July 13, 2023

Paraguay's President-elect Santiago Peña of Paraguay, accompanied with his wife Mrs. Leticia Ocampo and an 11-member delegation, made a memorable visit to our campus as part of their Taiwan tour before assuming office on August 15th this year.

The visit offered an opportunity for Taiwan Tech President Yen Jia-Yush to showcase the achievements of the Taiwan-Paraguay Science and Technology University Project (UPTP) over the past five years, describing it as a true success story. Taiwan Tech's involvement includes curriculum design, the establishment of teaching laboratories, and the deployment of "Flying Faculty" to Paraguay. Since 2019, UPTP admitted 514 students, with the first group of 72 students successfully completing their studies by the end of 2022 and starting their careers in Paraguay. Some of the graduates are planning to pursue master's degrees abroad, with one of them already accepted into the Taiwan Tech Mechanical Engineering Master's program, starting this fall semester.

President-elect Santiago Peña with Paraguayan students taking selfies

Mrs. Leticia Ocampo, the First Lady-elect, discussing the preservation of historical buildings with Professor Wang Hui-Jun, Department of Architecture

As part of the UPTP program, students have the opportunity to spend 1.5 years at Taiwan Tech, gaining valuable experience and participating in internships. 16 UPTP students are currently interning at prominent Taiwanese engineering companies. The Chinese Engineering Consultants Foundation has generously sponsored corporate seminars and arranged field visits for Paraguayan students, fostering engineering talents in Central and South America.
Yeh Ying-Jung, Dean of the Office of International Affairs, added, "The UTPT students bring a vibrant South American passion and energy to our campus. And when it comes to football matches, they are unbeatable!"

In his speech, President-elect Peña expressed deep gratitude and appreciation for Taiwan Tech's contributions and expressed his desire for Paraguay to learn from Taiwan's economic development, education system, and the spirit of its people. Mr. Peña also had the opportunity to connect with UPTP students at Taiwan Tech, engaging in meaningful conversations about their experiences in Taiwan. Paraguay's youthful, approachable future president showed genuine concern for the students' academic progress and lives, creating a relaxed and joyful atmosphere as they took selfies together and captured the visit in a group photo.

A special program was arranged for the First Lady-elect, Mrs. Leticia Ocampo, who has a background in architecture. Taiwan Tech organized an enlightening exchange with Professor Wang Hui-Jun from the Department of Architecture, known for their extensive expertise in the preservation of historical buildings.

The Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University (Universidad Politécnica Taiwán Paraguay (UPTP) is a collaborative initiative between Taiwan Tech, the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs ,and the Paraguayan government. Located in Paraguay's capital city, Asunción, UPTP offers four departments: Electromechanical Engineering, Information Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Industrial Engineering. The program challenges students to complete approximately 4,300 hours of study within four years, including a 1.5-year exchange program in Taiwan. Students also have the opportunity to visit companies and infrastructure projects in Taiwan and attend guest lectures by industry professionals, providing a comprehensive educational experience.