PHOENIX, AZ (September 8, 2025) — The University of Arizona (U of A), and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), signed a Declaration of Collaboration focused on building a Talent & Innovation Hub anchored in Arizona during a signing ceremony held on September 7, 2025 in Taiwan. The declaration of collaboration among parties includes National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU); the University of Arizona (U of A); the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA); the Arizona Trade & Investment Office in Taiwan, and Pima County Economic Development. The Declaration of Collaboration further cements a shared commitment between Arizona and Taiwan to strengthen collaboration in workforce development, research and innovation, exchange programs, and economic growth.

In addition, the Declaration of Collaboration will focus on expanding education in semiconductors, microelectronics, AI, healthcare innovation, and related fields; research and innovation; advancing collaborative R&D with industry to accelerate technology and innovation; promoting student and faculty exchanges between Taiwan and Arizona to foster cross cultural skills; and supporting initiatives that enhance the semiconductor ecosystem and broader economic development in Arizona and Taiwan.

A central initiative will be the Talent & Innovation Hub in Arizona, jointly organized by NYCU and U of A, with support from the ACA and Arizona Trade & Investment Office in Taiwan, as a platform for education, research, and industry co-creation.

Representatives from each party that signed the Declaration of Collaboration included: Dr. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia, Senior Vice President for Research and Partnerships of U of A; Dr. Chi-Hung Lin, President of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University; Fernando Garcia, Executive Vice President of International Trade and Investment with the Arizona Commerce Authority; Steve Hsu, Executive Director of the Arizona Trade & Investment Office in Taiwan; and Heath Vescovi-Chiordi, Director, Pima County Economic Development. The ceremony was attended by members of the visiting Arizona delegation led by the Arizona Commerce Authority, in addition to local university and community leaders.

“We are excited to deepen our collaboration with NYCU on semiconductors and other key strategic areas,” said Krishna Muralidharan, Director, Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona.

“This signing represents an important step toward strengthening transnational partnerships that will benefit research, students, and the workforce in Arizona and Taiwan. We look forward to launching the Arizona-Taiwan Innovation Hub alongside our state and international partners,” said Hillary Vance, Assistant Dean, Research and Development, Arizona International, University of Arizona.

“Together, we will elevate cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. semiconductor sectors, creating win-win benefits for academia, industry, and society,” said Chi-Hung Lin, President of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.

“These partnerships demonstrate the importance of Arizona’s technology ecosystem on the global state,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “We’re proud to support our academic, industry, and research partners to expand collaboration and advance exciting new opportunities for Arizonans.”

Arizona has a history of strong academic and workforce collaboration with Taiwan. In 2024, the Arizona-Taiwan Trade and Investment Office and the Taiwan-U.S. Industrial Cooperation Promotion Office (TUSA) signed an MOU focused on technology and workforce collaboration. The MOU aims to match strategic partners and create alliances for industrial cooperation and bilateral investment to enhance opportunities in Taiwan and Arizona in advanced technology, global readiness, trade, and competitiveness.

In 2023, Governor Hobbs Governor Katie Hobbs attended a MOU signing ceremony between Arizona Science Center and the National Taiwan Science Education Center (NTSEC) at the NTSEC in Taipei City, Taiwan. The MOU will further collaborative opportunities related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), with a focus on technology, semiconductor and microelectronics workforce development.

In June 2025, Dr. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia, Senior Vice President for Research and Partnerships of U of A; Dr. Chi-Hung Lin, President of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University signed a MOU to pave the ways for the exchange and collaboration between two universities for a wide range of disciplines that enabled the establishment of the Talent & Innovation Hub in Arizona.

About National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) was established in February 2021 through the merger of two of Taiwan’s leading universities: National Chiao Tung University (founded in 1896, renowned for its strengths in science and engineering) and National Yang Ming University (founded in 1975, noted for its expertise in biomedical sciences and medicine).Headquartered at the Guangfu Campus in Hsinchu, NYCU operates a dual main campus system: the Guangfu Campus in Hsinchu and the Yangming Campus in Taipei. In addition, the university maintains several other campuses, including the Beimen Campus in Taipei, the Liujia and Bo’ai Campuses in Hsinchu, the Tainan Campus, and the Lanyang Campus in Yilan, which also houses the NYCU Hospital. With planned expansions in Shilin (Taipei) and Qingpu (Taoyuan), NYCU’s network now spans ten campuses across six cities and counties in Taiwan. NYCU is one of four universities—alongside National Taiwan University, National Cheng Kung University, and National Tsing Hua University—selected by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education for the Globalink Program under the Higher Education SPROUT Project. It is also a member of the University System of Taiwan (UST), which includes National Tsing Hua University, National Central University, and National Chengchi University.