TWAS (The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World) announced on October 20th, 2009 (Taiwan Time) that NTU Professor of Electrical Engineering by special appointment and Vice Dean of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Dr. Liang Gee Chen as the winner of its 2009 Engineering Prize. This piece of news came as a great honor for NTU, and added proof to the research excellence of our university.

Founded in 1983, TWAS's goal was to help developing countries to engage in scientific research and developmental applications. Every year it selects scholars from eight categories (agricultural science, engineering, chemistry, mathematics, physics, biology, medicine, and geosciences) who has outstanding research achievements or who has made contributions to the third world countries to give them awards. Being able to become a fellow of the TWAS or to receive award from TWAS not only represents the individual academic achievements of the person, but also represents the nation's continual support and assistance to the developing nations. Thus, it bears tremendous significance in universal humanistic concerns. For this year, the TWAS annual conference was held in Durban, South Africa from October 20th to 22th, to which over 900 fellows from 90 countries attended. Taiwan attendees included a delegation from Academia Sinica, and the members included academicians Chieh-Jen Chen, Der Tsai Lee, Cheng-Wen Wu, and Jei-Fu Shaw (winner in 2008, also President of National Chung-Hsing University).

In a letter personally written by the President of TWAS to Dr. Chen, the President praised Dr, Chen's efforts in transforming the complex digital image algorithm into high application value multi-media chips, and in integrated circuit design transferred d these technologies to the industry, so that personalized hand held devices possessed the functions of digital photography, mobile information setting and high quality images and sound, thereby achieving great contributions to the engineering science. Dr. Chen will serve as the keynote speaker in next year's conference, and receive the award.

The NTU Research team led by Dr. Chen has broken the world's record several times. He was seminal in leading students to develop the first H.264 high resolution integrated circuit chip in the world, and received the best paper award from IEEE. At that time even the R&D team from Samsung came to NTU to ask him for advice, and invited him to South Korea to teach this particular technology.

Dr. Liang-Gee Chen, who received the Engineering Award from TWAS this year, just received the National Chair Professorship Award from the Ministry of Education last September. In the past he received the Outstanding Research Award from National Science Council three times, and was the recipient of Ministry of Education's "industry/university cooperation award," National Science Council's "Outstanding Technology Transfer Award", and Ministry of Economic Affairs first "Industry Contribution Award." Dr, Chen was also the founder of Taiwan IC Design Society, National Science Council's Chip Implementation Center, and the National System on Chips Consortium. He is also the founding dean of NTU's Electronics Institute and the Electronics Institute of the Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan. Dr, Chen is also very enthusiastic about public welfare, and is widely respected by his peers. He is without a doubt a very outstanding scientist in Taiwan's semi-conductor circles. His scholastic attainments are eminent, and his Contributions to Taiwan society are seen by many.

Among which, the NTU Systems on Chips Center, founded single handedly by him, has become the best bridge of interchange between the domestic high tech electronic industry and the academia since its founding in 2001. Emphasizing both innovative research and practical applications, the NTU Systems on Chips Center took it upon itself to promote university and industry co-operations, and set its goal to foster the elites of Taiwan high tech industry and assist in the information exchange between domestic industries and academia. Over the years, the NTU Systems on Chips Center has successfully promoted closer ties between industry and university and international exchange.

Soon after earning his doctorate from National Cheng-Kung University, Dr. Chen came to the Department of Electrical Engineering of NTU to teach. He once said: "As I was native born and native educated, I hope to make contributions to the Taiwan industries, and create value. " Now, Dr. Chen's outstanding academic achievements, not only created a new peak for industry/academia cooperation in Taiwan, but also catapulted Taiwan to the international arena, making the world see Taiwan's outstanding developments in engineering. The fact that he wins the Engineering Award from TWAS was well deserved.