Taiwan and Alabama signed an education Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Wednesday, September 30, to develop talent in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies, expanding cooperation between Taiwan and the southeastern U.S. state. The agreement includes scholarships for Alabama students to study in Taiwan and marks Taiwan’s first educational partnership with a U.S. state government focused specifically on high-tech workforce development. 

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta Director-General Jared Lin (林主恩) and Jim Purcell, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, signed the memorandum. Beginning in the 2027 academic year, Taiwan plans to offer five annual scholarships to Alabama students pursuing undergraduate or master’s degrees in Taiwan. The scholarships will cover tuition and living expenses. 

Eligible fields will include semiconductors, AI, cybersecurity, robotics, and hardware. Officials said students will receive specialized training while gaining firsthand experience in Taiwan’s technology ecosystem. Lin said the goal is for students to return with professional knowledge, industry experience, and networks connecting them to Taiwan. 

“Global technology competition is not only about factories, investment or capital,” Lin said. “The most important factors are talent and the workforce,” Purcell said. The agreement will create new opportunities for cooperation among schools and strengthen educational exchanges. Alabama has expanded its automotive, aerospace, advanced manufacturing and technology industries, while Taiwan is a global center for semiconductors and information and communications technology.