With 28 years of experience as a coach for national skills competition champions and 14 years of teaching at Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Taiwan Tech, Professor Yuan-Hsiang Lin from the Department of Electronic Engineering has nurtured talents in various capacities. He has dedicated significant efforts to the cultivation of technical and vocational talents. This year (112), he received the prestigious National Excellent Teacher Award, acknowledging his contributions. Professor Yuan-Hsiang Lin acknowledged that although training national champions or guiding students requires immense dedication and often involves overcoming challenges, he believes it is the right direction. He hopes to make meaningful contributions to talent development in Taiwan.

Professor Yuan-Hsiang Lin from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering at Taiwan Tech.

The international skills competition, held every two years, is often referred to as the “Olympics” in the vocational industry. Professor Yuan-Hsiang Lin is a former champion of this skills competition, having won the gold medal in the industrial electronics category in 1993. After transitioning to a coaching role, besides leading subsequent champions to achieve remarkable results, including 4 gold medals, 4 silver medals, 2 bronze medals, and 4 honorable mentions, Professor Lin has also guided Taiwan Tech students in development and research, earning over 100 awards both domestically and internationally. He places significant emphasis on students' practical abilities, striving for a balance between theory and hands-on experience. Therefore, he develops experimental modules to allow students to “learn by doing”.

After completing his doctoral studies at National Taiwan University's Electrical Engineering Department in 2004, Professor Lin served in the military as a research and development engineer at Realtek Semiconductor Corporation in the Hsinchu Science Park for four and a half years. Eventually, due to various circumstances, he joined Taiwan Tech, where he has stayed for 14 years. He mentioned that although working as an engineer had a high salary, he now prefers the autonomy, diversity, and joy of research that comes with being an educator.

With a friendly and approachable demeanor, Professor Yuan-Hsiang Lin engages in casual conversations with students. However, the meticulous side of his personality becomes evident when he enters the lab or discusses research and expertise. He often assists students by meticulously revising their theses and reports multiple times. Despite the challenges, he refuses to compromise on the quality of guidance. Professor Lin shared that he often receives students' papers before bedtime during graduation season. In order to ensure progress and quality, he starts reviewing the students' work upon receiving it and continues to do so until 1 or 2 in the morning before sending it back to them.

According to Professor Lin, as an educator, the most important aspect is one's own professional skills. He points out that today's teaching environment is diverse, and students' ideas are more varied than before. Thus, teachers need to possess a strong foundation of expertise and maintain a positive attitude to effectively handle students' creative and unexpected thoughts.

Professor Yuan-Hsiang Lin engages actively with students during his lectures to enhance their focus and engagement in the classroom.

In addition to his professor role, Professor Lin serves as the chief judge for the national skills competition in the electronics category. He is responsible for organizing regional, national competitions, and national team selection. Through the design of competition content, he elevates the skill levels of domestic vocational electronics competitors, aligning them with international standards and contributing to talent development for the nation. Professor Lin upholds the belief of giving back to society and striving for national honor. Every two years, he dedicates approximately 10 months to training international skills competition contestants, empowering them to shine on the global stage. Despite the substantial time investments and their impact on his research pursuits, the sense of achievement and duty serve as the driving force that keeps him committed.

Drawing from his personal experience, Professor Lin explains that participating in skills competitions is a unique path and experience. He encourages students with the patience, perseverance, and resilience to consider this path and showcase Taiwan's excellence on the global stage through their skills. During his tenure at Taiwan Tech, he actively encouraged students to participate in various practical competitions, accumulate experiences, and showcase their work. He is always willing to impart knowledge and guidance to interested students.

Balancing roles as a university professor, national team trainer, competition judge, industry-academia collaborator, research project leader, and administrator, among others, enriches Professor Lin's life with profound fulfillment. He aims to enhance his time management skills in the future, allocating more time to spend with family. He aspires to “embrace challenges and do his best in everything he undertakes”.

Professor Yuan-Hsiang Lin strongly emphasizes cultivating students' practical skills and arranging practical courses for students on computers.