Besides being offered a full scholarship, the 28-year-old said he would benefit from exposure to cutting-edge semiconductor research and development.
Taiwan hopes to welcome more people like Mr Vinh as it steps up efforts to attract international students – especially those from South-east Asia – to make up for its shrinking university enrolment numbers amid a falling birth rate. “The need for skilled workers continues to grow as the demand for chips has increased. But Taiwan could face delays in chip production and innovation if the sector does not meet its workforce demand,” said Ms Zoey Hsu, a Taipei-based semiconductor expert at tech research firm Counterpoint Research.
This is also in line with the government’s New Southbound Policy , introduced in 2016 by then President Tsai Ing-wen, which seeks to deepen engagement with 18 countries in South-east Asia, South Asia and Australasia while reducing its reliance on China. Out of the 116,038 international students enrolled in the 2023 school year, 71,012 were from NSP countries, with the majority from Vietnam , followed by Indonesia and Malaysia .
“When these students come to Taiwan to study, they’ll have a positive impact on both schools and industry. After a period of time of working in Taiwan, they’ll also have the opportunity to transfer what they have learnt to their home countries,” Prof Lai told ST. Still, staying in Taiwan for the foreseeable future “makes more sense” than going home. “Vietnam’s semiconductor industry is not developed yet. Taiwan is the best place to gain experience in the sector,” he said.