TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's universities report weakening student foundations in science, which threatens the semiconductor industry's future talent pipeline, education officials warned Tuesday (Jan. 13). National Taiwan University's (國立台灣大學, NTU) engineering dean said freshmen show declining skills in calculus and chemistry after curriculum changes reduced science credits. The warning comes as Taiwan struggles to maintain its global dominance in chip manufacturing amid talent shortages.
Yao-Wen Chang (張耀文), dean of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at NTU, reported in March 2023 that students under the "108 Curriculum Guidelines" demonstrated weaker foundational skills than previous cohorts. The Ministry of Education implemented these guidelines in September 2018, significantly cutting mandatory natural science credits in secondary schools. The reduction affects mathematics, physics, and chemistry courses that form the foundation for careers in semiconductor engineering.
Taiwan established the College of Semiconductor Research at four universities in 2021, recruiting industry veterans to lead talent development programs. Burn-Jeng Lin (林本堅), former TSMC (台積電) R&D vice president, directs the college at National Tsing Hua University (清大). Jack Sun (孫元成), ex-TSMC chief technology officer, heads the Industry Academia Innovation School at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (陽明交大).
The talent shortage exacerbates Taiwan's demographic crisis of low birth rates and an aging population, posing a threat to the long-term viability of the semiconductor sector. Industry leaders urge the government to attract foreign talent through immigration reform while reversing education policies that weakened STEM foundations. Officials face pressure to restore science education standards as Taiwan competes with China and South Korea for semiconductor supremacy. ◼