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The Pontifical Academy of Sciences (PAS) held its plenary from September 23rd through the 25th, bringing together more than 60 scientists from around the world to explore science for sustainability and wellbeing in the Anthropocene. Academia Sinica President James C. Liao and Distinguished Research Fellow of the Genomics Research Center, Academician Dr. Chien-jen Chen, were invited to participate. President Liao presented his latest research, “Design and Evolution of New Metabolism for Greenhouse Gas Assimilation,” at the conference. This visit marks a new chapter in scientific exchanges between Taiwan and the Vatican.
Academia Sinica announced today (September 19, 2024) that Academician Chin-shing Huang, former Vice President in the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, has stepped down from his position due to health issues. Distinguished Research and Academician Shin-Kun Peng will be appointed as the new Vice President. The Secretary-General position, previously held by Academician Shin-Kun Peng, has now been assumed by Deputy Secretary-General Chun-Houh Chen.
On September 12, Academia Sinica announced the winners of the first Fellowship for Doctoral Students in Humanities and Social Sciences. Sixteen outstanding Ph.D. students from four universities across Taiwan were selected after a rigorous review process. The scholarship, ranging from NT$40,000 to NT$50,000 per month, offers recipients up to five years of financial support and access to Academia Sinica's academic resources. This is the first national scholarship program in Taiwan specifically for the humanities and social sciences, aimed at reducing financial pressure on students and fostering academic talent.
After a successful three days, from August 29th to the 31st, the 2024 Pacific Neighborhood Consortium (PNC) Annual Conference and Joint Meetings, hosted at Korea University in South Korea, came to a close. The event gathered more than 180 experts and scholars from 13 countries, including Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, the United States, and Germany. The conference focused on the theme “Green, Flow, and Signal: Reconnecting Fragmented Communities in the Age of Digital Transformation.” Participants explored strategic models and community connections in response to the digital transformation.
In the first half of 2024, the resurgence of global merchandise trade and the growing demand for advanced technologies such as high-performance computing and artificial intelligence (AI) revitalized Taiwan's exports and industrial production. This revival pushed economic growth beyond expectations in the first quarter, achieving an annual real GDP growth rate of 6.56%. With a stable recovery expected, the forecast for the 2024 real economic growth rate has been revised upward to 3.88%.
On July 18, the British Academy announced its list of 84 newly elected Fellows for 2024, including 30 International Fellows. Academia Sinica Academician David Der-wei Wang and Distinguished Research Fellow Dr. Joseph Cho Wai Chan were honored as International Fellows, recognizing their significant research contributions.
During embryonic development, cells proliferate rapidly and differentiate to form tissues and organs of multicellular organisms. Paradoxically, since the 19th century, scientists have discovered that these processes that foster the creation of life is often accompanied by large-scale cell death. Why? This is a century-old mystery. Dr. Sheng-hong Chen and his team from the Institute of Molecular Biology's Lab for Cell Dynamics discovered that large-scale cell death occurs through Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-mediated ferroptosis trigger waves, published online in Nature in July 2024.
The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) announced its 2024 Members and Associate Members on July 9, 2024. James Liao, President of Academia Sinica in Taiwan, was elected as an "Associate Member." Liao was one of the 20 scientists outside Europe to receive this prestigious recognition this year. He will attend the induction ceremony in Heidelberg, Germany, in October 2024.
Academia Sinica held its biennial Convocation of Academicians from July 1 to July 4. Newly elected Academicians and Honorary Academicians were announced by President James C. Liao and Conveners for the Convocation of Academicians in the press conference after the closing of the Convocation on July 4. This year, a total of 28 new Academicians and 2 Honorary Academicians were elected.
The 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting will be held from 30 June to 5 July, 2024, in Lindau, Germany. Around 40 Nobel Laureates have been invited to meet 600 young (30 years of age or less) scientists from all over the world to engage in face-to-face discussions.
Academia Sinica (AS) announced the inaugural awardees of the Academia Sinica Scholar Award today (April 1): Professor Li-Wei Kuo, Department of Earth Sciences, National Central University; Professor Kuo-Chang Chen, Department of Mathematics, National Tsing Hua University; Professor Ao-Lin Hsu, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University; and Professor Chen-Ying Huang, Department of Economics, National Taiwan University. Established by Academia Sinica last year, the Academia Sinica Scholar Award recognizes outstanding mid-career, Associate Professors and above from universities in Taiwan and equivalent ranks in Academia Sinica. Each awardee may receive annual research funding of up to 8 million NTD per year for five years. During the project period, external awardees will be jointly appointed under the title of “Academia Sinica Scholar” to promote AS-University collaboration.
As climate change pressures intensify around the world, mountain regions, rich in biodiversity, are facing unprecedented environmental challenges. A new study, published in Nature, opens a new chapter on this crucial issue, revealing the immense pressure mountain ecosystems are under due to global warming.
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