(Taiwan News Agency correspondent Hou Zi-ying, Washington, D.C., Aug. 28) The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago released a statement today announcing that it co-hosted a screening of the Taiwanese semiconductor industry documentary “Mountain Builders” with the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, widely regarded as the cradle of engineers in the U.S. Midwest. Nearly 500 people attended the event, which also featured an economic, trade, and technology forum aimed at strengthening momentum for high-tech partnership cooperation between Taiwan and the United States.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago stated that, to continue expanding political, business, industrial, and academic ties between Taiwan and the U.S. Midwest, the office collaborated for the first time on August 27 with the University of Illinois system—a top-tier institution ranked fifth among U.S. engineering schools—and the College of Engineering at UIUC to host the screening of “Mountain Builders: The Century’s Gamble” and the accompanying economic, trade, and technology forum.
The event invited Illinois State Senator Paul Faraci, who recently visited Taiwan; Jisu Hong (phonetic translation), Vice Chancellor for Economic Development and Innovation at the University of Illinois system; Rashid Bashir, Dean of the College of Engineering; and representatives from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, including Strategy Director Haidong and others, along with faculty and students from the University of Illinois. Nearly 500 people attended the screening.
The office noted that after the screening, the University of Illinois invited Larry Lee, Director of the Holonyak Micro-Nano Laboratory, and scholars from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering to participate in the economic, trade, and technology forum. Sun Yuancheng, Vice President of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and former Deputy General Manager of Research and Development at TSMC, joined via video conference.
Lei Yanfeng, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago, served as the opening speaker. He stated that the screening would help young American students broaden their understanding of and support for Taiwan’s technological achievements and Taiwan-U.S. relations. The University of Illinois system, committed to developing innovative technologies, has maintained long-standing close partnerships with Taiwan’s industry, government, and academic institutions. For instance, in 2023, the University Alliance of Academia Taiwan (UAAT), comprising 12 top Taiwanese universities, signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Illinois to enhance cooperation in semiconductors, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, data science, sustainable development, and Chinese language education.
Additionally, he pointed out that the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has established close industry-academia research collaborations with Taiwanese high-tech companies such as TSMC and Foxconn in fields including semiconductors and quantum technologies.
Lei Yanfeng stated that “Mountain Builders” highlights the deep cooperation and complementary partnership between Taiwan and the U.S. in high-tech sectors. He expressed hope that following the collaborative screening at the University of Illinois, both sides will continue to strengthen economic, trade, academic, and technological cooperation, thereby deepening the high-tech partnership between Taiwan and the United States.
Senator Faraci hoped that students in Illinois would learn from the film about the importance of cross-disciplinary and public-private sector collaboration, which can bring about epoch-making changes and progress for society. Sun Yuancheng noted that the “Taiwan Model,” characterized by close industry-government-academia collaboration, was a key factor in the successful development of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry in the past. (Editor: Tian Ruihua) 1150829
