TUD Rector Prof. Ursula Staudinger and Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow send off first students to Taiwan as part of the Semiconductor Talent Incubation Program

Less than six months after the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Free State of Saxony, TUD Dresden University of Technology, and Taiwan semiconductor company TSMC, the first students from Saxony are embarking on a six-month study trip to Taiwan as part of the innovative Semiconductor Talent Incubation Program (STIPT). Under STIPT, the Free State of Saxony, TUD, and TSMC will work closely together to prepare STEM students for careers as highly skilled professionals in the semiconductor industry. As part of their studies, the students will complete a semester with teaching on the semiconductor industry at the National Taiwan University (Taipei), combined with practical training at the Newcomer Training Center & Fab at TSMC (Taichung).

More than 120 students applied for the study trip, of which 30 were selected for the first trip – including Justin Bürger, Philipp Freytag and Fabian Hecker from the Faculty of Computer Science.

Justin Bürger is looking forward to the semester in Taiwan: "For me, the Semiconductor Talent Incubator Program is a unique opportunity. Not only does it allow us participants to get to know one of the most important industries of the 21st century - at the most important chip manufacturer in the world - but also to discover a new country. I would like to thank all the organizers for putting this program together in such a short time."

Students who are interested in the program started submitting applications to TU Dresden in the fourth quarter of 2023. The university selected the most promising applications based on merit. The selected students then attended orientation courses including language courses and intercultural skills training (online).

"I hope that the semester abroad in Taiwan will give me a deep insight into the theory, but also into the practice of semiconductor development and production. NTU as the most renowned Taiwanese university and TSMC as the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer are ideal for this," says Fabian Hecker. "Furthermore, life in Taiwan will certainly leave a lasting positive impression and leave a lifelong mark."

Philipp Freytag is also looking forward to the STIP: "I'm really looking forward to the practical training at TSMC and the hands-on experience, for example in the individual process steps or the analysis methods in quality control. I'm also looking forward to the courses on artificial intelligence and machine learning at the National Taiwan University."

The four-month academic program at the National Taiwan University (NTU), the program's partner university in Taipei, begins in March. After that, the students will spend time gaining practical work experience at TSMC's Newcomer Training Center in a factory in Taichung.
All students will be in regular contact with the Saxon Science Liaison Office in Taipei during their study visit, which will ensure that their stay in Taiwan runs smoothly.
After their return, the students continue their studies in Saxony.

When sending off the students, Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow said: “I am delighted that we have been able to launch the program so quickly. In response to the urgent need for specialists in the semiconductor industry here in Saxony, we are breaking new ground in a close partnership between scientific institutions, with TSMC and also between the Free State of Saxony and Taiwan. You are the first to embark on this journey, paving the way for all those who will follow in your footsteps in the future. I would like to thank TU Dresden and all our partners involved for the highly professional organization of this program. I wish the students every success, many valuable insights for their studies and a lot of fun discovering the country, its people and culture.”