CHM(computer history museum) have conducted an oral history interview with TSMC found Morris Chang in 2007. Chang told his personal Odyssey in this interview, from inner China to Taiwan, studying and working at US, PhD application refused by MIT, but luckily he choose a fast rocket track in the industry, after he accumulated enough wealth, industry insight, connections etc... He returned to Taiwan to found TMSC, else is the story. Also he compared Asian and American engineering styles:
"I think the Asian engineers tend to be more methodical, they tend to be more studious, more orderly engineers; whereas, the U.S. engineers tend to be more innovative, but they tend not to be as methodical and orderly as the Asian engineers. ......
On the other hand, I also think that one group can accompany another group, you know. You can have an innovative group but not so methodical and so on, and then you can have a methodical group maybe not very innovative accompanying each other.
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"I think the Asian engineers tend to be more methodical, they tend to be more studious, more orderly engineers; whereas, the U.S. engineers tend to be more innovative, but they tend not to be as methodical and orderly as the Asian engineers. ......
On the other hand, I also think that one group can accompany another group, you know. You can have an innovative group but not so methodical and so on, and then you can have a methodical group maybe not very innovative accompanying each other. "
https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/20...