Panithan Lertsuntivit’s Summer 2025 Internship at NTHU, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Hello! My name is Panithan Lertsuntivit, a Mechanical Engineering student at UC Berkeley. This summer (2025), I received the GLOBE Discovery Scholarship for my research internship through the 2025 Summer Research Program at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Hsinchu.
I heard about good experiences with going abroad for research, and Taiwan was always a place I wanted to explore. Thus, it was a simple decision when I found out about NTHU’s summer research program through a GLOBE email. Through the program, I was matched with Dr. Patricia Yang and her Yang Lab for Biomechanics, and was able to meet a lot of people around the world.
In the Yang Lab for Biomechanics, I worked with Master’s student Yu-Ting Lin on her ongoing research about cuttlefish ink flow patterns. At first, I had limited knowledge about the lab’s research in biomechanics, but everyone in the lab was accommodating and got me up to speed with their research. Some interesting information is that cuttlefish can produce different patterns by varying the ink composition and jettison velocity.
My main contribution to the lab was building a framework to systematically conduct ink flow experiments for continued research on ink flow patterns. It first started with preliminary proof of concept testing to validate Yu-Ting’s hypothesis on specific fluid mechanics. For these tests to see if pattern geometries could be replicated, I developed parts with the geometries needed and sourced parts from local hardware vendors.
After validating the hypothesis, most of my remaining time was spent researching different components and modeling mechanisms needed for an ink flow test rig. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time in the program to fully build the test rig, but I helped transition the work to another lab member so that the research could continue.
Beyond research, I regularly spent time hanging out with the members in the Yang Lab, whether it was to get food or hang out after the day ended. They helped teach me some Taiwanese norms and a bit of Chinese as well. Because of them, I was able to get a glimpse of what life was like for the average Taiwanese university student. We frequently ate out for lunch and dinner, and I often found myself enjoying local restaurants more than the on-campus cafeteria.
A popular pastime among several lab members was playing the Pokémon MEZASTAR arcade game. I was initially introduced to the Pokémon arcade game by one of the lab members, and soon found myself joining them each week for dinner and then going to one of the arcade locations.
There were also weekly events that the summer research program organizers scheduled, ranging from events on NTHU campus (like touring research facilities, visiting their competition teams, and movie nights) to day trips around Taiwan for Taiwanese cultural immersion. On one trip, we got to visit Taiwan’s Northern National Palace Museum, Dalongdong Baoan Temple, and Jiufen Old Street.
Another trip was to the Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan’s Silicon Valley equivalent, where companies like TSMC, Qualcomm, and MediaTek have a large presence. We were able to visit TSMC’s Museum of Innovation and Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) locations in the Science Park. It was interesting to learn more about the mechanisms and innovations that each company has developed.
On the weekends, I would usually go outside of Hsinchu to see other parts of Taiwan. Initially, I primarily traveled to Taipei or New Taipei City, since it was convenient to take a bus from the front of NTHU to the Taipei bus station. From there, I was able to use the Taipei MRT to get around the city. Later in the program, I would often travel with other program members to places like Keelung, Tamsui, and Taichung.
One memorable trip was going to Sun Moon Lake with fellow program members Roy, Ariana, and Kelly. It was a long day trip where we visited the HOHOCHA teahouse and later rented bikes to ride around and see parts of the lake’s scenery.
For the last weekend of the program, we had another trip to Tainan and Kaohsiung in Southern Taiwan. On this trip, we visited many historical sites and tried many foods exclusive to Southern Taiwan.
Overall, this summer research program was a great opportunity to experience research abroad and immerse myself in a Taiwanese lifestyle. I would like to thank the groups and individuals who have made this opportunity. First, thank you, Ms. Yu-Ju Hung and NTHU’s College of Engineering administration, for making this summer research program possible. Secondly, thank you, Dr. Patricia Yang, for accepting me into the Yang Lab for Biomechanics and allowing me to conduct research in Taiwan. Finally, thank you to the Berkeley GLOBE Center for the Globe Discovery Scholarship, which helped me cover travel and living expenses in Taiwan. I had an amazing experience with everyone from the research program and the Yang Lab for Biomechanics. I was able to get research experience abroad and learn more about Taiwan’s culture. I look forward to visiting Taiwan again.
I had an amazing experience with everyone from the research program and the Yang Lab for Biomechanics. I was able to get research experience abroad and learn more about Taiwan’s culture. I look forward to visiting Taiwan again in the future
Written By: Panithan Lersuntivit
UC Berkeley Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering