This year the Education Division invited Dr. Horng-Tzer Yau, an academician at Academia Sinica in Taiwan and a professor in the Mathematics Department at Harvard University, to be the keynote speaker and share aspects of his successful academic career. Several people who serve as consultants for Taiwanese students in the New England region were also invited to a panel discussion on study life in New England: Dr. Chang Chorng-Hwa, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University, Dr. Wang Shih-Hui, a dentist practising in the Greater Boston area, Dr. Liao Haohsiang, director of the Chinese Language Program at MIT, and Dr. Lee Yen-Jie, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at MIT.

In his keynote speech, David and Goliath-Sharing of my Academic Career, Dr. Yau used the story of David and Goliath as a metaphor for his research career. He saw himself rather like David facing the research institute “giant” and he encouraged the students to cultivate their ability to think independently, focus, innovate, challenge authority, and develop a passion for the professions they entered. He urged them to carve out new paths, to “dream big!”, to choose an occupation that would give them a high sense of achievement and satisfaction, and to discover their own hidden talents.

Dr. Chang from Tufts University gave some suggestions on career development after graduation, and during the panel discussion the consultants reminded the students to stay in touch with their family in Taiwan and have a balanced, healthy life. As well as studying they should make friends with people from different countries and cultures, and become better acquainted with American culture. Many interesting questions about life in the U.S. were raised in the Q & A.