Premier Chen Chien-jen on Monday received a French delegation visiting Taiwan for the inaugural France-Taiwan symposium on scientific research. The premier said Taiwan and France signed a ministerial-level Science and Technology Cooperation Convention (STC) in November 2023, marking a new milestone in scientific research cooperation. He anticipates that under the framework of such agreements, both nations will be able to jointly plan future bilateral cooperation across various key strategic fields of science and technology with greater precision and a high-level vision.

Premier Chen noted that the delegation led by Claire Giry, director general for research and innovation at France's Ministry for Higher Education and Research, includes representatives from important French research and academic institutions. Their participation at the inaugural symposium will begin a dialogue and set the direction of future cooperation according to the six key areas of the agreement. The premier said he believes the strengths of France's scientists in theory and critical thinking, combined with the strengths of Taiwan's scientists in innovation and implementation, will produce an optimum partnership for the pursuit of excellence in scientific research.

In her remarks, Director General Giry said France and Taiwan have a very strong basis for cooperation, with multiple agreements already signed between institutions on both sides. The STC signed in November last year provides a new tool that will further strengthen cooperation on the six key areas of mutual importance and deepen connections between the research communities of Taiwan and France.

Director General Giry said the members of the delegation are very committed not only to the six key areas of the STC, but are also ready to go further in adding helpful perspectives from the humanities to these key areas in order to tackle the technologies and challenges that we face.