Kunal Nepali, a pharmaceutical scientist from India, was earlier this month awarded the Plum Blossom Card in recognition of his contributions to research on the treatment of gout and hyperuricemia cancers, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday.
The special permanent residency card is given to foreign nationals who have made special contributions to Taiwan, have high-level professional or technical skills needed by Taiwan, or have invested more than NT$15 million (US$508,268) in the country.
Cardholders are also eligible to pursue a simplified application process for Republic of China citizenship, the NIA said.
Nepali, 35, is one of 119 foreign nationals to be awarded the Plum Blossom Card since it was introduced in 2009, it said.
An assistant professor at Taipei Medical University (TMU), Nepali in 2014 moved to Taiwan to join a cancer research team led by TMU professor Liou Jing-ping (劉景平), the NIA said in a statement.
Since then, he has contributed to the development of drugs for the treatment of gout and hyperuricemia cancers, it said, adding that Nepali’s contributions have been greatly beneficial to patients and researchers.
He has also received outstanding contribution awards from international scientific journals, including Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters and The European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, for his work as a reviewer, the NIA said.
Nepali’s wife, Ritu Ojha, also studied at TMU and received a doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences in 2018, the NIA said, adding that the couple and their child would like to apply for Republic of China citizenship in the future.
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