In Search of Taiwan's Next Great Scientists-The Wu Chien-shiung Science Camp

In tribute to Dr. Wu Chien-shiung, the first lady of international physics, four Chinese Nobel Prize winners-Yang Chen-ning, Lee Tsung-dao, Samuel C.C. Ting and Lee Yuan-tseh-founded the Wu Chien-shiung Education Foundation in September 1995, with the aim of spreading the appeal of science education and nurturing high school and college students with scientific potential in hopes of discovering the next great scientists among these youngsters.

Wu Chien-shiung Education Foundation chief executive and National Taiwan Normal University physics professor Lin Ming-juey says that when the foundation was first organized, they focused on building an audiovisual science database by collecting videos of speeches given by Nobel laureates around the world. But they had limited success in this effort, so in 1998 they started a science camp to give students and scientists the chance for face-to-face contact.

The camp is held once a year. This year, the occasion of the 11th camp, saw the participation of students from Hong Kong and Malaysia, as well as the first nine high-school students from mainland China.

Lin states that each year at least four eminent scientists are invited to speak at the camp, including internationally renowned scholars as well as Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine. In attendance this year were Johann Deisenhofer, 1988 Nobel prize winner in chemistry and professor of biochemistry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Evelyn Hu, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC Santa Barbara; Frank H.S. Shu, professor of physics at UC San Diego; and Andrew H.J. Wang, vice president of Academia Sinica. The latter three are all academicians of Academia Sinica.

"By inviting prominent scientists to speak, young students can learn how they find research topics, formulate hypotheses and solve problems. This up-close and personal experience with the thinking of great scientists is something that can't be learned from the textbook," Lin further explains.

In addition to the distinguished scientists were 15 professors of physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and earth science from various domestic universities who organized nightly "science evening talks" during the week-long camp session. Many students said that the evening talks were their favorite events besides the speeches by the eminent scientists, because they relieved the students from their daytime tensions and allowed them to more freely discuss issues they didn't understand with the professors.

The foundation has recently set its sights even farther, with the stated goal of fostering the next generation of Asian scientists.

Last year as the Wu Chien-shiung Science Camp celebrated its tenth anniversary, the foundation organized the first Asian Science Camp, securing support from Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Thailand as well as the cooperation of five Nobel laureates who came to Taiwan. It was a grand occasion for budding young scientists in Asia.

The second Asian Science Camp was hosted in Bali this year, and next year's camp will be held by the University of Tokyo.