The inaugural edition of Falling Walls Lab, a competition promoting the creation of innovative solutions to problems impacting science and society, wrapped up May 21 in Taipei City.
Staged by the Ministry of Science and Technology in partnership with German Institute Taipei and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the daylong event at Taipei 101 involved 25 young academics, entrepreneurs and experts.
The three winners, selected by a jury including MOST Deputy Minister Shieh Dar-bin and German Institute Taipei Director General Thomas Prinz on the strength of 3-minute presentations, were students Sabin Paraschiv, Kao Yu-tung and Khoa Nguyen in that order. Paraschiv of National Taipei University of Technology won for a battery charging submission; Kao, Taipei Medical University, airborne pathogens; and Nguyen, National Taipei University of Technology, energy storage.
According to the MOST, the event underscores the effectiveness of long-term Taiwan-Germany collaboration in key areas such as training and R&D. It is also in line with the government’s commitment to supporting the pursuit of excellence among university students in Taiwan, the ministry said.
Paraschiv, a Romanian national, is eligible to participate in the global finals of FWL later this year, as well as a sideline conference attended by 600-plus delegates from 75 countries and territories. (TYT-E)
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