Taipei Tech Hosts U.S. NSF Delegation for Next-Generation Display Technology Exchange
From July 13 to 19, 2023, 14 graduate students from nine U.S. universities—including Penn State and the University of Dayton—visited Taiwan to participate in an international exchange on next-generation display technologies. Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the program brought the students together with 16 peers from National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech) and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) for a week of academic collaboration and industrial engagement.
Taipei Tech President Sea-Fue Wang welcomed the NSF delegation, marking the university’s first time hosting the program. The week-long agenda included lectures on emerging display technologies, hands-on lab work in mixed international teams, and group presentations. In the final three days, participants toured AUO Corporation and PlayNitride Inc., gaining firsthand exposure to advanced manufacturing processes and industry innovations.
In a virtual address, Penn State’s Department Head of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Vincent Meunier, emphasized the importance of optics in driving technological innovation and highlighted Taiwan’s global leadership in display technology. He also noted that President Wang is a Penn State Ph.D. alumnus, underscoring the strong academic ties supporting this international collaboration. Through NSF’s Advanced Studies Institutes (ASI) program, the initiative aims to develop U.S. talent in advanced display research and strengthen global academic and industry networks.
Taipei Tech Vice President Yi-Jun Jen described the program’s intensive curriculum. Morning sessions covered topics such as diffraction and wave optics, augmented reality (AR) system design, holographic displays, optical coatings, metasurfaces, OLEDs, Micro-LEDs, and flexible substrates. Afternoon lab sessions involved joint U.S.-Taiwan student teams working on practical projects, including AR display layout design, flexible OLED fabrication, diffractive dynamic systems, Mini-LEDs, anti-reflective coatings, and color filter technologies.
The U.S. team was led by Dr. Jian Hsu of Penn State and Dr. Partha Banerjee of the University of Dayton. Among the participants, Angelica Drees, a master’s student in optical design, shared that she gained deeper understanding of manufacturing technologies like optical coatings and roll-to-roll sputtering, while connecting with fellow researchers. Ph.D. students Ryan Williams and Andrea Oprandi from Kent State University, both specializing in liquid crystal research, emphasized the value of this rare opportunity to engage with Taiwan’s world-class semiconductor and display sectors.
From July 17 to 19, the group visited AUO Corporation—a global display industry leader—and PlayNitride Inc., the first company listed on Taiwan’s Innovation Board. AUO showcased its latest display technologies, including flexible displays and smart manufacturing solutions. PlayNitride demonstrated its MicroLED innovations, including transparent displays and ultra-high-resolution full-color microdisplays for metaverse applications. The program will continue next summer, with NYCU set to host the next U.S. delegation, as both sides look forward to deepening collaboration in display innovation.
Taipei Tech President Sea-Fue Wang welcomed the NSF delegation, marking the university’s first time hosting the program. The week-long agenda included lectures on emerging display technologies, hands-on lab work in mixed international teams, and group presentations. In the final three days, participants toured AUO Corporation and PlayNitride Inc., gaining firsthand exposure to advanced manufacturing processes and industry innovations.
In a virtual address, Penn State’s Department Head of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Vincent Meunier, emphasized the importance of optics in driving technological innovation and highlighted Taiwan’s global leadership in display technology. He also noted that President Wang is a Penn State Ph.D. alumnus, underscoring the strong academic ties supporting this international collaboration. Through NSF’s Advanced Studies Institutes (ASI) program, the initiative aims to develop U.S. talent in advanced display research and strengthen global academic and industry networks.
Taipei Tech Vice President Yi-Jun Jen described the program’s intensive curriculum. Morning sessions covered topics such as diffraction and wave optics, augmented reality (AR) system design, holographic displays, optical coatings, metasurfaces, OLEDs, Micro-LEDs, and flexible substrates. Afternoon lab sessions involved joint U.S.-Taiwan student teams working on practical projects, including AR display layout design, flexible OLED fabrication, diffractive dynamic systems, Mini-LEDs, anti-reflective coatings, and color filter technologies.
The U.S. team was led by Dr. Jian Hsu of Penn State and Dr. Partha Banerjee of the University of Dayton. Among the participants, Angelica Drees, a master’s student in optical design, shared that she gained deeper understanding of manufacturing technologies like optical coatings and roll-to-roll sputtering, while connecting with fellow researchers. Ph.D. students Ryan Williams and Andrea Oprandi from Kent State University, both specializing in liquid crystal research, emphasized the value of this rare opportunity to engage with Taiwan’s world-class semiconductor and display sectors.
From July 17 to 19, the group visited AUO Corporation—a global display industry leader—and PlayNitride Inc., the first company listed on Taiwan’s Innovation Board. AUO showcased its latest display technologies, including flexible displays and smart manufacturing solutions. PlayNitride demonstrated its MicroLED innovations, including transparent displays and ultra-high-resolution full-color microdisplays for metaverse applications. The program will continue next summer, with NYCU set to host the next U.S. delegation, as both sides look forward to deepening collaboration in display innovation.
