It has been an annual routine for our school to participate in the School Cyber Fair, however the topic we have chosen this year is very different from the previous ones, which is exciting and refreshing. We have been used to the research of local business from the previous experiences, this is a new challenge for everyone to study and investigate about the academicians. After all the information research and reading, we began the two days journey to Academia Sinica in Taipei.

This time, the skills of information researching and analyzing were not enough, we need to be able to speak and interview at the right timing. Everyone was like a journalist, paying full attention to the crowded academia banquet. We spent most of the time waiting for the perfect timing, so we won’t disturb the academicians who were enjoying their meals. Luckily, we saw Mr. and Mrs. Whang-Peng in the seats not far from us. Dr. Jacqueline Whang-Peng greeted us kindly with her friendly grin, which made us less stressful. Then the encounters with President Chi- Huey Wong, President Yuan-Tseh Lee, Dr. Chen- Soo Cheng, and Dr. Ts'ui-Ju Liu etc. have become the most unbelievable and amazing experience. The tedious waiting period was now worth it.

In order to achieve the goal, patience for another tedious waiting period was needed. We woke up and start the second day early, to witness the group photo of the academicians after two hours. We have seen the similar group photos from the past years on the news, but today we will be witnessing the actual scene of more than a hundred academicians gathering at the same time. The astonishment was way beyond expression and mind blowing. Trying to pass through the crowd, our group was looking for the female academicians that we will be focusing as the topic. I dare not to blink as I was so afraid that I lost tracing the academician. Fortunately everyone in the group worked together well, we successfully gathered five of the academicians and recorded this historical moment. However Dr. Yan Hwa Wu, who was not available that day, did not attend for the group photo.

The most impressive thing to note in the journey was the national laboratory of Dr. Su- May Yu. The professional equipment, paddy rice sample, detailed guiding had amazed us. We also attend Dr. Li- Hui Tsai’s English speech about brain dementia. Although there were lots of scientific terms that were difficult for us to understand, we could still comprehend the basic idea by recalling the knowledge from our biology lessons. It was hopeful to hear that there will be therapy for Alzheimer's within ten years.

During this trip, we had visited the Academia Sinica, national laboratory, interacted with the academicians, and attended a scientific speech. These unbelievable experiences were eye- opening. I can strongly feel the strength and efforts from the people. Many of them have made contribution to the society with their own specialties. I believe this is the strength that pushes the world to progress. This has encouraged and given us new hope, to become an active, determined, and enthusiastic person who can make our world a better place.

(Maisie Chen)

I have been trying to use one word to conclude my feeling about this trip. However, it turns out to rack my brain as excited, inspired, novel and precious just arise in my mind.

This is my first time to visit the highest academic institution—Academia Sinica where leafy trees and sparkling river created a lively atmosphere. This rendered me to feel cheerful and energetic which inspired my desire of learning.

This is my first time to meet those academicians. Although their appearances are not special, they are the most distinguished characters around the world. I felt like a country bumpkin while standing beside them, looking at them with admiration. Recalling the scene from the interview, some of them are friendly, some of them are old and some of them are voluble. I could feel every academician has their unique mien.

 However, I seem to have seen their brain working all the time which prompted me to reveal their thoughts. This is my first time to visit a professional laboratory. I felt like traveling in the Amazon rainforest where hides the most rare species at every corner to surprise you. In this amazing laboratory, I saw various professional equipment and experimental specimens for research.

 Furthermore, I understood their ways to come out with accurate results. Also, I gained some basic concept of genetic modified paddy rice. Therefore, I couldn’t help imagining those academicians working in it, carrying out those effective discoveries; I couldn’t help imagining myself working with them and having the attitude of curious about and getting to the bottom of everything.

 This is my first time to listen to a lecture given by academicians. Although those topics are unfamiliar and abstruse for me, I still tried my best to understand the content and the academic atmosphere. This prompted my desire of learning again and marked a perfect ending for the visit.

These “first time” widen my horizon. Also, the shift of my emotion gives me an unforgettable impression of this trip and strengthens my aspiration to be a scientist. After viewing the photos taken from this impressive trip, those scenes are still fresh in my memory and I hope I still have a chance to meet those prominent academicians again.

(Nicole Chen)

The conference is assembled every two years. In 2014, the 31st conference is held from June 1 to June 4. In order to do research on our topic “Female Academicians”, our research team went a day early to wait at the Academia Sinica.

     Our goal is to find the female academicians’ long-term contributions to Taiwan, to learn from their academic road of studying and to encourage more females to get involved with scientific research.

    The night before the opening ceremony was the dinner party of the academicians. The teacher leaded us and we became temporary reporters, trying to find the legendary female academicians. We moved around in the dinner party and met a lot of academicians! They even let us take pictures with them!

    The next day was the opening ceremony , we woke up early in the morning in order to visit some more academicians before the conference.

Although the process is quite hard, but it’s still worth it!

(Dobby Fang)

I was deeply touched when I had finished reading the “52 Letters for Young Students from the Outstanding Female Scholars”, especially the part from Dr. Tsui-Ju Liu. She seizes every opportunity to learn, and became an authority person in the field of history. Her studying attitude had influenced me greatly and I had gained a lot from it.

(John Lin)

Our topic for this time’s Cyberfair is about the female Academicians in Academia Sinica, who study in Taiwan.

Since ancient time, there is always a patriarchal idea, which could lead to the discrimination toward women. Even now, this situation still happens.

