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Looking for a summer internship? Read about Taiwan Tech Trek!

At this time of year, everyone is scrambling to find the perfect summer internship in the places and fields that they want. In a similar position last year, I was afraid that I would have to forgo my annual summer trip to Taiwan in order to further my skills and experience in biological research. However, when I heard about a summer internship opportunity in Taiwan, hosted by the Taiwanese government, I was ecstatic at the prospect of getting the best of both worlds.

Taiwan Tech Trek (TTT) is a 7-week long internship program geared toward undergraduate students (who have completed two years of study) from all over the world with a common Taiwanese heritage. The internships that they offer across Taiwan vary widely across various fields and industries, ensuring that every student can find a position suited to his or her interests. I worked at a research lab at National Taiwan University’s Medical School while other students had positions at academic fields or at institutions such as the National Palace Museum or Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Each position has its advantages and also varying baseline language requirement- with some such as positions at the National Education Radio requiring fluent Mandarin while others don’t require Mandarin-skills at all.

Interns start their summer off together on a week-long tour of Taiwan, traveling around the island. This gives interns an opportunity to make friends to hang out with for the subsequent six weeks of the internship and also a chance for those who have never been to Taiwan to experience tourist sights and activities. At the end of the internship, all interns will once again reunite for presentations and an awards banquet.

This past summer was honestly the best time I have had in Taiwan. I was able to make friends with other interns as well as with the Taiwanese students that I worked with. I had time for both and time for Taiwan, spending a weekend in Green Island with my Taiwanese coworkers and the following weekend in Kenting with other TTT interns. Living and working in Taiwan for 7 weeks gave me a new and different perspective of the island from the touristy outlook I once held. I had already seen the sights, beaches, night markets, and shopping centers, but my internship allowed me to see the institutions, get to know the people, and learn about their technologies and ways of life. My TTT internship brought me closer to the country that I already loved through an understanding of Taiwan’s every-day lifestyle.

Applications are open in January—I highly encourage everyone to take this opportunity to spend the summer in Taiwan, learn from Taiwan’s resources, and make new friends abroad!

Written by Tiffany Hwang - East Coast Governor (University of Pennsylvania)

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