UCC Partners with 5 Universities to Actively Cultivate Industry Elites

UCC Partners with 5 Universities to Actively Cultivate Industry Elites

On the 17th of July, UCC Group’s Taiwan company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taipei University of Marine Technology, Shih Hsin University, Minghsin University of Science and Technology, Kun Shan University, and Taipei City University of Science and Technology. The signing ceremony took place at COFFEE LOVER’s PLANET, UCC’s flagship store. UCC Coffee aims to leverage its core philosophy of “champions nurturing champions” by providing young students with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the coffee industry, embrace innovation, and continue exploring. This initiative aligns with UCC Group’s commitment to nurturing global talent and sustaining the transmission of expertise.

Seisuke Ueshima, Executive Managing Director of UCC Holdings, remarked that the signing of this MOU is a significant milestone in UCC Coffee’s efforts to cultivate the next generation of coffee professionals in Taiwan. UCC is dedicated to spreading coffee culture and excellence through education, innovation, and sustainable development. By combining UCC’s professional knowledge with university collaborations, young coffee professionals are expected to achieve great success in the industry.

Eiji Itoyama, General Manager of UCC Taiwan, shared the group’s values and passion for its champion talent development program. He mentioned that they are currently expanding their outreach to young people, with students getting acquainted with the coffee world through foundational courses. Ambitious baristas can share experiences and collaborate through these partnerships, fostering a new generation of outstanding coffee enthusiasts and potential champion baristas.

Having been established for over 90 years, UCC’s core is its team of highly skilled experts and world-class baristas. The team includes seven members, such as 2017 World Siphonist Champion and current UCC Champion Team Coach, Yang Yi Shan; 2023 World Siphonist Championship runner-up and double champion of Japan’s Brewing and Siphon Championships, Chikako Nakai; 2023 World Latte Art Championship third place winner and 2020 National Latte Art Champion, Lin Shao Sing; Hong Kong Siphon Champion, Elaine Wong; Thailand Latte Art Champion, Nutthinee Jearranan; 2023 Taiwan Hand Brewing Championship winner, Chen Jun Hong; and 2024 Thailand Brewers Cup Champion, Kittanai Kongtanarak. All these champions attended the event to support the champion talent development program.

The UCC champion barista team, alongside student representatives from the five universities, including Lai Li Hong, the first student representative from Taiwan to place sixth in the 2024 World Coffee Championship, engaged in exchanges and practical demonstrations. Together, they witnessed the significant event marking champion talent development and industry-academic cooperation.

Moving forward, UCC Coffee will continue to consolidate group resources and establish long-term collaborations with more schools. The aim is to nurture coffee-loving students, enhance their professional skills, encourage these outstanding talents to step onto the international stage, and fulfill corporate and university social responsibilities (USR, CSR), thereby advancing sustainable mutual benefit.