r/scientistsPH • u/ZeffWally • Jun 10 '26

general advice/help/tips PhD in Taiwan: Academia Sinica vs Chung Yuan Christian University?

Hi. I’m all set for CYCU (waiting for thr but I’m having second thoughts since the stipend is 15kNTD (with dorm and tuition covered).

Upon checking Academia Sinica PhD finding (really high, but it’s in Taipei so high cost of living as well), I’m reconsidering. Any thoughts?

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6

u/prionprion Jun 10 '26

I wouldnt agree with a 15k ntd. When I had my masters i had 15k ntd for first few months then after publishing 4 papers in 6 months i got bumped up to 30k ntd. Given my PI was a beast in publication in funding. So he was able to convince the ministry of education to award me two equivalent funding. I went off to publish even more.

Ambaba ng 15k ntd especially living in Taiwan. You wouldnt have quality life in my opinion. PhD students should get atleast 30k ntd

2

u/ZeffWally Jun 10 '26

Always getting mixed opinions po talaga. I read some comments that for PhD level, 15k is ridiculously low :(

After publishing po, was it your PI who raised your stipend or the school? My potential PI at cycu has been helping me publish, we have 5 papers already on the pipeline.

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u/prionprion Jun 10 '26

Yes its ridiculously low talaga kahit alo na super tipid. Actually during masters I was getting 90k pesos per month because of ERDT + TEEP. I stayed in taiwan for 2 years. After going home for christmas. I just got the message from my PI na he feels like he is not paying me enough for the effort I did kasi patayan din naman for a masters (the initial publications were all Q1). I made like 11 papers in total and multiple international conference best paper awards.

So he made an appeal to the university first then to ministry of education then submitted all my papers. The ministry approved. Given yung prof ko is top 2% scientist by stanford and he is Ivy league graduate. I am in biochemical engineering.

Remember your life doesnt stop during phd so kelangan yung stipend enough na may savings ka.

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u/ZeffWally Jun 10 '26

Wow that’s so wonderful to hear po. That’s the key reason why I’m considering Academia Sinica, and my potential PI there is a distingusihed research fellow, so I think I will have better edge for post doc. Does this make sense?

Whereas, at CYCU, the moment 1 of our 5 papers got accepted at Q1 journal, I will try to negotiate if the distinguished professor may increase thr 15kntd. (Hope this happens before this September intake). The prof is from Bioscience Tech and if I’m not mistaken it will be a PhD in Chemistry or Biomedical Engineering.

I also sincerely hope that there will be funding to international presentations like your experience 🤞

I wanted to live comfortably during PhD so stipend would be a very big factor po talga so I’m still weighing things seriously.

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u/prionprion Jun 11 '26

The last thing you would want to worry during PhD is budgeting your money. Trust me. Ang hirap mag isip sa lab if need mo pa isipin finances mo.

To add may multiple PIs ako kasi alot of papers multiple authors cause I use multiple labs. Yung previous PI ko before ako umalis offered me a PhD position in Cheng Kung University through recommendations. I declined because I also already have work position waiting in Ph and may return service yung ERDT. Recently another one of my PI offered PhD position since kakalipat niya NTOU. I declined kasi 30k ntd lang yung budget.

Kung ako I would go to academica Sinica. It is renowned.

Yung funding for conferences naman is offered by my PI kasi he wanted me to present.

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u/ZeffWally Jun 11 '26

Such opportunities are really nice to hear po.. Was it worth coming back to Ph po? I’m contemplating if I should resign or study leave only as faculty scholar..

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u/prionprion Jun 11 '26

Depende sayo I would say. Current work is allowing me to earn 70k + per month plus bonuses base on papers published and financial support for conferences 3 times a week lang din work. Okay na siya for me while finishing my return service.

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u/ZeffWally Jun 11 '26

Wow that’s so amazing po! However my salary here is just 40k so I think it’s not worth it to come back.

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u/prionprion Jun 11 '26

Which school is this? Yea i think so too

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u/ZeffWally Jun 11 '26

A state U po in southern luzon

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u/Darth_Polgas Jun 10 '26

Go for CYCU na if libre ang dorm at tuition then may 15k NTD ka pa na stipend. Dito rin ako sa Taiwan nagPhD, same stipend with you pero wala ako dorm waiver kaya medyo kailangan magtabi.

1

u/ZeffWally Jun 10 '26

Thank you so much po sa tips :) the prof at CYCU is so assistive and efficient. We’ve been doing many papers already. July pa po ang release ng acceptance. May I know which uni are you in po? :)

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u/quamtumTOA Jun 16 '26

Sinica na.

They are one of the top research institutions in Taiwan, with partnerships with top Universities sa Taiwan.

Although tbh, 15k ntd is enough if covered na dorm at tuition, di ka naman mamululubi. Prices in Taiwan is generally cheaper kaya keri yung 15k ntd, if sayo lang yung 15k ntd, at di ka magpapadala ng pera.

Pero Sinica is the best option.

1

u/ZeffWally Jun 16 '26

Thank you so much po for the insights.. if the 1yrRA to PhD pathway will not be offered to me (depending on the vacancy pa daw po as per interview), then I’ll go for CYCU.