Industrial Technology Research Institute

Mamadou Kone

I first came to Taiwan under Taiwan scholarship program to study a Master degree. After I arrived I took one year to study Mandarin at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taipei, and then I transferred to National Chung Hsing University in Taichung to do my Master’s. After I finished my MS I start my PhD at National Tsing Hua University, and it was there that a classmate of mine introduced me to ITRI. ITRI offered the opportunity to both study and work at the same time while most companies in the Science Park discourage that. I started off with a six month contract and eventually I became a permanent employee.

Currently I am working on WiMAX project in my department. I first started out on the 802.16e mobile WiMAX, and my job was about 802.16e MAC implementation. One of my achievements in this area was the development of an algorithm for devices’ sleep mode (power saving management), and for this I and some colleagues were able to gain a patent. I went on with the same topic and I got a second patent written. My department then starts the 802.16m (WiMAX high mobility) project, I asked to be part of it and I had been accepted. This project consists in designing new MAC protocols for 802.16m system and presenting them at IEEE working group with the expectation that some will be part of the system description and eventually the standard related to that new technology. Therefore, my job now consists of more research than implementation. As part of the ITRI team joining the IEEE working group on developing the new 802.16m standards, I already proposed with few colleagues some contributions (filed as patents), and it seems some may get a satisfying result soon. This constitutes an opportunity I probably could not have if I did not work at ITRI.

One thing I like about working here is the freedom I have in my work. I have my responsibilities and as long as I do what I am suppose to do, ITRI will not be watching my back at every moment. As far as any drawbacks I guess the exercise facilities could be improved, and I wish that there were people to play soccer with here.

Some difficulties I had when I first arrived here was the fact that people here don’t really open up. I am a very social person and it was weird at first to see people not talking. At first I thought it was because I was a foreigner but now I know it is part of the culture. I don’t really have that much problem with the language barrier because I spent a year learning Chinese, but sometimes when I am talking to my coworkers they forget that I am a foreigner in their speaking, so sometimes I have trouble understanding what they are talking about.

As for Taiwan itself, it is a very beautiful place. I really enjoy Taiwan but I see that it is slowly transitioning from nature to concrete. A lot of the beauty of Taiwan is going to be lost. Taiwan could be a paradise but with all the expansion of cities that paradise may be lost.

Note: Mr. Kone left ITRI in March 2009 to take a position at Taiwan's HTC.