Female scientists are often required to juggle their research and family responsibilities, researchers told an awards ceremony on Saturday, urging institutions to implement better work conditions for women.
Female researchers have been known to quickly return home to children from overseas events and work on their theses in a postpartum care center, National Taiwan University (NTU) distinguished professor Lin Yi-yi (林依依) said.
Lin, who won Most Outstanding Researcher at the 14th annual Taiwan Outstanding Women in Science awards ceremony, said that improving work conditions for female scientists would allow them to excel at their research, which in turn would benefit the nation.
Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei Times
The awards ceremony — held jointly by L’Oreal and the Wu Chien-shiung Education Foundation — recognizes female scientists for outstanding achievements in their field.
The Young Scientist of Excellence award was won by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University assistant professor Wu Hsin-chieh (吳欣潔) and NTU assistant professor Chen Yun-nung (陳縕儂).
NTU post-doctoral researcher Chuang Tsao-chi (莊造奇) won a scholarship named for Meng Tsui-chu (孟粹珠), a woman who researched and taught at National Yang-Ming University.
Lin’s research, which includes satellite telemetry, the Earth’s atmosphere and the oceans, analyzes data from typhoon-hunter aircraft and advanced satellite telemetry to study the interaction between ocean waters and typhoons, as well as the effects of global warming on El Nino and La Nina weather phenomena.
Her work was recognized for its contributions to forecasting typhoons, the foundation said.
“Doing research makes me feel like I’m Alice in Wonderland. Every day, there are fascinating discoveries,” she said.
However, institutions must create better environments for female researchers with children, such as allowing meetings to be conducted online, she added.
Wu’s research studies green energy development and applications, including thermodynamics and pyroelectric materials. Her work has been subsidized by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Wu said that she has had to overcome many obstacles, including being told that women “should not read too many books.”
However, her love of science pushed her to forget such comments and move ahead, she said.
Chen’s research studies natural languages and dialogue systems, and has been used to help artificial intelligence (AI) systems understand and analyze human languages.
She said that she was drawn to her research by a dream of developing speech-analysis systems that could be used in robots and smart home appliances.
There are disproportionately few women in AI research, Chen said, adding that more women should join the field.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
RSS