CIFAR Taiwan Canada Frontiers of Science Symposium (TCFoS)

Overview

The Frontiers of Science Symposium - in partnership with the Taiwan National Science and Technolgy Council (NSTC),  Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) - aims to foster interdisciplinary discussion and the exchange of ideas between researchers from Taiwan and Canada. The symposium will highlight important intersections between researchers in both countries, with an emphasis on the most cutting-edge scientific topics and revolutionary ideas shaping the world today from various disciplines.

Each session at the symposium will focus on emerging leaders from both Canada and Taiwan whose research areas complement and intersect with each other and with the themes named below:

• Responsible and Trustworthy AI - Developing AI Regulation and Ethical Frameworks,  Mitigating Bias and Ensuring Algorithmic Fairness
• Sovereign AI - Digital Sovereignty and AI Technology Regulation
• AI & Sustainability - AI Applications in reducing carbon emissions, agriculture and resource management, AI support for sustainable supply chain management, and the impact of AI on social sustainability
• Indigenous AI and Culture - AI Training Data and Cultural Diversity, Role of AI in Cultural and Creative Industries, AI and Indigenous Knowledge

This event will bring together outstanding early career researchers - graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior faculty based in Taiwan and Canada, and challenge them to rethink the boundaries of their disciplinary perspectives to cultivate new frontier research topics.

Host Organizations

Taiwan's National Science and Technolgy Council (NSTC) is charged with tasks of planning the nation’s frontier S&T, promoting the development of S&T, applying basic research to industrial applications, and coordinating the allocation of resources across agencies and fields. As an engine of S&T innovation, the NSTC carries out the following missions - Formulating Science and Technology Policies, Supporting Fundamental and Strategic Research, Promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship  and Developing Science Parks.

The Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) is a national think tank established under the National Science and Technology Council to address the democratic governance of emerging technologies. In the face of rising digital authoritarianism, DSET develops policy recommendations that safeguard democratic values, enhance national security, and promote social equity. It also contributes a distinct Taiwanese perspective to global policy dialogues on technology and society.

Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) is a globally influential research organization proudly based in Canada. We mobilize the world’s most brilliant people across disciplines and at all career stages to advance transformative knowledge and solve humanity’s biggest problems, together. We are supported by the governments of Canada, Alberta and Québec, as well as Canadian and international foundations, individuals, corporations and partner organizations.