TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s delegation won five gold medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad, tying for first place in the gold medal count at the competition held in Bucaramanga, Colombia.
Taiwan’s team was coached by more than 10 professors following a four-stage selection process that narrowed a pool of 2,361 applicants to five finalists representing Taiwan, per a Ministry of Education press release.
National Taiwan Normal University Physics Professor Chen Chuan-ren (陳傳仁) led the team's preparations and training, which included translating competition questions, reviewing problems, and arbitrating results. The Taiwan delegation traveled to Colombia on July 3 and is scheduled to return on Thursday. The multiday competition featured 381 participants from 91 countries and regions.
The five Taiwanese gold medalists were Kuo Chen-jui (郭宸璿) and Wu Ssu-chien (吳思謙) from Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School, Chiu Po-wei (邱柏瑋) from Taoyuan Municipal Wuling Senior High School, Liu Chien-yi (劉前奕) from National Experimental High School at Hsinchu Science Park, and Hung Ching-cheng (洪靖承) from Tainan First Senior High School.
Medal winners at international science olympiads and science fairs can receive preferential admission to related university departments, while gold, silver, and bronze medalists receive scholarships of NT$200,000 (US$6,200), NT$100,000, and NT$50,000, respectively. If a student wins multiple awards in the same subject or across different subjects during the same year, only the highest award will be granted, per the press release.
The Ministry of Education’s K-12 Education Administration said it will continue selecting and training outstanding students for international science competitions. It said that such participation helps young students connect with the international community, broaden their perspectives, and strengthen Taiwan’s competitiveness in science and technology.
