October 6, 2016
No.221
Dr. Michael Matlosz, President and Chief Executive Officer of the French National Research Agency (ANR), will visit Taiwan between October 4 and October 7, at the invitation of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Dr Matlosz will be accompanied by Dr. Nakita Vodjdani, head of European and international affairs at the ANR. During this trip, they aim to gain a deeper understanding of the science and technology policies of the Republic of China (Taiwan), as well as current developments in scientific research, which will facilitate future cooperation.
The visitors will call at Academia Sinica, the Ministry of Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu Science Park, and the Industrial Technology Research Institute as well as visit the National Palace Museum. They will also attend a luncheon hosted by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chih-Chung Wu in their honor .
Prior to assuming his current post in 2014, President Matlosz, a chemical engineering expert, was the ANR’s Deputy Scientific Director General, a position he took up in 2013. While this is his first trip to Taiwan, Dr. Vodjdani has visited Taiwan before.
Established by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research in 2005, the ANR is responsible for overseeing and executing research projects of France. It also reviews and funds both basic and applied research programs in all scientific fields to bolster France’s strength in science and technology, expedite knowledge creation and transfer, strengthen cross-disciplinary cooperation between industry and academia, foster young talents, and promote partnerships between countries in Europe and elsewhere.
The ROC Ministry of Science and Technology and the ANR have signed bilateral cooperation agreements to promote joint research. In addition, since the Prix Scientifique de la Fondation Franco-Taiwanaise was set up by the ROC Ministry of Science and Technology and the French Academy of Sciences in 1999, awards have been issued each year to encourage creation and innovation in science and technology, as well as research cooperation between the two countries. The scientific communities of both nations have attached great importance to this award. In the future, Taiwan and France will continue to strengthen bilateral scientific cooperation on the basis of existing close exchanges. (E)