Taiwanese students win 13 golds at international competition

Taiwanese students win 13 golds at international competition

2024-11-29

The annual International Exhibition for Young Inventors was established in 2003 to showcase inventions by children 6 to 19 years old. This year, Taiwan’s team competed against 234 exhibitors from 21 countries around the world, bringing home 13 gold medals. FTV reporter Stephany Yang met the winning inventors to learn more about their products.

Customers often face long wait times at checkout when buying bread, and so these students from Dong Guang Junior High School created an AI checkout system.

Cheng You-hsi
Student
From packaging and purchase, to checkout and payment. Because now bread can only be checked out manually, even though AI is now very developed, so I thought AI visual recognition can be used to replace manual labor, and be placed in bakeries at checkout.

A student from Taipei Digital Experimental School created a resistor teaching machine. The machine utilizes LED lights, 3D-printed resistor model, and arduino.

Lin Hsing-you
Student
I made a resistor teaching aid. Normally, we will use the resistor in class. The teacher cannot see the color coding from the stage. So I thought to enlarge the resistor to improve the teaching or effectiveness of the lesson.

The International Exhibition for Young Inventors was established in 2003 to showcase inventions by children 6 to 19 years old. The Taiwanese team was among the 234 exhibitors from 21 countries around the world. Their inventions received 13 gold medals, 16 silver medals, 20 bronze medals and 20 special awards.

Lin Teng-chiao
Ministry of Education
The International Exhibition for Young Inventors has been held for 20 years already, and Taiwan currently has the most entries among all participating countries. There were 31 gold medals awarded, of which Taiwan received 13.

Competition categories include technology for special needs, green technology, education and recreation, foods and agriculture, health and safety, and disaster response and prevention.

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2024年IEYI世界青少年發明展我國代表隊奪13金

2024-11-29

2003年首次舉辦IEYI世界青少年發明展，提供6歲到19歲的青少年盡情揮灑科技創意的舞台。本次台灣代表隊與21個國家，共234件參展作品一較高下，最終奪得13面金牌!

顧客在購買麵包時，經常結帳時要等很久，因此東光國民中學的學生們發明一個AI結帳系統。

[[學生鄭祐希]]
"從包裝、購買，然後到結帳付款。因為現在麵包只能用人工進行結帳，所以想說，現在AI很發達，想說可以用AI視覺辨識這部分來代替人工，可以放在麵包店裡面，進行結帳"

臺北市數位實驗高級中等學校的學生林星佑自製電阻教具。機器採用LED燈、3D 列印電阻模型和arduino。

[[學生林星佑]]
"我做了電阻教學教具，在一般教學我們都會用電阻來做教學。老師在台上看不到，裡面色環的顏色，所以我就想說可以把電阻放大，是不是可以改善教學的模式，或是這個教學的成效"

2003年首次舉辦IEYI世界青少年發明展，提供6歲到19歲的青少年盡情揮灑科技創意的舞台。本次台灣代表團與21個國家，共234件參展作品一較高下，奪得13面金牌、16面銀牌、20面銅牌及20項國家特別獎。

[[教育部次長林騰蛟]]
"IEYI已經辦理20年，台灣目前為止是所有的參賽的國家作品最多的國家。大會頒發了31 各金牌的獎項，其中台灣獲得13個獎項"

競賽類別包含「特殊需求技術」、「綠能科技」、「運動休閒」、「農糧技術」、「安全健康」、「災害應變」。

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Countries around the world are bracing for economic upheaval as incoming US President Donald Trump threatens massive tariffs, especially on China. The uncertainty has left governments and businesses struggling with how to respond. VOA’s Bill Gallo reports from Seoul.

During his first term, Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on China, shaking the global economy. Ahead of his return, Trump is vowing even more drastic measures – 10% tariffs on all imports to the US and a staggering 60% on goods from China. While China hasn’t commented directly on Trump’s threats, it has warned against further trade tensions.

Mao Ning
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Any Trump tariffs could especially hurt economies that depend on exports but an expanded US-China trade war could also create opportunities. Many countries have benefited as production shifts away from China to avoid tariffs. Thailand’s commerce minister recently told VOA’s Thai Service his country has seen an influx of US companies relocating factories from China.

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We should be able to weather this. I actually see these problems as benefits for Thailand. I believe that we can be an investment destination for every country.

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Jayant Menon
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Trump is not a protectionist, I think, right? He’s a dealmaker. That’s what he likes to present himself as – you know, the art of the deal and all that. So he likes free trade agreements that he has a role in.

Menon says countries targeted by Trump could push for new trade agreements, instead of tit-for-tat tariff escalations that could harm themselves and the global economy. Not all of Trump’s proposals point toward increased protectionism. He has also suggested rolling back subsidies for US-made electric vehicles – subsidies put in place by the Biden administration.

Jayant Menon
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He’s already called them silly in a podcast with Joe Rogan. So he’s probably going to roll them back. And that’s a positive in terms of the distortions that affect the global economy.

Both risks and opportunities as the world figures out how to respond to the return of an unpredictable U.S. president.

