Iman Adipurnam, from Bandung, Indonesia, came to Taiwan Tech in 2012 to do his Master’s degree in Material Sciences. He was offered a PhD-scholarship subsequently, and completed his doctorate within four years. Iman decided to continue his career in academia, and is now Assistant Professor in the International Advanced Technology Program, an all-English taught undergraduate program. Iman lives in Taipei with his wife and his baby daughter. 

Why did you choose to pursue your education in Taiwan?

 Actually, when I graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Taiwan was not on the map. Most of my classmates were thinking about going to Japan or Korea, I had planned to do my Master’s at home. But, then in 2012, there were some information sessions about studying at Taiwan Tech, my professors encouraged me , and I was offered a scholarship. So, I gave it a try.

 

Which chances does Taiwan offer in your field?

 I really like the research environment at Taiwan Tech. The cooperation between university and industry works well, the transfer of knowledge, the safeguarding of intellectual property rights, the sharing of profits etc. Also, it is relatively easy and straight-forward to apply for funding. Much less bureaucratic than in my own country.

 

Do you think that Taiwan Tech offers a Muslim-friendly environment? 

 Compared to 2012, when I arrived in Taiwan, things have improved a lot. Taiwan in general has become much more Muslim-friendly. That might be partly due to the New Southbound Policy of the Taiwan government. But also Taiwan Tech has made big efforts, for example the Halal food stall in the cafeteria or the toilets with the ablution facilities. Also, I had developed an App “Halal.tw” with a few friends which shows Halal restaurants all over Taiwan. We received support from the Office of International Affairs, and our App even won the first prize in a competition held by the NTUST Business Incubation Center (BIC) which allowed us to join its incubation program.

 

You are teaching in the new International Advanced Technology Program which specifially caters to international students. What are the challenges in this program?

 As it is a new program and an interdisciplinary program, we are still discussing and fine-tuning the curriculum. International students need more guidance during their studies and for entering work life after graduation. Also, learning Chinese is quite important if they wish to work in Taiwan in the future.    

 

Are you planning to stay in Taiwan or would you return to Indonesia in the future?

 The future is always difficult to predict, but I guess that I will return to Indonesia at some point in the future to help building my own country. But this does not mean that I would give up on Taiwan, I will definitely always maintain strong ties with Taiwan Tech.