From Labs to Life: PhD Journeys Unplugged
From coffee breaks to career tips, students explored the twists and turns of the PhD journey with those who’ve walked the path before them.
Faculty of Science at Masaryk University Welcomed a Leading Chip Expert from Taiwan
On Friday 16. 05. 2025, Brno hosted a distinguished expert in semiconductor technologies — Professor Konrad Young from National Taiwan University. Professor Young has built an impressive career at globally renowned technology companies such as HP, Intel, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) — the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer.
As Director of Research and Development at TSMC, he played a key role in implementing major technological innovations in chip production, including the transition to 180nm, 130nm, and 65nm process technologies. He currently serves as a senior advisor in the Leadership Program at National Taiwan University, where he is passionately committed to nurturing young talent and supporting their development.
His enthusiasm for the field was clearly evident during an inspiring lecture held on Friday at the Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University. He introduced students to the principles behind transistors and integrated circuits — the core of semiconductor technologies — and shared valuable insights into Taiwan’s journey to becoming a global leader in chip manufacturing. His talk encouraged students to think innovatively and sparked interest in this rapidly evolving field. After the lecture, Professor Young toured the university's chip fabrication lab, which is used for hands-on student training.
Professor Young’s visit was part of the Czech-Taiwanese “Multiproject,” centered around the Supply-chain Resilience Center (SCRC) (scrc.cuni.cz) and the Advanced Chip Design and Research Center (ACDRC) (cybersecurityhub.cz). As part of the program, he also visited the Institute of Scientific Instruments and the Institute of Physics of Materials of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CEITEC Nano, the ACDRC center at the CyberSecurityHub, and the Czech National Semiconductor Cluster.
