Academia Sinica Logo

Dear Colleagues,

Academia Sinica is renowned for its outstanding research environment, and through the collective efforts of our staff, we have made significant strides across a variety of disciplines. Each of you has played a vital role in sharing research outcomes with both the academic community and the public through various channels, such as academic papers, press releases, conferences, popular science lectures, and open house events.

However, opportunities for our researchers to present their findings and visions to experts from different fields, as well as to their colleagues, remain relatively rare. This gap in interdisciplinary exchange may limit our ability to tackle increasingly complex scientific challenges in the long term. It could also hinder our relationships with both domestic and international academic communities, and affect our ability to attract and retain top talent.

To address this, a decision was made during this year's Academic Far-sighted Meeting to establish the AS Conferences (Academia Sinica Academic Conferences) as a premier platform for academic exchange. This biennial event, scheduled for the year following the Academia Sinica Convocation of Academicians, will serve as the highest-level forum for showcasing and exchanging academic achievements.

A Preparatory Committee has been established to plan this grand event. The primary goal of the conference is to build a sense of community and belonging. The inaugural AS Conference will be held from June 30 to July 3, 2025, at the Humanities Building over four days. The morning sessions will feature Plenary Sessions, jointly organized by the three academic divisions, while the afternoon sessions will consist of parallel meetings organized either by individual research units or in collaboration with related units. These sessions will offer opportunities for presenting research outcomes and engaging in talent recruitment.

Speakers for the Plenary Sessions will be selected by each research unit from nominations of the most forward-thinking and representative teams or individuals. A selection committee comprising unit directors and representatives will vote on the nominees. Being chosen to speak at the Plenary Session is a major recognition of the nominee's research achievements and is considered the highest honor within the Academy. Additionally, selected speakers may be invited to present at the subsequent year's Convocation of Academicians. This initiative will also lay the foundation for our centennial celebrations in 2028.

For the inaugural conference, we will primarily invite colleagues from within Academia Sinica. In future editions, we may extend invitations to prominent scholars from both domestic and international academic circles. We encourage each institute and research center to consider linking their internal evaluation meetings with this event to streamline administrative processes.

The goals and spirit of the conference have been communicated to the directors of each institute and research center, who are tasked with selecting Plenary Session speakers and proposing afternoon sessions by the start of next year. We warmly encourage all colleagues to actively participate in this exciting initiative.

Should you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to contact the directors of your affiliated research unit or members of the preparatory committee.

2025 AS Conference Preparatory Committee Members:

1.   Central Administrative Office:
    Executive Secretary Kay-Hooi Khoo, Director Tzu-Ching Meng, Director Chien-Chang Chen, Director Kuo-Shiang Tseng, Director Ling-Jyh Chen 
2.   Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division:
    Director Hsin-Chou Yang, Distinguished Research Fellow Shih-Hsien Yu, Research Fellow Yi-Chung Tung 
3.   Life Sciences Division:
    Director Chi-Hon Lee, Deputy Director Yun-Ru (Ruby) Chen, Associate Research Fellow Chung-Ju Rachel Wang
4.   Humanities and Social Sciences Division:
    Director Hsiang-Lin Lei, Research Fellow Wen-Chin Wu, Research Fellow Yen-Hsin Alice Cheng

We look forward to your active participation in this new initiative.

  Warm regards,

James C. Liao
President
December 03, 2024