Participants of the announcement event.
National Taiwan University (NTU) unveiled the second cohort of its Top 100 Contributions on November 7, highlighting 15 landmark achievements that reflect the university’s far-reaching influence on Taiwan and the world. Building on the 24 contributions announced last year, NTU President Wen-Chang Chen, joined by deans from multiple colleges, introduced this year’s selections—each representing a transformative milestone in scholarship, public service, and societal advancement.
This year’s honorees span a remarkable breadth of fields, including Indigenous knowledge and cultural partnership; the creation and advancement of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance system; modernization of the nation’s animal science and livestock industries; biodiversity protection and conservation governance; biotechnology development from early fermentation sciences to today’s innovation hubs; and pioneering work in chemical engineering and powder technology.
They also include NTU’s long-standing leadership in disaster prevention science and resilience building; breakthroughs in active tectonics and seismic geology with global impact; innovations in infection control that shaped Taiwan’s public health response; and medical research that established Helicobacter pylori eradication as a strategy for gastric cancer prevention.
Other contributions recognized include the world’s first Chinese speech recognition system; foundational advances in variational electromagnetism; influential research on Taiwan’s democratic development and broader Asian democratization; groundbreaking scholarship establishing Taiwan-centered social sciences and humanities; and seminal achievements in natural products chemistry and organic chemistry education.
President Chen emphasized that the Top 100 Contributions project embodies former NTU President Fu Ssu-nien’s belief that NTU must “dedicate this university to the universe.” These contributions, he said, represent nearly a century of dedication by NTU faculty, students, and alumni whose work has shaped the institution’s legacy of excellence. Looking forward, President Chen urged the university community to “innovate with purpose and amplify NTU’s impact on the world.”
The event also featured the premiere of a special documentary project: a series of in-depth interviews with NTU’s four living presidential alumni—former Presidents Chen Shui-bian, Ma Ying-jeou, and Tsai Ing-wen, as well as current President Lai Ching-te. Each reflected on formative years at NTU, shared insights on higher education policy, and offered heartfelt messages for current students and the university’s future.
President Chen concluded by inviting the entire NTU community to participate in preparations for the university’s upcoming centennial celebrations. He highlighted that NTU’s 100th anniversary is not only a time for remembrance but also a call to action—an opportunity to reaffirm NTU’s mission to educate future leaders, advance knowledge, and serve society.
Deans of the NTU’s Colleges with contributions selected.
Programs proposed under the centennial initiative aim at uniting the NTU community in preparation for the 100th anniversary celebrations.
