Dr. F. Frank Chen, Director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Lean Systems at the University of Texas at San Antonio (front left) with students from National Formosa University

To further develop excellence in technology and science, the Ministry of Education established a pilot program at the end of 2018 to send outstanding students of technology and science at technical universities in Taiwan to partner universities overseas to gain both sophisticated technology knowledge and skills and an international perspective.

National Formosa University is participating in international collaboration with the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Lean Systems at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) as part of this pilot program. In the first year of a three-year collaboration program, National Formosa University sent five students to undertake training and courses in the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt program. This is a capstone program that combines lecture-based courses, individual monitoring, and consultation sessions, and it gives students an opportunity to work with leading manufacturing companies in San Antonio and create improvement plans for them. You can find details at http://camls.utsa.edu/.

Diana Lin, one of the exchange students from Taiwan is very appreciative of having participated. She said she’s made many good friends with students from different countries and improved her command of English, and the professors encouraged her to be self-motivated and apply academic concepts practically to projects.

The other exchange students also expressed their gratitude for the internship opportunity that the program arranged that connected them with M2 Global, an aviation manufacturing company in the Lean systems. Talking to its CEO and senior management helped them to see “the big picture” of a business, from the management perspective. The students also learned that it’s not a “one solution fits all” world: solutions come from blending ideas, methods, and attitudes. They greatly appreciated how the advice and suggestions they received helped them combine academic and practical experience.

Prof. F. Frank Chen, a recipient of the 1996 Presidential Faculty Fellows (PFF/PECASE) Award from President Clinton, and the founding Director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Lean Systems at UTSA, these first five participating students did an excellent job. They each received the Lean Six-Sigma Green Belt certificate issued by the Center and recently returned to Taiwan.

Another five students from National Formosa University have been selected from more than 20 candidates to take part in the second year of the collaboration program. Their enrollment date is currently on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic but they’re looking forward to it.