President Ma Ying-jeou met on the afternoon of July 26 with representatives of the Taiwan delegation that participated in the 22nd International Invention Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) in Malaysia. The president praised the outstanding performance of Taiwan's entrants, as well as the guidance provided and efforts made by teachers.
The president first remarked on the excellence of the team, congratulating the members on their outstanding performance at the event. He also stated that in a move to celebrate the ROC's centenary, the Taiwan Invention Products Promotion Association specially collaborated with Asia University in assembling a team of 230 inventors representing 100 local schools, who displayed 165 invented products at 104 stands they set up at the event. Ultimately, the team won 61 gold medals, 65 silvers, and 15 bronzes, which means that more than 85% of Taiwan's entries won medals. This is an outstanding performance that has won distinction for Taiwan, he said.
In addition, the president mentioned Professor Teng Hung-chi (鄧鴻吉) of Asia University, who is commonly referred to as Taiwan's Thomas Edison, was presented a special award for his outstanding contribution in inventions. This is the highest honor of the event, and Professor Teng is the first person in ITEX’s 22 years to receive it. In addition, upon learning of the wealth of talent in the Taiwan contingent, the organizing entity specially invited Chung Hua University Professor Juang Ying-shen (莊英慎) and National Formosa University Professor Shieh Jen-yu (謝震榆) to jointly serve as international judges on the panel for this year's event. This points to the international community's recognition of Taiwan's capabilities in design and invention, the president said.
President Ma stated that Taiwan has won distinction at many international invention and design fairs, including Germany's iENA Nuremberg, iF, and red dot design awards, along with the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, IDEA in the United States, and G-Mark in Japan. Furthermore, he noted that junior high and high school students from Taiwan taking part in scholastic Olympiad competitions in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and the earth sciences win more medals per capita than competitors from other nations. He also pointed out that students from Taiwan participating in the International Schools CyberFair event have won the most medals of any nation taking part for nine consecutive years. This is also proof of the creativity and learning of Taiwan's students, the president remarked.
The president added that while Taiwan may have limited natural resources, it is no stranger to natural disasters. The distinction earned by Taiwan on the global stage in many fields and its domination of these events is largely the result of education and creativity. Both invention and design rely on creativity, he stated, specially pointing out that creativity comes from inspiration and that education is the basis of inspiration, which is why the government places such importance on educational development, he commented.
The president recognized that some are not satisfied with Taiwan's educational system. However, he said the children of Taiwan are able to tap into their brainpower to create new styles and products, which is one of Taiwan's greatest strengths. In particular, all of the participants in various competitions not only win distinction for the nation, but also help to forge a path for themselves to take in the future. President Ma expressed his hope that in the future even more teachers will help to cultivate a larger number of outstanding students, helping students to explore their abilities and develop to the best of their abilities.
The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the afternoon by Education Minister Wu Ching-ji (吳清基), and Political Deputy Minister of Education Lin Tsong-ming (林聰明) to receive congratulations from President Ma.