From family, society to work, most of the women still sometime be treated unfairly. The purpose of this time’s academic trip, is not only to meet and take photo with the Academician, but also help us understand, how did they success under the effect gender stereotypes. After we finished our schoolwork, we left the school and rushed to Taipei, so we could be on time for the banquet of the Academician Conference. After we arrived, we found the first Academician, Jacqueline Whang-Peng right away. Before, I have already heard our teammate, Maisie talked about her kindness and gentleness, which are true when we finally met her.

As more and more Academicians arrived and the dinner started, we decided to stay downstairs, waited for the Academicians to finish the meal. After the dinner, we found academician Ts’ui- Ju Liu and Soo- Chen Cheng and took a photos with them. From the way academician Ts’ui- Ju Liu talked, we could notice that she is serious madam. When we asked academician, could we have a photo together, she seems shy and embarrass, which mean she is a humble and modest person.

On the first day’s trip, we only met three Academicians. After we finished at nine and arrived the hotel, everyone was already tired and exhausted. The next day morning, in order to be on time for the open ceremony, we woke up at five and arrived early to Academia Sinica. After the ceremony, we invited the five female Academicians, and took a photo for this significant moment.

Luckily, when we finished the shooting, Academician Su- May Yu decided to stay and talk with us, she even brought us to her rice lab. We were all very excited, although there were many unfamiliar, academic terms we were not able to understand, we still tried our best to remember everything her assistant introduced. When the visit was over, we went back to the building where the conference conducted and waited for the last female academician. When we finally found academician Yan- Hwa Wu who had just returned from the airport to Academia Sinica, we invited the busy Academicians to take a photo with us, and after that, our mission in this trip, has completed.

Although this was a really tired and busy two-days trip, everything worth. Every Academicians we met in these two days, were the outstanding one in their specific academic area, however, they were still willing to spend some time to respond and take photo with us. I do not only see their success, but also their humble.

 (Katie Huang)

As the 31st conference proceeded, Dr. Su-May Yu held up a digital camera from time to time, recording the historical moment; after being nominated five times during the past ten years, there was no need to go into the election for academicians. This was the first time Dr. Yu attended the Conference of the academicians, both Dr. Yu and Dr. were newly elected, and they were two of the six female academicians that were doing research in Taiwan.

  Knowing that we were doing a case study on female academicians, as we visited Dr. Yu in , she let the assistant gave us a tour into the laboratory that was normally not allowed to public access. The small laboratory was situated in the corner of the building floor that was packed with equipments for all the experiments. Everyone took in their surroundings nervously, looking at this tiny stuffy room in awe, brains full of questions and exclamations. It was in this exact space no bigger than a few square metres, did a female scientist and her team spend most of the time doing many researches and created many results worth being proud of.

  Besides many files and books, the wall of the small laboratory was also full of analysis graphs. The postgraduate students observed the paddy rice sapling carefully, oblivious to the invaders which were actually, us. However, a madam with slender features greeted us and welcomed our visit with a friendly smile. This beautiful lady with eyes that look like new moons when she smiles was non other, than Dr. Su-May Yu, the “godmother of paddy rice” who had been doing long-time research on the genetic functions of the rice saplings.

(Eunice Su)

Academician: an honorary title which denotes a Full Member of an art, literary, or scientific academy. In accordance to this honorable title, we decided to base our CyberFair on the academicians of Academia Sinica in Taiwan.

We had an amazing opportunity to visit “Taiwan’s Secret Basement – Academia Sinica. We were lucky to encounter the Academia Conference that held every two years, which we met the main characters of our story. However, the conference prohibited interviews, therefore we could only ask for photographs. We were extremely honored and cheerful.

Arrived at the Academia Sinica, an atmosphere of professionals and solemnness made us nervous and serious. We followed the teacher’s instruction, finding our “targets” everywhere: Jacqueline Whang-Peng, Yu Wang, Yan-Hwa Wu, hu-May Yu, Soo Chen Cheng, and Ts'ui-Jung Liu. It was the banquet we didn't want to interrupt their dinner therefore we waited aside. Although we didn't have the chance to interview them, we took a photo with the Academicians, and that was fantastic already! We stayed there from day to night, and finally went back, and prepare for tomorrow’s ceremony.

1st July was the first day of the 31st conference. In order to be on time for the opening ceremony, we woke up early that day so we wouldn't miss the timing for photographs. We waited patiently, eventually took a photograph together. We asked to visit the laboratory owned by Su-May Yu. Her assistance brought us to a short lab tour. The lab was more spectacular than we imagined, accurate equipment and the most advanced facilities surprised us. I ‘ve gained a lot from this academic field trip, and felt honored to be able to take photographs. The outstanding Academicians reminded me that I still have lots of improving space. They’ve inspired me, which I have decided to work harder and get better. The visit, the lectures, being journalists, conversations, and laboratory visit were astonishing.

(Sally Chang)

At first, I was not really sure about what is Academia Sinica about. I had no idea it it such an impressive and spectacular. Every Academia is well informed and hard working. They have already devoted their lives into research. They sacrificed their families and their time to make this world better.

I have to admit that Yan- Hwa Wu has touched my heart. Her priority is always her students and her research. Her time spent is for the improvement of people's lives and the progression of this dynamic world.

She is the kind of person that I would like to be: energetic, positive, efficient and extremely competent. I appreciate the opportunity that that this research has given me and the inspiration of the Academicians.

(Cola Han)