In order to provide students with a clearer view of industry practices and help them foster industry connections, NPUST’s Graduate Institute of Animal Vaccine Technology joined up with the university’s International Degree Program in Animal Vaccine Technology and Career Development Office to hold a three-day series of field trips to companies working in the animal vaccine industry. The field trips, which took place from May 13 to 15 (2025) brought 29 local and foreign graduate students on visits to five iconic biotechnology and pharmaceutical institutions in the country, including VIRBAC (Taiwan) Co., Ltd, National Health Research Institute, Bora Biologics Co., Ltd., Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation, and Reber Genetics Co., Ltd. which was founded by H P Chiang, Chairman of the NPUST Alumni Association. The industry field trips reflect the school’s core philosophy of “integrated learning and practice and industry-academia co-creation.”
Through professional briefings and on-site tours, the students learned about vaccine development processes, GMP regulations, quality control mechanisms, production line operations, and future development trajectories. One student in the group, surnamed Lai, said “I saw how VIRBAC implemented innovation to its products, and was impressed by the professionalism of the R&D department and the vaccine manufacturing department at the National Health Research Institute. This made me more clear about the direction I want to follow in my career, and I hope to have opportunities for internships and more visits to companies in the future to shorten the gap between learning and application”. Another student, surnamed Yang, was amazed by the strict air and water quality controls at high-end vaccine companies, and stated frankly that he “has gained a three-dimensional and specific understanding of the operations of a vaccine factory”. The visit to Reber Genetics was a great chance for the students to personally witness the entrepreneurial energy of NPUST’s alumni while also strengthening their connections with the industry. The rich itinerary provided the students with an in-depth understanding of industrial chain structures and operation models while considering everything from animal vaccine development and genetic testing to human vaccine manufacturing.
The Graduate Institute of Animal Vaccine Technology at NPUST has long been dedicated to providing complete training “from the laboratory to the production line”. Through its professional teaching staff, multinational research networks, and alumni’s corporate resources, the institute is committed to cultivating biotech talent with international vision and effective combat skills. Through the recent field trips the students were able to connect with the industry at the learning stage, thereby enhancing their interest and confidence in vaccine and biotechnology research and development. In the future, NPUST will continue to promote in-depth exchange activities with the industry and cultivate outstanding biotech talent with both professional knowledge and practical ability.
