Biochemist Wong Chi-huey (翁啟惠) yesterday assumed office as the ninth president of Academia Sinica, the top research institute in the country.
Wong, who was director of the institute's Genomics Research Center until Wednesday, has been recognized by world-class research institutes for his pioneering work on the elegant fusion of chemistry and biology for organic synthesis, especially of complex carbohydrates, glycoproteins and enzyme inhibitors.
Welcoming Wong as his successor, outgoing Academica Sinica president Lee Yuan-tseh (
PHOTO: CNA
Lee was a co-winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
During a ceremony marking his appointment to the post, Wong spelled out four goals to help turn Academia Sinica into a research institute on a par with the world's best.
The four goals Wong put forward were: improving the institute's research environment, expediting academic exchanges between Academia Sinica and other research institutions in Taiwan and overseas, nurturing the institute's research personnel and using the institute to upgrade Taiwan's research capacity and standards.
Three other academics were also sworn in as vice presidents yesterday: Andrew Wang (王惠鈞), Liu Chao-han (劉兆漢) and Liu Tsui-jung (劉翠溶).
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS