Taiwan’s Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (KUST), held an informational meeting at the Taiwan Office in Santa Clara, California on July 8, 2025, to expand its overseas academic affairs and strengthen Taiwan-US academic exchanges.
The visit and exchange activities of KUST to the Western United States this time aimed to showcase the university’s comprehensive strength in technical and vocational education, industry-academic research cooperation, and international layout. The delegation, led by President Yang Qingyu, received support from the Taiwan office in San Francisco.
KUST was established in 2018 through the merger of three technical and vocational education system universities and has since become the largest science and technology university in Taiwan. Vice President Xie Shuling pointed out during the presentation that KUST’s educational goals are to be a think tank for Kaohsiung, an engine for industry, a base for Taiwan’s high-tech development toward the south, and to develop a diverse and integrated university campus.
Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s second-largest city and is home to the largest port in southern Taiwan. The Bashi Channel, one of the busiest shipping routes in the Pacific Ocean, passes through this area. Before the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, this place was also a naval base for the U.S. military.
In 2021, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) set up a chip production base in Kaohsiung. It is reported that TSMC has invested in Kaohsiung, establishing three 3-nanometer chip production plants and the world’s most advanced 2-nanometer chip production plant.
According to Vice President Xie, KUST has a long-term cooperation plan with TSMC. Additionally, KUST has 5 campuses in Taiwan, including 10 different colleges, 57 departments, offering 56 master’s programs and 18 doctoral programs. Currently, there are 26,016 students enrolled, with 826 professional teachers, including 456 foreign students.
Vice President Xie also mentioned that KUST has 4 distinctive research centers: semiconductor packaging and testing, railway technology, advanced material forming technology, and deep-sea sediment research. Furthermore, KUST also owns a 9,680-ton ocean training vessel specifically used to train maritime personnel.
She further stated that since 2011, KUST has been collaborating with the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) in the United States to provide dual-degree programs (3 years + 2 years) for undergraduate and graduate students. Moreover, KUST has formed multinational camps and research collaborations with sister schools in countries such as Germany, Japan, Thailand, and South Korea.
During the informational meeting, it was learned that KUST will also visit San Jose State University during their visit to the Western United States to discuss collaboration on bachelor’s and master’s dual degree programs.
President Yang urged Taiwanese tech talents in the United States to return to Taiwan to teach and contribute to the development of technical and vocational education.
He stated that KUST offers a flexible salary system and comprehensive living benefits, welcoming global talents to jointly build Taiwan’s vision of innovative education.
Furthermore, he encouraged American students to study in Taiwan and enjoy high-quality and economically affordable higher education in Taiwan.
The visiting team from KUST on Tuesday included President Yang Qingyu, Vice President Xie Shuling, Director of International Affairs Zeng Wenrui, and Director of the Secretary’s Office Wei Yuzhen.
The Tuesday briefing attracted the attention and participation of organizations such as the North American Taiwanese Engineers Association, the Silicon Valley Taiwan-American Industry Technology Association, and the Taiwan Trade Center in San Francisco.
Those who attended the Tuesday briefing included Chief of the Technology Section at the Taiwan Office in San Francisco, Yan Hongwei, Director of the Education Section, Dong Qingfeng, former President of the Northern California Chapter of the North American Taiwanese Professors Association Dr. Zhou Xinjie, and Director of the Foreign Trade Association Liu Meizhi.