International beer brand Heineken continues to deeply cultivate its presence in Taiwan and invest in Pingtung’s local development. Today (July 9), Heineken officially launched the “Heineken Youth Incubation Program” alongside the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) and National Pingtung University (NPTU), bringing multinational corporate talent cultivation resources to Pingtung for the first time. The program not only provides scholarships but also enables students to seamlessly connect with the international workplace while still in school, accumulating hands-on experience in a multinational corporation. Witnessed by Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei and Pingtung County Deputy Magistrate Yin Feng-lan, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on industry-academia cooperation was officially signed, jointly forging an exemplary model of “retaining youth in Pingtung and achieving local mutual prosperity.”
Centered on “long-term capability investment,” the Heineken Youth Incubation Program utilizes public-private cooperation to give back to the local community and create future benefits for Pingtung students, thereby responding to the challenge of brain drain in Pingtung and ultimately achieving a “triple-win” vision shared by the enterprise, universities, and county government. Breaking major restrictions, the program is fully open to junior-year students and above (including master’s students) from both NPUST and NPTU. Students selected in the first phase will receive a scholarship of NTD 5,000, and up to 16 students will be carefully chosen to enter the enterprise cultivation stage. Through project participation, corporate exchanges, and practical training, students will experience a multinational work model in advance and accumulate the professional competencies and hands-on experience required in the workplace. Students who complete the cultivation program and pass the selection process will secure priority interview qualifications for internships at the Heineken Pingtung Brewery. During the two-month internship, students will participate in cross-departmental projects, understand international brewery operational processes, and collaborate with diverse professional teams, gaining authentic experience in a multinational corporate work environment.
In his speech, NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang stated that NPUST possesses robust professional academic energy and expressed great honor in injecting international-standard training momentum into southern Taiwan through this cooperation. He noted that NPUST’s educational philosophy emphasizes “technology, knowledge, and attitude,” and that this program allows students to engage with renowned multinational giants early on, holding extraordinary value for accumulating practical experience and developing quality employment opportunities. The school will continue to join hands with enterprises to keep outstanding young talent in Pingtung.
Heineken Taiwan Managing Director Suraen De Silva emphasized that this collaboration with the two local universities is not merely a commercial project, but an important commitment by Heineken to give back to the local community and youth. Its vision is to allow students to work in a multinational corporation right in Pingtung and seamlessly connect with the world without having to migrate northward to major cities. Pieter van der Meulen, Plant Manager and Supply Chain Director of the Heineken Pingtung Brewery, added that the Pingtung Brewery prioritizes “Safety First” and production quality that meets international standards. He hopes that student interns will truly integrate into the team and enjoy working hard while having fun. Following the signing ceremony, Plant Manager Pieter van der Meulen personally led the faculty members from NPUST and NPTU on a tour of the brewery, guiding them through the brewing, quality control, and packaging operations. As they toured, they continued to engage in deep exchanges regarding department specialties that that match up with the various production stages, looking for opportunities for closer industry-academia cooperation in the future. The NPUST Career Development Center also pointed out that that the university and the Heineken Pingtung Brewery share a solid foundation of cooperation spanning many years, and that each year the jointly hold a Heineken Graduate Program (HGP). Now, this new Youth Incubation Program will bring “internships, scholarships, and international experience” together all at once, forging an even tighter partnership between the two parties.
