Eight private universities mentioned by Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) in a speech last week said they have received a flood of enrollment inquiries from prospective students and parents.
In a speech on Sunday last week, Huang talked about how the era of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving a new industrial revolution. At the end, a thank you video was played, listing public and private universities and businesses that have cooperative relationships with Nvidia.
Nine national universities were mentioned: National Taiwan University (NTU), National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST), National Taiwan Normal University, National Tsing Hua University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, National Central University (NCU), National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), National Sun Yat-sen University and National Taipei University of Technology.
Photo: Reuters
The rest were private universities, namely: Chung Yuan Christian University, I-Shou University, Fu Jen Catholic University, Shih Chien University, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tamkang University, Tunghai University and Yuan Ze University.
Google Trends showed the number of search queries about Tunghai University has more than doubled recently, university president Chang Kuo-en (張國恩) said yesterday, adding that some of the school’s Facebook posts have been seen by more than 10,000 people and the number of clicks on its Web site has been four times the usual number.
The university would fully support and cooperate with the Taichung City Government if it plans to attract Nvidia to build an AI research and development (R&D) center in the city, Chang said, touting the school proximity to the Central Taiwan Science Park, the Taichung City Precision Machinery Innovation Technology Park, the Taichung City Industrial Park and vast land resources.
They hope to have the opportunity to cooperate with Nvidia to promote research and development, and talent training, he said.
Meanwhile, Tamkang University said that since June 2, the school has received numerous inquiries from students and their parents.
Students could take courses related to Nvidia, which were organized by the university’s College of Engineering and College of Artificial Innovative Intelligence, to learn about the most advanced AI applications, software and hardware technologies, Tamkang University office of secretariat secretary-general Ma Yu-pei (馬雨沛) said.
The university is to launch new programs to encourage cooperation between faculty members from different departments, and to recommend students for internships or innovative programs at Nvidia’s AI R&D center, she said.
The public universities mentioned in Huang’s video have launched AI or semiconductor institutions, while the private universities have been known for their initiative in promoting AI in the past years.
NTU yesterday said that the university jointly established an AI R&D center with Nvidia and is conducting innovative research and talent cultivation programs.
That effort has resulted in a speech recognition model customized for the Taiwanese curriculum, which could help reduce learning barriers for hearing-impaired students and has the potential to be able to assist all students, NTU executive vice president Liao Wan-jiun (廖婉君) said.
NTUST Secretary-General Lu Cheng-hsiu (呂政修) said that it is discussing details of its cooperation with Nvidia, which is to promote research innovation through professional courses and joint research projects.
NCU said it has launched more than 60 industry-university projects with more than 10 of Nvidia’s supply chain partners in Taiwan, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, in the past five years.
They would continue deepening the cooperation, university president Jou Jing-yang (周景揚) said.
NCKU said it has been invited to join Nvidia’s University Ambassador Program, and would be offering related courses for students to learn and obtain certificates.
Yuan Ze University said it has set up Nvidia’s deep learning servers for large-scale research projects or industry-university cooperation projects.
The school is to discuss plans to organize modular courses with Nvidia to provide students with a richer learning experience, university president Liao Ching-jung (廖慶榮) said.
As for the government, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said on Wednesday last week that Taiwan’s technologies in advanced semiconductor fabrication play a key role in the global industrial supply chain.
The ministry is to work with universities and industries to cultivate outstanding talents and promote academic and research innovation, Cheng said.
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