Congratulations! Distinguished Chair Professor Fu-Chan Wei Won the Presidential Science Prize
Congratulations! Distinguished Chair Professor Fu-Chan Wei Won the Presidential Science Prize
Office of Secretariat
The Presidential Science Prize Committee announced the winners of the "Presidential Science Prize for the year 2018-2019" on September 18. The winner of the "Applied Science Division" was Distinguished Chair Professor Dr. Fu-Chan Wei of Chang Gung University, who is also an academician of the Academia Sinica. Academician Wei specializes in microscopic reconstruction and allogeneic composite tissue transplantation. Over the past 40 years, he has been involved in the autologous and allogeneic tissue transplantation related basis and clinical research, which is highly recognized in the international surgical community.
The objectives of the Presidential Science Prize are to enhance the status of Taiwan in the international academic community and to reward scholars in the fields of mathematics and physical sciences, life sciences, social sciences and applied sciences for their innovative and outstanding contribution in international academic research, especially for those who have made great contribution to the society of Taiwan. It has been held since 1990 and is awarded every two years. It is the highest scientific research award and honor in Taiwan.
Academician Wei's research is pioneering, unique and in-depth, and his academic achievements are brilliant. In 2006, he was selected by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons as one of the 20 innovative inventors in the 400-year history of modern plastic surgery in the world. His contribution was said to be “passed on from generation to generation". In 2007, he was selected by Germany as one of the top 100 surgical scholars. In 2014, he was selected by the World Head and Neck Cancer Society as one of the 100 significant people in promoting the progress of head and neck cancer treatment. In addition, in 2015, he was selected as one of the ten most influential reconstructive surgeons in the world by the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons (ACAPS) and the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (SESPRS).
The reconstructive surgery developed by Academician Wei and his team has saved more than 30,000 patients. The number is estimated to be five times more, if we include other hospital experts in Taiwan who have used the knowledge and technology acquired directly and indirectly from him to perform similar surgeries. The number would be even more if we factor in cases from other countries around the world. The difficulties and meticulousness of reconstruction microsurgery and its stories behind the scenes are widely featured in Discovery, National Geographic, CNN, the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and major print media. As a result, Dr. Wei has attracted many international patients to come to Taiwan to seek medical treatment. He certainly contributes a lot to Taiwan's humanity and medical treatment.
Academician Wei and the Department of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital are well-known globally. This attracts many people from all over the world coming to the hospital for medical treatment. Because of him, many people from universities or medical centers around the world come to Taiwan for further studies. Therefore, the "International Master Science Program in Reconstructive Microsurgery" of Chang Gung University aims to bring out the spirit of Train-the-Trainer to nurture doctors from other countries in the world. It is expected that students who have returned to their own country would take the responsibility of serving and training other medical practitioners. The goal is to pass on medical knowledge to benefit more patients.
The establishment of this master’s program in 2015 has created an enthusiastic response. Each year, the top 6 to 9 outstanding foreign doctors from nearly 80 applicants all over the world are invited to Taiwan to receive training and study relevant courses of the master’s program. This combination can be said to be the world's first. This program does not only train doctors to be competent in all kinds of difficult surgery and postoperative patient care, but it also strengthens their ability to cultivate medical humanity, independent critical thinking skills, teaching and research ability, so that the cutting-edge medical development of Taiwan and Chang Gung will exert a greater effect.
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