President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said he expects the nation’s academics to continue to boost the nation’s scientific research capabilities.
“Academia Sinica, being Taiwan’s highest research institution, has been leading Taiwan forward by offering advice on government policies,” Lai said in his opening address at the 35th Convocation of Academicians, which was attended by more than 200 academicians.
This year’s convocation, which runs until Thursday, is also to elect academicians and honorary academicians of Academia Sinica, the nation’s top academic institution.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
This is the first time the nominees’ Republic of China citizenship had to be verified prior to the election, and also the first time the biennial event was held with full in-person attendance at the institution in Taipei’s Nangang District (南港) since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lai lauded Academia Sinica’s dedication to “cultivating talent for Taiwan in collaboration with universities on more than 100 course programs in the fields of humanities and social sciences.”
Academia Sinica developed the first quantum computer based on 5-quantum-bit chips in Taiwan, further assisting the Industrial Technology Research Institute in developing related modules and components and marking a significant milestone in Taiwan’s technological development, Lai said.
Photo: CNA
To cope with climate change, Academia Sinica collaborated with Taiwan Power Co (台電) in researching methane pyrolysis technology for electricity generation, in addition to cooperating in studies on developing geothermal power, solar power and ocean power to generate electricity, he said.
Academia Sinica also seeks to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) technology into medical and ecological applications in response to Taiwan becoming an “AI island,” while ensuring personal data safety for research fellows to access the information needed, he said.
Lai also thanked the institution for establishing the South Campus in Tainan, where he was elected mayor twice — in 2010 and 2014.
The contributions made by Academia Sinica’s academicians and researchers would lead Taiwan to rival the world’s best in scientific research and bolster the nation’s international influence, he said.
Academia Sinica President James Liao (廖俊智) said the institution has established an AI promotion office and would focus on how it can best be applied to humanities-based research.
The institution will take advantage of its rich humanities and sociology-related database to explore the use of AI in these fields while reviewing its impact on society, he said.
Noting that the AI boom has just started and raises many potential legal and ethical issues, he said that by promoting the deployment of AI in the humanities and social sciences, “we hope to let students who were interested in these areas but turned to AI realize that studying humanities and social sciences is a good way to apply AI.
Additional reporting by CNA
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