EMPOWERING THE GLOBAL AI & CHIP COMMUNITY

A. I came to UCR University Extension to study English in the International Education Programs in the Summer of 2007, and began the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program in Fall 2007, graduating with Honor Roll Distinction in August 2008.

After graduation, I transferred to La Sierra University and ultimately earned three advanced degrees: an MA in Curriculum and Instruction with TESOL Emphasis in 2009, a Specialist in Education (EdS) in Curriculum and Instruction in 2011, and an EdD with a Concentration in Brain, Affect, and Education in 2013.

I taught graduate Neuroeducation courses at La Sierra University from 2011 to 2013 and served as a graduate assistant to my doctoral dissertation advisor in La Sierra University’s School of Education from 2008 to 2013. Following that, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at Taiwan’s National Academy of Civil Service from 2015 to 2016, conducting research on training aimed at developing management skills in middle- to high-ranking government officials from various Taiwanese departments.

My research projects also involved collaboration between academia, government, and industry. In 2017, I earned a Certificate in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (TCSOL) and a Certificate in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL). From 2019 to 2021, I served as a university professor in China, conducting Psycholinguistics research and teaching courses such as Learning Psychology, Family Psychology, Preschool Curriculum Theory, Early Childhood English Education, and Early Childhood Special Education.

In 2021, I developed and began teaching two international brain courses integrating my academic research and professional expertise, offering instruction in both English and Chinese, in both online and physical formats: Core Competencies for Global Performance: Cutting Costs in Half While Doubling Performance and Mindful Aesthetics: Cultivating All-rounded Creativity & Innovation.

As Taiwan plays a growing and very important role in the global semiconductor manufacturing and AI sectors, and as its technological expertise and manufacturing capabilities exert greater influences on the global industry, my two courses will benefit AI/chip/semiconductor engineers, AI scientists, e-commerce professionals, educators from all fields, professionals from diverse domains, and learners of all kinds and ages.

They also contribute to breakthroughs in the field of AI by enhancing brain efficiency, which facilitates advancements in AI foundry services, accelerated generative AI, and improved mastery of model services, domain knowledge, and the generation of high-quality big data.

Currently, I am working as a Global Trainer for AI/Chip/Semiconductor Engineers and Professionals. I am also an Entrepreneur, Neuroeducator, Brain Trainer, Leadership Trainer, Interdisciplinary Researcher, as well as an English and Chinese Language Teacher and Translator.

A. In February 2021, due to COVID-19, I resigned from my professor job which marked a significant turning point in my life. Leaving behind a high-paying job, I integrated my expertise and experience to develop a comprehensive brain training program applicable across various fields. This unexpected turn allowed me to assist a broader group of people in different domains. For me, challenges are opportunities.

Although I left a stable job, it opened me up to greater possibilities in my life and career. It also highlighted my capability to aid a wider spectrum of people, facilitating both self-fulfillment for myself and helping others achieve self-realization.

I am grateful for my change of mindset because in everyone’s life, there are moments when we all encounter obstacles. If one can approach them with a positive attitude, embracing change gracefully, I believe that one will discover a more beautiful landscape.

A. By integrating the knowledge I gained in the United States with research conducted in the Taiwanese public sector, I have developed my unique brain courses. My instruction is designed to help clients and students enhance their learning abilities, performance, creativity, cognitive abilities, integrative capability, and skills to translate abstract concepts into concrete applications.

Regardless of the discipline or context, the courses aim to enhance brain efficiency—much like upgrading a computer. I combine neuroscience, interdisciplinary research, and the essence of human learning to explore the mechanisms of learning. I aim to help individuals enhance their “learning-to-learn” abilities and achieve tangible performance improvements across various fields.

My “Core Competencies” course has all-encompassing and far-reaching effects, benefiting individuals across diverse fields. This includes software and hardware engineers (including those in AI and semiconductor fields), leadership positions, trainers, professionals, learners, and trainees from various backgrounds. It even caters to individuals seeking to achieve mental and physical balance.

The benefits of the course include making the brain smarter, enhancing comprehensive thinking, fostering creativity and insight, and understanding how to maximize brain efficiency. This represents the strategic and core level of learning, which is distinct from conventional learning methods.

My “Mindful Aesthetics” course integrates principles derived from interdisciplinary research in neuroscience, psychology, and education on how people learn, incorporating unique mindfulness stress reduction and cognitive training techniques. These methods regulate the mind, brain, and emotions, fundamentally enhancing clients’ and students’ intuitive inspiration and creative innovation abilities across various professional fields. The course enhances clients’ and students’ organizational planning, problem-solving, team collaboration, and communication skills.

A. Throughout my academic journey in Taiwan and the United States, I have always been grateful for the support of my family. I graduated from National Taiwan University (NTU) in June 2004. NTU is one of the top public universities both in Taiwan and in the world.

Majoring in Chinese Literature during my undergraduate studies deepened my interest in language. This laid a solid foundation for my studies at UCR University Extension and later for my career as an educator.

At UCR University Extension, I made connections with numerous friends and professionals from Taiwan, the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and various parts of the world. This global network has enabled me to collaborate with some of the world’s top individuals and learn from them. It is safe to say that UCR University Extension marked the beginning of my career.

My six years of study and work in the United States provided me with an international perspective and cross-cultural empathy. This experience has allowed me to integrate Eastern and Western values, drawing on the strengths of each. As a result, I have gained a broader and deeper understanding of my professional career and life philosophy, which is crucial for an educator like me.

I better understand the psychological needs of students, can address their problems more closely, and provide them with solutions. At the same time, I will never forget the friends, teachers, and people I met. My time in the US was one of the happiest phases of my life.

A. Among the five quarters I attended UCR University Extension, three instructors stand out in my memory: Chris Hartzell, Don Orf, and Greg McCoy. I am deeply grateful for the significant roles they have played in my professional career.

These instructors had a profound and positive impact on me, showing me that becoming an educator involves not only advancing in professional knowledge but also considering teaching style and methods, which can significantly influence student learning.

A. One of the most exciting and rewarding moments of my career so far was when a highly experienced English teacher and doctoral student in English took my course, “Core Competencies of Global Performance.” She assisted one of her students in reducing the student’s study time by half, and this student progressed from failing grades in English to scoring in the 80s.

The other most exciting and rewarding moment of my career has been earning a Doctor of Education degree from La Sierra University in the United States in June 2013, and teaching graduate Neuroeducation courses from 2011 to 2013. This experience allowed me to expand my expertise in the field of neuroscience, helping me gain a deeper understanding of teaching methods and techniques.

A. In September 2014, one year after earning my Doctor of Education degree from the United States, I was honored and grateful to deliver a speech to several hundred young students at the auditorium of my alma mater, Taipei Municipal Huajiang Senior High School. What truly gave me a sense of accomplishment wasn’t the size of the audience, but the opportunity to contribute to the world through sharing my own educational journey and experiences with these young students, all of whom represent future potential successes.

I hope to become someone who contributes to the world, to humanity, and to the lives of many others. I aim to share my experiences of overcoming difficulties with those in need, hoping that no one else has to go through the same hardships I did, or at least that people facing similar challenges can find the courage and methods to overcome them and find happiness and success in life.

Additionally, in 2020, I was privileged to publish an international journal article in ESCI, representing a groundbreaking synthesis of theories and disciplines. I am confident that my expertise uniquely qualifies me to make substantial contributions to the world and humanity, fostering innovation and driving impactful advancements at the intersection of AI, Technology (Chips, Semiconductors, and more), Neuroscience, Language, and Education.

A. The greatest challenge I have faced during my career was when I served as a postdoctoral researcher at Taiwan’s National Academy of Civil Service in 2015. At that time, I was responsible for two ministry-level research sub-projects.

As a postdoctoral researcher at the time, I functioned as a project manager with research-oriented responsibilities, primarily tasked with training middle- to high-ranking government officials in Taiwan. Additionally, I promoted collaborations between industry, government, and academia due to partnerships with other professors, researchers, companies, and organizations. In less than a year, I was able to improve my skills in self-time management, team collaboration, communication, cross-functional coordination, organizational planning, and leadership.

Due to the constraints of the research project schedule, I cultivated my execution efficiency, self-management skills, and sharp decision-making abilities. As a result of such experiences, my adaptability and ability to learn improved, making me realize the value of lifelong learning. The work experience strengthened my awareness of diversity, empathy, critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills, evaluation, and feedback abilities, as well as the consciousness of continuous learning.

Rather than labeling it the greatest challenge during my career, it might be more accurate to call it the biggest growth opportunity in my career.

A. In 2007, I initially planned to stay at UCR University Extension for only three months but ended up staying in the United States for six years. Eventually, I earned a Doctor of Education degree with a specialization in Brain, Affect, and Education. It was something I couldn’t have imagined when I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Chinese Literature in 2004.