Bill Gallo, VOA News, Seoul, South Korea.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-11-29

Government mulls mental health leave for public servants

The issue of mental health has become a hotly debated topic in Taiwan, after the suicide of a labor ministry worker that was reportedly caused by workplace bullying. Earlier this year, the government rolled out mental health leave at school campuses, and it’s hoping to expand the plan to civil servants in the future. But many unresolved issues remain, such as whether the leave will be paid or not.

Lai Ching-te
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The government must take the lead to bring change to workplaces, campuses and every corner of society. We will do our utmost to work with the private sector so that no one falls through the cracks.

At a meeting of the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee, President Lai Ching-te stressed that the government needed to take care of the people’s physical and mental wellbeing. The comments come after a suicide suspected to be caused by workplace bullying at the Ministry of Labor. Lai said the government will take the lead in discussions on instituting mental health leave for public servants.

Lin Ching-yi
Ministry of Health and Welfare
The instructions given to us by the Executive Yuan will be discussed by the head of the Directorate General of Personnel Administration and we will provide the relevant support so that public servants can take care of their health with mental health leave.

How public servants will apply for mental health leave and whether it will be paid leave or not needs further discussion. What do workers think?

Member of the public
If public servants get to have it, then for the sake of fairness, private companies should also offer it.

Member of the public
It all depends on the boss. But if it is really good for your health, then we should get it too.

Member of the public
Hospitals are probably in great need of this. You can’t see it, but the pressure is enormous.

In Taiwan, mental health leave is already in place for students. Last February, a total of 127 colleges and universities began permitting up to three days of mental health leave each semester. Each time students apply, it can be for half or a full days leave. Senior high schools and vocational high schools followed suit in August. In addition, the government is expanding its free counseling services.

Lai Ching-te
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This year we expanded our mental health support program, which originally covered people aged 15 to 30. Now it will also cover people aged 15 to 45 years old, to provide more support to that demographic.

The program offers three free consultations per year. In the first three months since the program began, a total of 21,000 people have used its services 48,000 times.

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TSMC founder’s memoir shoots to No. 1 in a day

TSMC founder Morris Chang on Friday released the second installment of his autobiography, after a 26-year writing break. By the end of the day it had become an instant bestseller. Flocks of Taiwanese raced to bookstores to get their hands on the memoir, and so did some American readers, who planned to take it back home.

The second installment of TSMC founder Morris Chang’s autobiography hit bookstores on Friday. Many people rushed to buy it on the first day of its release, hoping to understand the story of the company, known locally as the holy mountain that protects the nation.

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I want to learn about the second half of his career, because I’m in the semiconductor industry myself, and I want to learn from his experience.

Member of the public
I’m quite interested in TSMC’s stocks.

The book also includes rare photos, including Chang’s youthful visage aged 18 and his wedding to Sophie Chang in 2001. There’s also a photo of the couple with outgoing US President Joe Biden taken in 2022. Fans had waited 26 years for the second installment, which takes some two hours to read.

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Chang founded TSMC in 1985 and in 1994 took it public, with each share costing NT$90. Today the stock price has increased over 10 times. From mobile phones and cars to the AI of today, the entire globe needs TSMC’s chips.

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It’s such a thick book but every single word he wrote himself.

As soon as Chang’s memoir was published, it topped Taiwan’s list of bestsellers. The story behind Taiwan’s high priest of semiconductors is profound and moving to read.

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Overcoming cultural differences between Taiwan and Japan

Taiwanese travelers love visiting Japan. But stopping by for a holiday is very different from working and living there. Few people know the difference as well as Chen Wu-fu, the former chair of the Japan Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. After working in Japan for 30 years Chen says that, though difficulties are hard to overcome at first, success can be achieved. Thanks to his unrelenting efforts, Chen started holding a Taiwanese festival at Tokyo Tower, and introduced tropical fruits from Taiwan to Japanese supermarkets. During his time in Japan, he’s seen a beautiful friendship develop between the two countries.

Chen Wu-fu
Japan Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry honorary chair
Of every 10 students that go to study in Japan, only one stays in the country. That’s because they can’t adapt to the lifestyle.

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Riria Infinity
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In the workplace, Japanese employees have to be very careful about hierarchy. Maybe that’s reflected in having to come to work early. Work hours are for work, so you might have to come in half an hour or even one hour early to prepare for the work day.

Japan’s work culture is very different from Taiwan’s. Chen says that it took him many years of daily grind in order to become established in Japanese business circles. As the former chair of the Japan Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he brought together the power of Taiwanese business people in Tokyo to hold the Tokyo Tower Taiwan Festival. The event aims to help overseas Taiwanese cope with homesickness while promoting Taiwan abroad. He’s also helped Taiwanese fruits, such as pineapples, bananas and sugar apples make their way to Japanese supermarkets, resulting in an additional 10,000 tons of pineapple sales ever year.

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It was very difficult to break into the Japanese market due to price differences. But thanks to the growing friendship between Taiwan and Japan in recent years, Japanese people have been willing to pay premium prices for Taiwanese pineapples in order to support local farmers. You can truly see who your friends are in times of hardship.

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Since Taiwan helped Japan so much in the past, my friends and relatives in Tokyo are willing to buy pricier produce from Taiwan. Once you eat Taiwanese pineapple, you’ll never forget it.

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Winter is just around the corner, and according to forecasters, it’s looking like it won’t be a mild one, as there’s a lower chance of La Niña conditions developing.

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