Taiwan BRIDGES program concludes after hosting 30 Nobel laureates

The Taiwan BRIDGES program, a major international academic exchange initiative, concluded its recent cycle which saw more than 30 Nobel Prize laureates visit Taiwan between November 2025 and April 2026. The program was a collaborative effort involving National Taiwan University, Academia Sinica, and the International Peace Foundation (IPF), with significant funding from Lite-On Technology founder Song Kung-yuan.

At the closing ceremony held at National Taiwan University, President Lai Ching-te emphasized the program's role in building bridges for knowledge, generations, and peace. He reiterated his vision of the ‘Nobel 333 Plan,’ aiming to see Taiwan produce at least three Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, or medicine within the next 30 years. The government intends to continue supporting basic research and higher education to foster a free academic environment.

To preserve the intellectual impact of these visits, the book ‘Dialogue with the Top’ was released, compiling interviews and insights from nine Nobel laureates. The initiative has also led to the formation of the ‘Taiwan Higher Education and Nobel Laureate Fellowship,’ a coalition of 17 universities and 14 enterprises dedicated to institutionalizing international academic resource sharing across Taiwan.