Life is unpredictable and full of surprises, but if we remain kind, continuously learn and strive, and work towards making the world and everyone in it better, life will be bright.

Choose your career path based on your talents, interests, expertise, and personality traits, and follow your heart. Do not be discouraged by temporary setbacks; success will eventually come.

Discover your own value, exercise, sleep well, maintain a balanced diet, regulate your emotions well, and become someone who radiates warm energy. Do not be afraid of making mistakes; life is not always smooth sailing, but often, different paths lead to the same destination.

A. Drawing on my interdisciplinary expertise in neuroscience, education, linguistics, psychology, and human resources training, as well as my international professional experience as a Postdoctoral Researcher and Professor in Asia, I specialize in training professionals and learners across diverse domains.

My focus is on fostering innovation, adaptation, intuitive insights, and overall comprehensive performance. I excel in fostering interdisciplinary integrative innovation among clients and students and assist them in identifying and solving complex problems by integrating both related and unrelated knowledge.

Within the international brain courses I am teaching, I offer diverse and empathetic perspectives, nurturing clients’ and students’ capacities to establish effective team communication and collaboration within their professional contexts through cognitive enhancement. I also offer training for sales personnel and analysts, aiming to enhance their overall professional competence and innovative problem-solving skills.

I provide training for supervisors to develop comprehensive leadership abilities and innovative critical thinking skills. While serving as a postdoctoral researcher with multiple roles, I concurrently conducted research, managed projects, taught in a leadership training and development program, and fostered collaborations between academia, industry, and government sectors. I have also pursued a portfolio career for more than 23 years.

I not only help enhance organizational performance through my international brain courses but also aid clients and students in achieving excellence within their respective organizations. With my diverse background and more than 20 years of teaching experience, I enrich teams and organizations, contributing significantly to the advancement of their applications. My interdisciplinary expertise plays a pivotal role in driving meaningful advancements in cutting-edge methodologies and technologies.

My expertise also encompasses neuroscience, neuroeducation, neurolinguistics, collaborative learning, general psychology, fractal theory, and brain science, with a specific focus on understanding how people learn and the mechanisms of learning in the brain.

My knowledge extends to cognitive science, psycholinguistics, neuropsychology, Train-the-Trainer (TTT), and human resources, with a focus on leadership training and performance evaluation, including assessing training effectiveness. I also specialize in cognitive, mindfulness, creativity, and inspiration training, and I have a background in educational psychology, curriculum and instruction, English teaching (TESOL), and Chinese teaching (TCSOL).

In addition to my professionalism in research and teaching, I leverage my expertise in neuroscience and other fields to provide valuable support to private enterprises. This support extends to assisting hardware and software engineers, as well as Research & Development professionals across diverse domains. These domains encompass projects related to various fields, including AI research, interface design, business model development, healthcare, emerging experiences, semiconductors, the internet, neurolinguistics, medical aesthetics, applied medical design, education, aerospace technology, business administration, and even the mind, body, and spirit.

My objective is to enhance individuals’ creativity, intuition, inspiration, innovation, critical thinking, analytical skills, communication abilities, teamwork, and problem-solving capabilities, especially among organizational members.

I offer individuals and organizations a range of benefits, including enhanced creativity, problem-solving abilities, a 50% reduction in costs, and a doubling of performance across various contexts. These services extend to improving talent qualities, labor productivity, and resource efficiency in areas such as AI, semiconductors, technology, healthcare, education, and beyond.

I am also a translator proficient in English to Chinese and Chinese to English translation, as well as a certified Chinese and English language instructor with international certifications, providing services to organizations and individuals of diverse ages, levels, and needs worldwide.

I have spent a considerable amount of time as an instructor and tutor outside my formal work experiences, covering a diverse range of subjects such as the languages of English and Chinese, English composition, and Chinese composition. In addition to the mentioned subjects, I also teach knowledge and skills related to learning techniques, memory methods, and how to improve performance in both academic settings and professional contexts.

Just as in my instruction in other scenarios such as teaching K-12, university, graduate, and adult students, my focus extended beyond traditional teaching—I dedicated my efforts to helping students enhance their learning skills, master memorization strategies, and bridge knowledge gaps.

I didn’t just stick to the textbooks or traditional materials; instead, I embraced interactive instructional methods, crafted personalized lesson plans, and brought in real-world examples to make the learning experience engaging and practical for my students at different ages and levels.

