科技部新聞稿

2020年臺加新冠病毒(COVID-19)交流網路研討會

日期：109年5月16日

發稿單位：科教發展及國際合作司

聯絡人(1)：科教國合司李佩育科長

電話：02-2737-7125

E-mail： yrpeng@nstc.gov.tw

聯絡人(2)：駐加拿大科技組潘正堂組長

電話： +1-613-231-5080 ext.235

E-mail：panct@nstc.gov.tw

       臺灣在新冠病毒(COVID-19)的積極防疫措施以及快篩檢測科技發展廣受國際注目，科技部於13日透過「New Challenge of COVID-19 for New Normal」網路視訊研討會，邀請臺加科研界學者就快篩技術及社會衝擊等層面進行研究分享，期可藉由本次交流，激盪更多國際合作機會。

       截至今日，加拿大確診人數已突破7萬例，為儘速控制疫情並對人民提供更積極的保護，加國聯邦政府分別於本年3月及4月宣布投入總計約12.75億加元（合新台幣約271億5,500萬元）之研究經費，支持加拿大研究人員進行快速反應研究，並鼓勵產業界加入生產檢測設備及疫苗生產。前述經費除鼓勵科研界進行大量臨床研究外，對社會科學補助經費及項目亦相對提升，鼓勵研究人員針對醫護人員心理、社會壓力等等各面向進行研究，期待以一個全面性角度，分析本次疫情大爆發對加國民眾造成的整體影響。

       本研討會由駐加科技組潘組長正堂居間聯繫，共邀請加拿大國家研究院（National Research Council Canada, NRC）、英屬哥倫比亞大學（University of British Columbia, UBC）、我國中央研究院以及刻正於多倫多大學進行短期研究之嘉義大學教授等4位台加學者，分別就快篩技術、預測模型以及加國封城期間對居家工作者所造成情緒影響研究等主題進行演講，並由科技部次長謝達斌開幕致詞。

       謝次長於開幕致詞中表示，我國長年扎根基礎研究，奠定了堅強科研實力，在本次防疫的研發成果有許多突出表現，包括快篩試劑、病毒株分析和抗病毒藥物開發等，再次證明科技在支援國家防疫上扮演著重要角色，且期待透過與國際科技合作夥伴分享研究成果，協力度過疫情考驗，造福人群。本研討會亦邀請來自加國國家研究院（NRC）、國家衛生研究院(Canadian Institutes of Health Research, CIHR)、Mitacs、多倫多大學、渥太華大學、我國國家實驗研究院（NARLabs）、中央研究院、清華大學、中山大學、嘉義大學、成功大學(NCKU-GLORIA)等學研機構之研究人員，總計約60名學者與會討論，互相交換研究進展，期可擴大研討會效益，深化雙邊科研合作交流，並探詢未來合作機會。

Press Release

May 16,2020

2020 Taiwan-Canada Novel Coronavirus Exchange Webinar

Taiwan’s prevention measures against the novel coronavirus and development of rapid screening technology have garnered much international attention. Through “New Challenge of COVID-19 for New Normal” webinar, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has invited researchers from both Taiwan and Canada to share their findings and to seek opportunities for more international collaboration.

So far, more than 70,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Canada. To contain the current outbreak and provide better protection to the general public, the Canadian federal government has announced its plan to invest a combined sum of more than CAD$1.2 billion (approximately NTD$27 billion) in March and April to support rapid response experiments and to facilitate manufacturing of testing devices and vaccines. This funding is not limited to clinical trials, it also promotes studies of the psychological and social impacts on frontline medical workers, offering a new perspective of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Canadian public.

Today’s webinar was organized by Executive Director Peter Pan of the Science and Technology Division in Canada. Three researchers from the National Research Council Canada (NRC), University of British Columbia (UBC), Academia Sinica and a visiting scholar from National Chiayi University (NCYU) were asked to deliver keynote speeches on rapid screening, prediction model, and the emotional impacts on employees working remotely during lockdown in Canada, with opening remarks by Deputy Minister Dar-Bin Shieh.

Deputy Minister Shieh spoke about Taiwan’s robust R&D capability based on years of fundamental research playing a key role in developing a rapid screening kit, the isolation of virus strain, and the replication of Remdesivir. This provides further credibility to the critical nature of scientific advancement in enabling Taiwan’s remarkable success in the fight against COVID-19. About 60 scholars from Taiwan and Canada participated in today’s webinar.

Media Contact

Program Director

Pei Yu Lee

Department of International Cooperation and Science Education

Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)

Tel: +886-2-2737-7125

Fax: +886-2-2737-7607

E-mail: yrpeng@nstc.gov.tw        

Professor Peter pan,

Science and Technology Division,Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Canada

Tel:  +1-613-231-5080 ext.235

E-mail：panct@nstc.gov.tw