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The conversion, or fixation, of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into biomass and related carbohydrates is an essential process, necessary for all of life. Until a recent publication by Academia Sinica President James C. Liao and his research team, the fixation of CO₂ by photosynthesis was the most effective means for CO₂ conversion on large scale, accounting for most of the CO₂ fixed on Earth. Through this process, carbon in the form of CO₂ is converted to cellular components and biomass during organismal growth. However, the rate of this process is controlled by cellular regulation, which balances CO₂ fixation with cell physiology and growth. This regulation typically is also limited by oxygen sensitivity of key enzymes involved in the carbon fixation process. Liao and his team spent seven years to design an artificial carbon fixation system with CO₂-fixing rate comparable to or better than photosynthesis, in turn transforming CO₂ into reusable chemical products. This achievement was published in the international journal Nature Catalysis in February 2022.

Marking a world-leading breakthrough in bio-energy research, Academia Sinica President James Liao was awarded the Samson-Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation in Alternative Energy and Smart Mobility for Transportation in February of 2021. The ceremony took place in Tel Aviv last November, with President Liao attending virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 2, the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei (ISECO) celebrated the honor with him, with Representative Omer Caspi conferring the award on behalf of the Israeli Prime Minister. President Liao’s recent research largely focused on combining biology and chemistry to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In particular, by redesigning the metabolic pathways that transform greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into fuel or chemical products, his research allows for more efficient use of carbon energy. President Liao hopes that scientific research will move us closer to a future with net zero carbon emissions.

The recent invasion by Russian forces into Ukraine has caused massive casualties for each side. Force of arms has made victims of both Ukrainians and Russians, and nobody in our global village can stay on the sidelines during such tragic events. Freedom, democracy and humanitarian concerns are universal values that we all cherish, and constitute the premise on which open and free academic research becomes possible. As a member of the international scientific community, Academia Sinica objects to any and all acts of violence that destroy world peace and violate human rights. At this point in time, our chief concern is the safety of Ukrainian scholars and students, we hereby call for the worldwide community to do its utmost in supporting them. It is our sincere hope that all of us can strive to restore world peace and the rules-based international order.

In 2021, the world actively promoted the Covid-19 vaccination, the economy has gradually recovered. Domestically, starting from the end of July, spread of the pandemic slowed down. Furthermore, foreign trade continued to expand, mainly driven by acceleration of infrastructure construction and digital transformation in major countries. Real GDP growth rate in Taiwan in the third quarter reached 3.70% and growth in the year 2021 is expected to be 6.04%. Looking forward to 2022, due to supply chain bottlenecks and inflation risk, foreign demand is expected to slow down. However, with the gradual increase in domestic vaccination rate, consumption is expected to pick up. Considering high base period factors, the real economic growth rate in 2022 is expected to be 3.85%.

The Awards Ceremony for the 10th Scholarly Monograph Award in the Humanities and Social Sciences was held on December 9 on the first floor of the Tsai Yuan-Pei Memorial Hall (Faculty Club), Academia Sinica. This year, five books were selected for the award: two in Mandarin and three in English, covering topics such as history, art, and English literature. It was our great pleasure to recognize this year’s award winners, whose thought-provoking books explored a vast range of ideas and challenged preexisting theoretical frameworks.

The names of awardees for the 2021 Academia Sinica Early-Career Investigator Research Achievement Award have been announced, and the Awards Ceremony was held on November 5, with Academia Sinica Vice President Chin-shing Huang presiding and presenting medals and prizes to the awardees. This year, there are a total of 9 awardees: 3 from the Division of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, 3 from the Division of Life Sciences, and 3 from the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences. Each awardee will receive a medal, a NT$300,000 prize and a research grant of NT$300,000.

After a year of anticipation, the finest science carnival in Taiwan -- Academia Sinica Open House -- is ready to go! This year will be the first time that all activities take place online, so you can watch popular science talks and learn about our latest research without having to leave the comfort of your home.

As the global pandemic has not yet ended, this year’s international Pacific Neighborhood Consortium Annual Conference and Joint Meetings (PNC 2021) will be held for the first time as an online virtual conference, from September 28 to 30, 2021. PNC 2021 will be hosted by Academia Sinica. The conference theme will be “Sustainable Digital Heritage.” It will feature 3 keynote speeches from world-class experts, and 17 conference presentation sessions. Over 120 experts from over 10 countries are expected to gather online to explore how we can sustainably preserve cultural heritage and civilization in this age of digital sharing.

The Welch Foundation has announced Academician Chi-Huey Wong as the 2021 recipient of the prestigious Robert A. Welch Award in Chemistry, in honor of his outstanding contributions in chemical research.

Former ROC Vice President Academician Chien-Jen Chen was appointed by Pope Francis as a new member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the second scholar from Taiwan so honored following former Academia Sinica President Yuan-Tseh Lee.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 in Taiwan has highlighted the important roles that collective wisdom and action have played in battles against epidemics throughout history. Following Academia Sinica’s launch of the “Reflections on COVID-19” website this year (2021), its companion result is being published today (July 15), a book entitled Reflections on COVID-19. This work features 19 articles by 20 humanities and social science scholars, whose work contributes valuable knowledge to aid Taiwanese society during this critical period.