President Tsai Ing-wen received the winners of this year’s 10 Outstanding Young Persons Awards at the Office of the President Oct. 25 in Taipei City, describing them as inspirational role models for the youth of Taiwan.
The achievements of these talented individuals in their respective areas of expertise are key drivers of Taiwan’s ongoing development and reflect a deep-seated commitment to the nation, Tsai said. The people and government are immensely grateful for their positive contributions to society and look forward to even greater things from them going forward, she added.
According to the Office of the President, the winners of the prestigious annual honor are Chen Chih-yu, Cheng I-ching, Chu Shin-yi, Huang Yi, Kung Chien-chia, David Li, Lu Peng-tze, Lu Yu-jung, Tang Yu-ning and Wu Chia-lin.
Chen, CEO of the European Federation of Taiwan Health Alliance, was recognized for enhancing public awareness of labor issues like occupational injuries; Cheng, a top table tennis player, for medaling in multiple international competitions; Chu, a certified counselor, for advancing social services despite challenged vision; Huang, a choreographer and dancer, for combining art and technology in commercial applications; and Kung, a vet, for championing food safety.
In addition, Li, deputy head of mission at the embassy of Costa Rica in South Korea, was recognized for promoting Taiwan-Costa Rica relations; Lu Peng-tze, a civil servant with the Coast Guard Administration under the Ocean Affairs Council, for achieving impressive results in drug enforcement; Lu Yu-jung, an assistant professor in physics at National Taiwan University in Taipei, for research in nanolaser devices; Tang, a chef, for promoting Taiwan's traditional outdoor catering services and cuisines in Singapore; and Wu, an associate professor at Taoyuan City-based Chang Gung University in northern Taiwan, for identifying new directions in the study of neural circuits and molecular mechanisms contributing to memory.
Staged by Junior Chamber International Taiwan since 1963, the annual awards celebrate Taiwan nationals aged 20-40 with exceptional achievements or contribution in 10 categories. The winners will be honored at an official ceremony Oct. 27 in Changhua County, central Taiwan. (SFC-E)
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