role in international science and technology cooperation. He expressed hope that through such programs, Taiwan can deepen its technological, educational, and economic partnerships with friendly countries, while also fulfilling the founding mission of the Semiconductor Academy and NCKU’s broader social responsibility.


This semester’s program is also aligned with the Taiwan–Lithuania Semiconductor Talent And Research Scholarship Program (STAR Program), launched concurrently by MOFA. A visiting team from Lithuania participated in the program, coordinated by Director Shu-Fen Tseng of Taiwan’s Science and Technology Division in Lithuania. The group consists of 24 faculty and students from two leading Lithuanian institutions: the Faculty of Physics at Vilnius University (VU) and the Faculty of Electronics at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH). They expressed high praise for NCKU’s research and teaching in the semiconductor field and chose to join the STAR Program to pursue further learning and exchange. These Lithuanian students will join the “Analog Chip Design” course on July 2, participating in both lectures and discussions. The program fosters cross-institutional, cross-national, and cross-program interaction, encouraging deep academic exchange and knowledge-sharing while laying a stronger foundation for future Taiwan-Europe collaboration.


The curriculum was planned by Professor Lih-Yih Chiou, Director of the Program on Integrated Circuit Design at NCKU. He emphasized that Taiwan is one of the few places in the world with a complete and highly integrated semiconductor supply chain, encompassing wafer fabrication, IC design, packaging and testing, equipment, and materials. Through this program, participants will gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s industrial ecosystem and technological strengths. The course also includes a site visit to Himax Technologies, an NCKU industry partner and a global leader in display driver ICs and timing controllers (TCONs), providing trainees with insights into real-world semiconductor R&D practices.


This training program is not merely focused on short-term skills acquisition. It also seeks to cultivate a new generation of semiconductor professionals equipped with technical expertise, international perspective, and intercultural communication skills. The program offers visiting students direct exposure to Taiwan’s industrial strengths while expanding their academic and career horizons. Through mutual exchange and training collaboration, the program contributes to building a resilient and complementary international talent network in the semiconductor sector.


This year’s participants include graduate students and senior undergraduates majoring in electrical engineering, electronics, optoelectronics, and communications from 12 universities and research institutions across six countries. These institutions include the Czech Technical University in Prague, Brno University of Technology, AGH University of Krakow, Warsaw University of Technology, Politecnico di Milano, University of Bologna, University of Pavia, Slovak University of Technology, University of Zilina, Babes-Bolyai University, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.
Following the one-week course at NCKU, students will continue with professional hands-on training in chip design or process engineering at the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute’s headquarters in Hsinchu and Tainan. This summer, young researchers and future innovators from Taiwan’s Central and Eastern European partner countries are once again leaving their mark on Taiwan—writing a new chapter in international semiconductor collaboration.