Karthickraj Muthuramalingam
Engineer
Hometown: Tamil Nadu, India
I first came to Taiwan in 2014 for a master’s program at National Central University. Before Taiwan, I never visited any other places outside my hometown Tamil Nadu in India. The opportunity to come to Taiwan was both exciting and terrifying, but after four years here I can honestly say that Taiwan feels like my second home.
During my master’s program at NCU, I first learned about ITRI’s international internship program through a friend who was working part time at ITRI. I decided I would give it a shot and participated in the international internship program in 2016. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to assist in different projects, and further connected with my coworkers and mentor; before the end of my internship I was offered a full time position in EOSL.
As an associate engineer, I am interested in research and my responsibilities mainly involve participating in multiple projects within my division. I don’t speak Chinese, but that has never been a problem for me as I usually communicate with my coworkers in English. I like that ITRI has a lot of opportunities and benefits for their employees to not only build a strong career but also enjoy work-life balance. Looking back, I would say that ITRI’s international internship program was the turning point for me.
After four years in Taiwan, authentic Indian food would have to be the one thing that I miss most about home. But besides the semiconductor industry, food is most definitely Taiwan’s strongest suit (my favorites are Taiwanese fried chicken and night market eats), there’s nothing you can’t find here!
I am not particularly fond of earthquakes, but I enjoy long holidays like Chinese New Year. Taipei is of course one of my favorite cities to visit since there are so many things you can do there. In my free time, I also enjoy going to the riverside or hot springs to unwind and recharge. I look forward to building the next chapter of my life here.