A. The sum of all my learning, work, and life experiences up to now has brought me to this point today. I owe gratitude to my family and everyone I have encountered along the way. Every bit of effort and every step in this journey have been entirely worthwhile.

I hope to contribute to the positive advancement of world technology and human civilization through my interdisciplinary expertise and brain training skills, making the world and the universe more harmonious and beautiful and filled with love and the energy of happiness.

In order to assist more people and contribute to the betterment of human civilization, I hope to collaborate with professionals from diverse fields, including medicine and medical aesthetics, law, psychology, philosophy, physics, chemistry, science, AI, technology, marketing, mind-body wellness, linguistics, education and training, aerospace, space exploration, creative writing, mass communication, and other domains, for interdisciplinary research and practical applications.

Throughout my life, my aspiration has always been to benefit humanity, and concurrently, in my academic and career journey, I have consistently pursued excellence. My MA & EdD degrees were completed with a GPA of 4.0. The two Chinese Teaching certification courses I completed in 2017 were with a score of 90 (with 85 and above being the highest level of Distinction). During high school, I also graduated with the highest honor in the class, the Mayor’s Award. While serving as a professor in Asia, I taught university students using teaching methods learned in the United States, along with insights gained from my own years of experience. These approaches garnered student recognition, with satisfaction rates exceeding 90%.

I also gained significant personal growth from my interactions with my students, acquiring traits such as empathy, an understanding of diverse learning needs, and a multidimensional perspective. This enables me to better serve both my clients and students, now and in the future.

I will continue to remain humble and learn from this world and strive for excellence to better serve it.

A. I believe that every human being is pursuing self-actualization, and the ultimate value of one’s existence lies in helping others achieve self-actualization as one is pursuing his/her own. Therefore, I am grateful to the world for giving me the opportunity to accomplish such a feat, and this is what brings me the greatest joy.

Throughout my life, what has brought me happiness overall is the ability to help others. Therefore, I seize every moment of life as a learning opportunity to empower myself to better assist others.

In the context of teaching, what makes me happy is seeing the growth of my students. One memorable instance was that, in my early teaching years, I encountered a challenge with a female adult student struggling to grasp English pronunciation. Recognizing the difficulty she faced, I decided to incorporate collaborative learning techniques and asked her to practice with her peer.

To my surprise, the result exceeded my expectation. Through the interactive exercise, the female adult student not only improved her pronunciation skills but also developed a sense of confidence. Witnessing the positive impact of collaborative learning on language acquisition was truly gratifying and reinforced my belief in the effectiveness of innovative teaching approaches.

In terms of personal growth, what makes me happy in my own learning journey is that I can learn from the people I interact with and meet. I have always believed in the concept of learning from teaching. My students and trainees are also my teachers.

Apart from training middle- to high-ranking government officials while I worked at the National Academy of Civil Service in Taiwan, in 2016, I also served as a counselor there for a class of the Basic Training Program for Level Three Special Civil Service Examination Qualifiers for Local Governments.

I learned a lot from these trainees. Each of them possessed good character traits and different expertise. By dividing them into heterogeneous groups, I created diverse teams. The quality and efficiency with which they completed tasks never ceased to amaze me. Until now, I still recall the process of their discussions and problem-solving at that time, which often provides me with new inspiration.

Now I am happy because I know I can help people around the world. I can assist my clients and students professionally. Through my knowledge, learning, and professional experience, I strive to make the world and human civilization better because of my presence, and I am doing so. Of course, I will continue to do so in the future.

We are always inspired by our graduates. Dr. Ya-Wei Lin is no exception. He came to the US for a three-month English language program and ended up staying six years. We sometimes never know where life will take us, but we are happy that life brought Dr. Lin to the UCR University Extension family.

If you would like more information about Dr. Ya-Wei Lin’s work and initiatives, reach out to him on Facebook, LinkedIn, or via email. Learn more about his courses.

Ya-Wei Lin (Kyohei Wada)
Global Brain Trainer and Neuroeducator for AI/Chip/Semiconductor Engineers and Professionals, Taiwan
B.A., Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University (NTU)
M.A., Curriculum and Instruction, La Sierra University
Ed.S., Curriculum and Instruction, La Sierra University
Ed.D., Brain, Affect and Education, La Sierra University
Graduate, TESOL Professional Certificate Program, UCR University Extension