"Mountain Makers" Showcases Taiwan's Resilience; University of Toronto VP Shares Father's Semiconductor Ties
A screening of "The Mountain Makers" in Toronto highlighted Taiwan's semiconductor industry development and its democratic resilience, featuring insights from the University of Toronto's Vice President. The event, hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, underscored Taiwan's reliability in global supply chains.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 13, 2026 at 10:08
- 🔍 Collected: April 13, 2026 at 11:00 (52 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 22:09 (155h 9m after Collected)
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Toronto held a small screening event on the 10th at the National Club in downtown Toronto, inviting dozens of elites from academia and the tech industry in Toronto, as well as members of the Ontario provincial parliament, to watch the documentary "The Mountain Makers" and learn about Taiwan's story of developing semiconductor technology from the 1970s onwards, fighting a battle against all odds.
After the film screening, I-Chuan Huang, Vice President of the University of Toronto, who has long studied democratic transitions in Asia, took the stage and revealed a secret. He stated that two years ago, he was invited to give a series of lectures at the Institute of Social Sciences at National Taiwan University and, with the mindset of "making his parents proud," invited his parents to accompany him to Taiwan.
During one of the lectures attended by his parents, there was a sudden commotion. It turned out that Ben-Jen Lin, Dean of the Semiconductor Research Institute of National Tsing Hua University, heard that Huang's father was visiting Taiwan and came specifically to meet him. It was then that I-Chuan Huang learned that his father, a Malaysian Chinese, was a classmate and former roommate of Lin in the Electrical Engineering department at National Taiwan University, both graduating in 1963.
After watching "The Mountain Makers," I-Chuan Huang expressed his empathy, stating that his father, an engineer, worked at Radio Corporation of America (RCA), General Electric (GE), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Princeton University before his retirement. The story of "The Mountain Makers," which describes Taiwan's semiconductor industry and the giants behind it, reminded him of his childhood when his father had considered returning to Taiwan to contribute to the economy. Although his father did not end up working in Taiwan, he has been closely following developments in Taiwan over the years, and the people mentioned in the documentary held immense significance for his father.
When asked by reporters, I-Chuan Huang said that his father is very low-key and prefers not to reveal his name, but he would certainly want to see this documentary.
I-Chuan Huang has observed Taiwan's elections for many years and continues to play a role as a driving force for academic exchange and research between the University of Toronto and Taiwan and other Asian countries. He expressed that Taiwan's "extraordinary resilience" in democracy has left a deep impression on him; in Taiwan, people always uphold a strong sense of shared destiny and common beliefs, and based on this, he firmly believes that Taiwan's democratic system will remain resilient when facing significant challenges.
Liang Yi-peng, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, stated that the documentary "The Mountain Makers" allows people to see Taiwan's reliability and professionalism, worthy of trust from global supply chains. Taiwan welcomes and looks forward to Canada deepening its partnership with Taiwan in all aspects, including supply chain security, critical minerals, technological cooperation, and democratic voting. (Editor: Tang Shengyang) 1150413
Keywords: International
After the film screening, I-Chuan Huang, Vice President of the University of Toronto, who has long studied democratic transitions in Asia, took the stage and revealed a secret. He stated that two years ago, he was invited to give a series of lectures at the Institute of Social Sciences at National Taiwan University and, with the mindset of "making his parents proud," invited his parents to accompany him to Taiwan.
During one of the lectures attended by his parents, there was a sudden commotion. It turned out that Ben-Jen Lin, Dean of the Semiconductor Research Institute of National Tsing Hua University, heard that Huang's father was visiting Taiwan and came specifically to meet him. It was then that I-Chuan Huang learned that his father, a Malaysian Chinese, was a classmate and former roommate of Lin in the Electrical Engineering department at National Taiwan University, both graduating in 1963.
After watching "The Mountain Makers," I-Chuan Huang expressed his empathy, stating that his father, an engineer, worked at Radio Corporation of America (RCA), General Electric (GE), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Princeton University before his retirement. The story of "The Mountain Makers," which describes Taiwan's semiconductor industry and the giants behind it, reminded him of his childhood when his father had considered returning to Taiwan to contribute to the economy. Although his father did not end up working in Taiwan, he has been closely following developments in Taiwan over the years, and the people mentioned in the documentary held immense significance for his father.
When asked by reporters, I-Chuan Huang said that his father is very low-key and prefers not to reveal his name, but he would certainly want to see this documentary.
I-Chuan Huang has observed Taiwan's elections for many years and continues to play a role as a driving force for academic exchange and research between the University of Toronto and Taiwan and other Asian countries. He expressed that Taiwan's "extraordinary resilience" in democracy has left a deep impression on him; in Taiwan, people always uphold a strong sense of shared destiny and common beliefs, and based on this, he firmly believes that Taiwan's democratic system will remain resilient when facing significant challenges.
Liang Yi-peng, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, stated that the documentary "The Mountain Makers" allows people to see Taiwan's reliability and professionalism, worthy of trust from global supply chains. Taiwan welcomes and looks forward to Canada deepening its partnership with Taiwan in all aspects, including supply chain security, critical minerals, technological cooperation, and democratic voting. (Editor: Tang Shengyang) 1150413
Keywords: International