Paul Santiago Tumbaco Casa
Researcher
Hometown: Ecuador
I first came to Taiwan for my Master's in Mechanical and Automation Engineering at National Taipei University of Technology. At the time, Taiwan was the first country I ever visited in Asia, and I was eager to explore possible opportunities here.
In 2017, I came to ITRI for an internship opportunity. At the time I was working on projects related to embedded system for motion-control cards. I was most definitely impressed by the amount of abundant resources I could get from working at a prestigious research institute; it is not possible to have the same opportunities at home in Ecuador. Soon after graduating from NTUT, I was fortunate to continue working as a full-time employee at ITRI. I am an associate researcher in Mechatronics Control department within Mechanical and Mechatronics Systems Research Labs. My responsibilities now mainly involve deep learning and AI combining VR systems with robotics, which is something I'm interested in.
I would say that for anyone who's passionate about a particular field of research, ITRI is the perfect place to be. ITRI has international R&D linkages with open access to research data and networks, funds and facilities, and many more. I've been learning Chinese for a while now, still have not mastered the complex language, but not being able to speak Chinese fluently has not been an issue for me personally. Most of my coworkers are able to converse in English and they are always more than willing to help out.
My favorite city in Taiwan would have to be Kaohsiung, which is one of the biggest cities in the South. I like that it's very close to Kenting where all the beautiful beaches are. I don’t have any problems with food in Taiwan, and I can see myself staying here for the next few years. I look forward to making meaningful connections and welcoming opportunities here in Taiwan.
Note: Paul left ITRI in 2022 to take a position at ASML.