President Tsai attends Presidential Hackathon awards ceremony
On the afternoon of September 25, President Tsai Ing-wen attended the 2022 Presidential Hackathon awards ceremony. In remarks, the president noted that after a number of Presidential Hackathons, many ideas from competition proposals are now being implemented in government policies. President Tsai said that this has created a cycle of progress and increased the number of people participating in and following public affairs, adding a creative spark to public policies. Stating that Taiwan is a diverse and open country, the president added that the government will continue to work with the private sector to develop more inclusive and beneficial policies and advance environmental sustainability.
Upon arrival, President Tsai first took in presentations by outstanding domestic and international hackathon teams on their proposals, and then delivered remarks welcoming everyone to the Presidential Office. The president also said that the hackathon is always a memorable event that brings us many remarkable and creative solutions.
President Tsai noted that after several editions of the Presidential Hackathon, many ideas from competition proposals are now being implemented in government policies, which has created a cycle of progress and increased the number of people participating in and following public affairs, adding a creative spark to public policies.
Over the past few years, President Tsai said, we have faced a global pandemic and challenges of all kinds brought on by natural disasters, which makes the theme of this year's Domestic Track – "Sustainable Living, Balanced Taiwan" – a timely and important goal. The president also congratulated the five teams that stood out in this year's fierce competition: Airstrike Warner, Trekking/Tracking on the GO, Street Doctor, Guardians, and Beautiful Water. Proposals from these teams addressed air raid warning alerts, mountain safety and rescue support, road improvement, fire-fighting bulletins and rescue, and water resource monitoring, which the president noted are all issues concerning people's everyday lives, adding that these proposals provide a reference for the direction of government policy. President Tsai then listened to presentations by several government colleagues, noting that they had upended many people's impression of civil servants, and thanked them for their excellent work.
For the International Track, President Tsai stated that this year's theme, "Climate Action: Practicing Net Zero," focuses on sustainable development as well as international efforts to brainstorm about environmental solutions. The president mentioned that 31 international teams submitted proposals this year, participating in online reviews and workshops for almost two months. Offering congratulations to the two award-winning teams – BRSDM@Er-Lin, Taiwan for researching carbon reduction in agriculture and Team B.E.N.Z. (India) for their work in AI smart agriculture – the president also extended a special welcome to A/B Street and Office Farmers, last year's award winners who were also in attendance.
President Tsai said that everyone was enthusiastic about continuing to use digital technology and innovative knowledge to further contribute to global society. The president once again congratulated all the award winners, and thanked all the teams who participated in this year's competition. Stating that Taiwan is a diverse and open country, President Tsai added that the government will continue to work with the private sector to develop more inclusive and beneficial policies, and advance environmental sustainability, and, in closing, encouraged everyone to work together toward these goals.
Following her remarks, President Tsai personally presented award certificates and trophies to the winning teams in both the Domestic and International Tracks.
American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Sandra Oudkirk and India-Taipei Association Director General Gourangalal Das also attended the event.