The “2026 Taiwan Tech Materials Science Summer Camp”, organized by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Taiwan Tech, officially got underway. Breaking away from the traditional camp format, this year’s program introduced “cross-sector industry-academia collaboration” for the first time. During the first three days, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Taiwan Tech provided comprehensive courses in materials science. On the fourth day, the department joined forces with international semiconductor industry leaders Micron Technology Taiwan, Merck Taiwan, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and Taichung Hou-Zong Senior High School to jointly organize the one-day science hands-on workshop “2026 Going Tech Summer Camp”, creating an enriching learning experience for high school and vocational high school students from across Taiwan that combines theory, practical experience, and cutting-edge technology.

The core highlight of this year’s camp focused on the key applications of materials science in the semiconductor industry. Merck Taiwan, a company with more than 350 years of history and a significant role in the semiconductor materials sector, brought its extensive expertise in inorganic and organic materials. Micron Technology Taiwan, a global memory industry leader, provided accessible explanations of inorganic materials, semiconductor process concepts, and the latest memory technologies. Particularly noteworthy was Micron Technology Taiwan’s introduction of “Future Semiconductor Applications of VR (Virtual Reality) and AI (Artificial Intelligence)”, allowing participants to experience the impact of future technologies through immersive experiences.

Micron Technology Taiwan introduced VR and AI technologies during the camp, providing high school and vocational high school participants with an immersive experience of future semiconductor applications.

Professor Cheng-Hao Wang, Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Associate Dean of the College of Engineering at Taiwan Tech, said, “This camp is not simply about transferring knowledge; it is also an attempt to break down barriers. Through collaboration with Micron, Merck, and SWE, we have successfully connected the resources of leading companies directly with high school, vocational high school, and university education, giving students an international perspective from the very beginning of their journey in materials science.”

The “2026 Taiwan Tech Materials Science Summer Camp” not only attracted outstanding high school and vocational high school students from across Taiwan, but also fully embodied the spirit of “teaching and learning from one another” and social engagement. Rather than following conventional approaches, the workshop materials were jointly developed by undergraduate and graduate students from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Taiwan Tech together with faculty members from the department. The team also held regular intensive cross-sector meetings with the Micron Technology Taiwan and Merck Taiwan teams to carefully refine hands-on activities best suited to high school and vocational high school students.

Faculty members and students from Taiwan Tech’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering collaborate with industry partners to develop teaching materials, putting the spirit of mutual learning and social engagement into practice.

In addition to exciting company visits and demonstrations of the latest technologies, the program featured a “semiconductor hands-on simulation”, allowing participants to conduct scientific experiments themselves. The organizers also arranged a special networking and interview session that brought together “high school and vocational high school students, university students, graduate students, and leading engineers” for in-depth cross-generational and cross-level dialogue. For Taiwan Tech undergraduate and graduate students, this was a valuable opportunity to transform their academic knowledge into social impact, putting the University Social Responsibility (USR) initiative into practice.

Participants conduct a “semiconductor hands-on simulation” during the workshop, gaining firsthand experience with scientific experiments.

This year’s camp was organized by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Taiwan Tech. Industry partners included Micron Technology Taiwan Co., Ltd., Merck Taiwan Co., Ltd., and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). The event was co-organized by the Central Region Executive Office of the Ministry of Education’s Industry-Academia Talent Cultivation Platform, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, and FreEntity Co., Ltd. Together, these partners demonstrated the strength of Taiwan’s semiconductor talent-development ecosystem. With strong support from all participating organizations, the event concluded successfully.

Taiwan Tech Materials Science Summer Camp joins forces with Micron, Merck, SWE, and Hou-Zong Senior High School to organize the one-day science hands-on workshop “2026 Going Tech Summer Camp”.

Several prominent representatives from industry and academia also attended the event in person, including Lian-Bin Zhong, former Vice President of Front-End Wafer Manufacturing and Operations at Micron Technology Taiwan; Su-Ling Liu, Chief Human Resources Officer at Micron Technology Taiwan and Senior Director for North Asia; Dr. John Lee, Chairman of Merck Taiwan Group; Professor Cheng-Hao Wang, Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Associate Dean of the College of Engineering at Taiwan Tech; and Yu-Te Wang, Principal of Hou-Zong Senior High School. The guests highly commended the far-reaching significance of this cross-sector collaboration in laying a strong foundation for the development of Taiwan’s future technology talent.

Industry and academic representatives take a group photo. From left: Dr. John Lee, Chairman of Merck Taiwan Group; Lian-Bin Zhong, former Vice President of Front-End Wafer Manufacturing and Operations at Micron Technology Taiwan; Yu-Te Wang, Principal of Hou-Zong Senior High School; and Professor Cheng-Hao Wang, Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Associate Dean of the College of Engineering at Taiwan Tech.

With the rapid development of AI and the semiconductor industry, talent development can no longer be limited to classroom learning; it must also incorporate industry practice and interdisciplinary skills. Taiwan Tech has long cultivated expertise in key technological fields such as materials science, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing. Through industry-academia collaboration, hands-on education, and interdisciplinary talent development, the university continues to bridge the gap between academic research and industry needs. By combining international corporate resources with the university’s educational expertise, this year’s Materials Science Summer Camp enabled high school and vocational high school students to gain early exposure to the latest developments in the semiconductor industry. The program aims to inspire more young students to pursue materials science and engineering and contribute to cultivating more globally competitive technology talent for Taiwan.