▎HONOR

Dean Wen-Chang Chen of NTU’s College of Engineering was notified by Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) on June 22 that he would be awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his long-term dedication to both NTU and UGA, as well as his groundbreaking research in recycled materials that are sustainable and green at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS). Additionally, he has made outstanding contributions to international cooperation and academic exchanges. This honor is expected to be delivered by the spring of 2023, and Dean Chen will be the first Taiwanese scholar to be awarded this honor since UGA was founded.

Dean Chen’s relationship with UGA began in 2011. With the support of two international collaboration programs (NSC-CNRS and MOST-ANR), he explored the new field of applied research on sustainable green recycled materials and published nearly 20 papers in numerous reputable journals, such as Adv. Mater., Adv. Funct. Mater., Macromolecules, and ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. He was also awarded the 2018 France-Taiwan Scientific Grand Prize together with Dr. Borsali in recognition of the excellent achievements through their research and development work. Dean Chen continues to work tirelessly to advance the international cooperation between these universities, most notably by setting up a 5-year program (2021-2025) at the Green Materials Institute with CNRS, UGA, and NTU.

Dean Chen has a sterling record of academic achievements, including 452 journal publications, 62 patents, and a long list of prestigious awards. Besides engaging in cutting-edge research, he has completed 24 technology transfers to the chemical materials industry for developing high value-added material technologies. UGA is a research university with nearly seven centuries of history. Having produced three Nobel Prize winners and one Turing Award winner, its level of teaching and research ranks among the top in France. It is also a strategic partner university of NTU. Dean Chen is honored to receive an honorary doctorate from this university, and he wishes to express his gratitude for NTU’s long-term support and the efforts made by his students. He will continue to dedicate himself to cultivating more specialists in polymer materials for both universities.