Dr. Sir Paul Nurse (2001 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine)
Dr. James C. Liao, President of Academia Sinica
February 11, 2026, Wednesday, 14:00
International Conference Hall (3F), Humanities and Social Sciences Building (HSSB), Academia Sinica
Government employees participating in the lecture will receive certification for lifelong learning and 2 hours of study credit.
Mr. Chang, Department of International Affairs, Academia Sinica Tel: (02) 2789-9895
In this lecture Dr. Sir Paul Nurse will consider the question “What is Life?” by discussing five great ideas of biology, ranging from the ‘Cell’ to ‘the Logic of Life’. By considering these concepts a direction of ravel is set towards a definition of life. “All life, including ourselves, is connected to all other life,” Dr. Nurse said. “But we are the only lifeform that is able to reflect on the meaning of that connection. We must protect all life on earth, and to do that we need to understand it.”
Dr. Sir Richard J. Roberts (1993 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine)
Dr. James C. Liao, President of Academia Sinica
February 5, 2026, Thursday, 14:00
Auditorium B1C, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica
Government employees participating in the lecture will receive certification for lifelong learning and 2 hours of study credit.
Mr. Chang, Department of International Affairs, Academia Sinica Tel: (02) 2789-9895
When Monsanto first attempted to introduce GMO seeds into Europe, it encountered strong opposition from Green parties and their political allies, who feared that American agribusiness was poised to take control of Europe’s food supply. This opposition sparked a large-scale campaign not against the true target, Monsanto itself, but against a surrogate target: GMOs. Dr. Roberts argues that by deliberately ignoring the scientific evidence underlying GMOs and by portraying exaggerated and frightening scenarios about their potential dangers, political motivations have slowed the widespread adoption of these technologies—often to the detriment of the developing world. Increased productivity of nutritious crops can help alleviate hunger and malnutrition, and can also contribute to mitigating climate change by removing CO₂ and methane from the atmosphere.
TAIWAN BRIDGES Lecture by Nobel Laureate: “Is There a Planet B – Will Humanity Emigrate to an Exoplanet?”
Dr. Michel Mayor (2019 Nobel Laureate in Physics)
Dr. James C. Liao, President of Academia Sinica
Dr. Pen, Ue-Li, Director, Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics
January 22, 2026, Thursday, 14:00
International Conference Hall (3F), Humanities and Social Sciences Building (HSSB), Academia Sinica
https://forms.gle/SANwVpmc5HirdVqt7
Government employees participating in the lecture will receive certification for lifelong learning and 2 hours of study credit.
Mr. Chang, Department of International Affairs, Academia Sinica Tel: (02) 2789-9895
Three decades after the discovery of the first planet orbiting a star like our sun, several thousand planetary systems have been discovered. Does life exist elsewhere in the cosmos? Advances in spectroscopic studies of exoplanets suggest that the search for extraterrestrial life is possible. Millions of “habitable” rocky planets exist in our galaxy. These are planets with all the characteristics required for the complex development of the chemistry that could give rise to life. Can humanity dream of emigrating to an Earth B?
Dr. Serge Haroche (2012 Nobel Laureate in Physics)
Dr. Mei-Yin Chou, Vice President of Academia Sinica
Dr. Yu-Ju Lin, Associate Research Fellow, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica
January 16, 2026, Friday, 14:00
International Conference Hall (3F), Humanities and Social Sciences Building (HSSB), Academia Sinica
https://forms.gle/znjx9iQyxbxVkTCU9
Government employees participating in the lecture will receive certification for lifelong learning and 2 hours of study credit.
Mr. Chang, Department of International Affairs, Academia Sinica Tel: (02) 2789-9895
Exactly a hundred years ago, in January 1926, Schrödinger discovered the famous equation bearing his name which marked the birth of quantum physics. Among all the inventions born of this physics, the laser occupies an important place, both for the rich history of discoveries that led to its birth, and for the role it plays today in fundamental and applied research. This history began at the time of the “old quantum theory” with Einstein's discovery of stimulated emission in 1916 and Stern's discovery of the spatial quantization of the atomic angular momentum in 1922. Nuclear magnetic resonance (1945), optical pumping (1952), atomic clocks and the maser (1954) followed, leading in 1960 to the invention of the laser. This extraordinary light source plays an essential role in many modern technologies. It has also opened up fields of research in blue sky science that could not have been imagined at the time of its birth. We owe to it the cooling and trapping of atoms, the study of quantum gases of bosons and fermions, the discovery of gravitational waves and the manipulation of individual quantum particles, which has led to current research into quantum simulation and quantum computing. The laser may also provide answers to fundamental questions about the link between quantum physics and gravitation, or about the nature of the hypothetical dark matter. The rich history of the laser is a vivid illustration of the close link between fundamental research and technology.
Ms. Nadia Murad (2018 Nobel Peace Laureate)
Hosted by Dr. James C. Liao, President of Academia Sinica
Moderated by Dr. Mei-Hua Chen, Dean and Distinguished Professor,
Department of Sociology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan
December 1, 2025, Monday, 14:00
Second Conference Room (3F), Humanities and Social Sciences Building (HSSB), Academia Sinica
https://forms.gle/E2C4dAi9ewUimNb88
Government employees participating in the lecture will receive certification for lifelong learning and 2 hours of study credit.
Mr. Chang, Department of International Affairs, Academia Sinica
Tel: (02) 2789-9895
This discussion explores the various stakeholders who can impact the global fight against conflict-related sexual violence. Led by Nadia Murad, the discussion will highlight the roles of governments, NGOs, community leaders and survivors in advocacy efforts. Attendees will gain insight into the collaborative approaches essential for driving systemic change and the importance of inclusive dialogue in addressing this pervasive issue.
“The End of Disease? – The Extraordinary Developments in Biomedicine and the Implications for Humanity”
Dr. Roger Kornberg (2006 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry)
Dr. James C. Liao, President of Academia Sinica
November 20, 2025, Thursday, 14:00
International Conference Hall (3F), Humanities and Social Sciences Building (HSSB), Academia Sinica
Government employees participating in the lecture will receive certification for lifelong learning and 2 hours of study credit.
Mr. Chang, Department of International Affairs, Academia Sinica Tel: (02) 2789-9895
As the problem of COVID 19 recedes into the background and public concern recedes with it, the problem of global pandemics, however, has not changed, and there is deep concern among health authorities that a far more dangerous pandemic is developing now and may soon be upon us. In his lecture, Professor Kornberg will present a remarkable solution to the problem of future pandemic preparedness. Implementation of this solution by governments and industry will assure that there will never be another pandemic. Besides, exposure to PM2.5 is the single greatest threat to human health globally, killing over 10 million people every year and costing the global economy upward of $8T. Professor Kornberg will present an ingenious software solution that can empower people all over the globe to protect themselves at little cost and with relative ease.