Taiwan’s science education
community is celebrating remarkable news. The 37th International Biology
Olympiad (IBO) concluded successfully in Lithuania. Taiwan’s national team
stood out among 302 top competitors from 78 participating countries, winning
four gold medals and ranking first in the world in the overall team standings. At
this prestigious event, Prof. Yi-Ling Yang of National Chiayi University (NCYU)
not only served as a member of Taiwan's mentoring team, helping the students
win four gold medals, but was also elected to the IBO Steering Committee with
the highest number of votes, earning strong support from representatives of 40
participating countries. Her election reflects strong international recognition
of the academic excellence of both NCYU and Taiwan.
NCYU President Han-Chien Lin
extended his heartfelt congratulations, commending Prof. Yang for her
long-standing dedication and outstanding contributions to biology education. He
noted that NCYU is guided by its commitment to “interdisciplinary
collaboration, innovative research, and social responsibility.” Prof. Yang’s
election to the IBO Steering Committee with the highest number of votes, earning
strong support from representatives of 40 participating countries, marks a
significant milestone in her academic career. It also demonstrates NCYU’s
outstanding achievements in advancing science education and
internationalization while showcasing Taiwan’s academic strength on the global
stage.
Competition at this year’s
Olympiad was exceptionally intense. With the guidance and support of Prof. Yang
and the mentoring team, Taiwan’s four high school students rose to the
challenge and delivered outstanding performances. Key highlights of this year’s
competition include: 1. International Academic Recognition: Prof. Yi-Ling Yang
of NCYU was elected to the IBO Steering Committee with the highest number of
votes, earning strong support from representatives of 40 participating
countries. 2. Professional Mentorship Contributes to Outstanding Achievement:
As a member of Taiwan’s mentoring team, Prof. Yi-Ling Yang played a key role in
reviewing competition questions, providing translations, and participating in
score arbitration. With her dedicated support, Yao Yi-Geng, Chan Wei-Chun, Chen
Yu-Chen, and Hsu Ting-Jui won four gold medals. They ranked 4th, 5th, 18th, and
19th individually, respectively, while Taiwan ranked first in the overall team
standings among 78 participating countries.
In recognition of the Taiwan team's outstanding performance, the Ministry
of Education will award each gold medalist a scholarship of NT$200,000 and
grant preferential admission benefits for further education. Prof. Yang stated
that seeing Taiwanese students excel on the international stage made every
effort worthwhile. NCYU will continue to leverage its academic influence to
cultivate more interdisciplinary scientific talent with international
competitiveness and a commitment to sustainable development.
Photo 1. From left to right: Associate Prof. Shen-Horn Yen, Dr. Chung-Hsin
Chen, Prof. Han-Jia Lin, Dr. Shih-Chi Huang, Yao Yi-Geng, Hsu Ting-Jui, Chen
Yu-Chen, Chan Wei-Chun, Prof. Yi-Ling Yang, Associate Prof. Shu-Chuan Hsiao,
Ms. Hui-Ju Huang, Distinguished Prof. Yu-Chung Chiang, and Associate Prof.
Kuei-Shu Tung.
Photo 2. From left to right: Taiwan team members Hsu Ting-Jui, Chan
Wei-Chun, Yao Yi-Geng, and Chen Yu-Chen.