The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Honghong Tinn and her talk "Island Tinkerers: Innovation and Transformation in the Making of Taiwan's Computing Industry" on October 6.
In this seminar, Honghong Tinn will introduce her new, open access book Island Tinkerers: Innovation and Transformation in the Making of Taiwan’s Computing Industry (MIT Press, 2025). Tinn's book tells the critical history of how hobbyists and enthusiasts in Taiwan, including engineers, technologists, technocrats, computer users, and engineers-turned-entrepreneurs, helped transform the country with their hands-on engagement with computers. It was through their creative and ingenious tinkering with computers that they were able to gain a better understanding of the technology, opening the door to future manufacturing endeavors that now include Acer, Foxconn, Asus, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).The talk runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.
