Introduction
On January 16, 2018, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally requested assistance from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) in planning the establishment of the Universidad Politécnica Taiwán Paraguay (UPTP). Subsequently, on March 12, 2019, UPTP officially welcomed its first cohort of students. To provide comprehensive support to this diplomatic initiative, NTUST established the UPTP Project Office.
Leveraging NTUST's academic expertise and institutional experience, the initiative aims to assist Paraguay in developing the leading technical university in Latin America. By the end of 2023, the first phase of the project was successfully completed. The second phase, scheduled for implementation from 2024 to 2028, is focused on achieving the following objectives:
| Short-term goals | Revising curriculum for four departments, assisting in the design of the academic information system, revising institutional regulations, and offering intensive/innovative courses. |
| Mid-term goals | Fostering students' diverse learning and practical experience in Taiwan, guiding the implementation of the University Social Responsibility (USR), and enhancing research capacity and international visibility. |
| Long-term goals | Planning and establishing laboratories and specialty centers for four departments, adding new departments, and cultivating future Paraguayan faculty and advanced engineering talents. |
UPTP comprises four departments:
- Civil Engineering (CE)
- Electromechanical Engineering (EME)
- Industrial Engineering (IDE)
- Information Engineering (IFE)
Student Academic Regulations:
The curriculum at UPTP is designed as a four-year program. Students complete their first to fourth semesters in Paraguay before participating in a one-and-a-half-year exchange program in Taiwan during their fifth, sixth, and seventh semesters. They then return to Paraguay for their eighth (final) semester. Starting in 2026, the exchange program in Taiwan will be shortened to one year. Additionally, beginning in 2027, undergraduate students will no longer participate in exchange programs in Taiwan. All UPTP students will complete their studies exclusively in Paraguay.
The UPTP Project Office collaborates with four designated departments at NTUST to plan and deliver academic courses for UPTP students in Taiwan:
- Department of Civil Engineering
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Department of Industrial Management
- Department of Information Engineering
Student Enrollment Distribution:
| Enrollment Year | Number of Enrolled Students | Number of Students who went to Taiwan | Number of Interns Remaining in Taiwan after the 7th semeters | Number of Graduating Students |
|
Cohort 2019 |
108 |
101 (CE:24, EME:26, IDE:24, IFE:27) |
0 |
84 (Graduated on July 31, 2023) (CE:22, EME:24, IDE:20, IFE:18) |
|
Cohort 2020 |
106 |
88 (CE:24, EME:25, IDE:16, IFE:23) |
16 |
|
|
Cohort 2021 |
100 |
97 (CE: 26, EME:31, IDE:17, IFE:23) |
35 |
|
|
Cohort 2022 |
100 |
96 (Arrived in Taiwan on February 16, 2024) (CE:20, EME:23, IDE: 27, IFE:26) |
Not yet intern |
Not yet graduated |
|
Cohort 2023 |
97 |
80 (Arrived in Taiwan on February 14, 2025) (CE:23, EME:17, IDE: 16, IFE:24) |
Not yet intern |
Not yet graduated |