Selected from over a hundred applications, these high-achieving students come from Taiwan's leading scientific universities, which are partners of UGA (National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Cheng Kung University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University), representing the three major academic and industrial hubs of the region: Taipei, Hsinchu and Tainan.

Over two weeks, they explored the depth of Grenoble's semiconductor and microelectronics ecosystem through visits to the key players that structure it: UGA CEA, CNRS, GEM, Grenoble INP-UGA, ESRF, EMBL, ILL, and leading industrial players such as STMicroelectronics, Soitec, and Schneider Electric. This unique territory in Europe, concentrating fundamental research, pilot lines and industrial transfer within just a few square kilometres, served as the backbone of their immersion.

An immersion at the heart of UGA

The Bureau de Représentation de Taipei en France (BRTF) was present during the day organized on campus, a strong signal of the importance both parties place on this program.

Research excellence, breakthrough innovation, industrial partnerships: UGA sits at the heart of a Grenoble ecosystem that is unique in Europe. This is the reality the day brought to light: high-calibre Taiwanese students in direct contact with laboratories, innovation frameworks and the actors that define the university and its partners.

Welcomed at MUSE, UGA's student services centre, they discovered the breadth of what the university offers its students, particularly international ones: support with settling in, French language learning, high-level sports facilities, and student entrepreneurship through Pépite Ozer and its FabLab. A presentation of doctoral programs then covered the essentials: at UGA, a PhD is carried out at the heart of an environment where research, innovation and industry are closely intertwined. Discussions continued around key themes central to UGA's pursuit of research excellence: cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and, naturally, microelectronics. The meeting with UGA doctoral students was a highlight, a concrete opportunity to understand what it means to pursue a PhD in an ecosystem where fundamental research, pilot lines and industrial partnerships coexist within just a few square kilometres.

This program is part of a series of seven Pathfinders initiatives planned for 2026, each pairing a theme with a French city. Grenoble's specialisation in semiconductors naturally led to its selection, along with UGA, as the host territory for this edition. The long-term goal: to turn these young graduates into future ambassadors for the region, and to invest in a generation of Taiwanese technical and strategic decision-makers already familiar with the Grenoble innovation model.