2026 Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER)
Host Organization: Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER)
Website: http://english.tier.org.tw/
Organization Profile: TIER was established in 1976 by Dr. Chen-Fu Koo, with Dr. Sho-Chieh Tsiang (a Nobel Prize nominee in Economics) serving as its first President. It is the first private and independent think tank in Taiwan. In 2025, TIER has approximately 530 full-time researchers and an annual income of around 40 million USD. The current President of TIER is Dr. Chang, Chien-Yi. TIER is ranked 2nd in Taiwan and 19th overall in Top Think Tanks in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Source: TTCSP 2020).
The mission of TIER is to conduct economic, industrial and innovation policy research, and to provide sound policy recommendations to Taiwan Government.
City: Taipei City
Internship format: In-person
Internship Department: Division III
Department Profile:
Division III is led by Dr. Xinwu Lin, it has around 30 FTE researchers
The main research focus of DivIII are:
- National and regional Innovation Systems and Competitiveness
- Policy design and evaluation
- National Digital Transformation Strategy and Policy
- National Digital Strategy
- Industrial Digital Transformation Policy and Index Construction
- Innovation Indicators
- Innovation Policy and National IP policy Studies
- Taiwan Start-up Ecosystem and Policy
- Social Enterprise policy
- NetZero policy
- Skill Policy
Project description:
Intern Research Topic 1: Sports Technology Case Study
This study explores international models of sports technology R&D and diffusion, analyzing how technology integration with sports drives emerging service innovations. By comparing global cases and Taiwan’s policies, the research will develop actionable policy recommendations.
Key Research Focus:
- Models of sports technology R&D and diffusion
- Interaction between technology and sports in emerging service development
- Comparative analysis of global cases and Taiwan’s policy landscape
- Policy recommendations based on status, goals, and policy instruments
Intern Research Topic 2: Carbon Management Platforms Case Studies
This study examines carbon management platforms in the UK, Singapore, and the EU, focusing on user incentives, governance, and cross-border collaboration. It aims to draw lessons for Taiwan’s policy design through comparative analysis and structured policy evaluation.
Key Research Focus:
- User incentives and the business ecosystem of carbon management platforms
- International cooperation opportunities (e.g., joint development of emission factor models)
- Governance and interdepartmental data exchange mechanisms
- Comparative analysis and policy recommendations for Taiwan using the status, goal and policy instrument framework
Number of Opening(s): 1
Work Hours and Internship Start/End Dates: (Monday to Friday, June 15 – August 7, 2026): Full time/Five days a week/35 hour a week.
Local Language: Chinese language (Mandarin)
Local language level needed: Intermediate reading, writing, and speaking (two-year level at Stanford)
Additional desired intern qualifications: Intermediate or high levels of Chinese language fluency preferred.
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