When Leon Lukhas Santoso first left Jakarta for Taipei to pursue a master’s degree in October 2021, he was confident that it was the right choice. Taiwan’s academic environment is competitive but not dissimilar to the hard yards he was required to put in at his alma mater, the University of Indonesia (UI).
Santoso, who now holds a Master of Science in chemical engineering degree, is only one of the thousands of young men and women who have opted to seek tertiary education in Taiwan, with many remaining there beyond their studies to seek employment.
There were over 9,600 degree seekers from Indonesia in Taiwan in 2022, more than doubling the count in 2017, according to
data
Taiwan Ministry of Education
Over the past decade, the number of Indonesians seeking advanced STEM education and employment in Taiwan has gone up
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data
Taiwan Ministry of Education
Over the past decade, the number of Indonesians seeking advanced STEM education and employment in Taiwan has gone up
Santoso is now an engineer in the semiconductor industry, a key component of Taiwan’s
nearly US$30 billion economy
Statista
Market insights — Taiwan
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nearly US$30 billion economy
Statista
Market insights — Taiwan
STEM
STEM
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
STEM
STEM
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
The world’s chipmaker //
Taiwan manufactured nearly two-thirds of the world’s semiconductors in 2022. Its process of making 2-nm integrated circuits (ICs) is the most advanced in the world, and the country holds 70% of the global market share for producing ICs that are under 7 nm
Taiwan needs foreign students, especially in STEM fields. Simply put, it doesn’t have enough young minds to support growing an economy with the semiconductor sector at the heart of it.
