Message from the Director

The National Center for Theoretical Sciences (NCTS) was established on August 1, 1997, by the National Science Council (NSC), the predecessor of the current Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) with the goal of advancing the state of theoretical sciences in Taiwan to a state comparable to those in countries known for their long scientific traditions. The NCTS consists of two divisions: Division of Mathematics and Division of Physics. On January 1, 2021, the NCTS has entered its current fifth phase (2021-2025) with Dr. Yng-Ing Lee as the director of the Mathematics Division and Dr. Shun-Jen Cheng as the deputy director.

The NCTS aims to become an international center of excellence in theoretical mathematical sciences, where its research staff and visitors find a pleasant environment to conduct first-rate research. Since its establishment it has been serving and promoting theoretical scientists in all of Taiwan who are pursuing cutting edge research directions in pure and applied mathematics. However, at the same time, it also strongly encourages interdisciplinary research endeavors where mathematics plays a fundamental role. The fact that virtually every leading research mathematician in Taiwan today has been involved in the NCTS activities at some point during his or her career indicates the success of the NCTS since its inception. Indeed, as of now, many of the most active research mathematicians in Taiwan are either directly affiliated with, or have kept close connections with the NCTS.

In the near future to come the NCTS faces new challenges. Many of them are due to various external factors. To better prepare itself for these challenges the NCTS in the new phase strives to collaborate even more closely with other research institutions within Taiwan and abroad by sharing and combining resources. The NCTS has already signed MOUs with several world renowned research institutions and we believe that a closer collaboration with research institutions and universities in the long run will have significant benefits for the Taiwanese scientific community and eventually for the society in general. During this phase, we hope to continue to build alliances with research centers and strengthen our international exchange program.

To reach its set goals it is imperative that the NCTS pays special attention to fostering the next generation of theoretical scientists. A broad viewpoint and a solid training in foundational mathematics are necessary requirements for making significant contributions in any field in mathematical sciences today. Located inside the campus of the National Taiwan University in the metropolitan Taipei the NCTS offers a vibrant research environment for a young mathematician: the NCTS has an extensive international post-doctoral program where the majority of the post-docs are from outside of Taiwan. In addition, the NCTS is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of mathematical scientists in Taiwan and has established the Taiwan Mathematics School with the goal of giving any highly motivated student in Taiwan access to a strong basic educational program in mathematical sciences. At the same time, there are undergraduate research program both in summer and during the semesters at the NCTS, where every professor mentor leads 2-3 students working on a project or a special topic. These programs together with possibility of doing research abroad and attending joint summer schools with MSRI offer a talented youth both an exciting research experience and opportunities to interact with other talented peers in the world.

Past Directors
The NCTS during the first phase from 1997-2003 was located on the campus of the National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu. In the initial stages of this phase the director of the Mathematics Division was Dr. Jing Yu who was then followed by Dr. Chang-Shou Lin. The main office of the NCTS remained in Hsinchu during the second and third phase from 2004-2014, however, two additional offices were established at the National Taiwan University in the North and at the National Cheng-Kung University in the South of Taiwan. The directors during these two phases were Drs. Jing Yu and Wen-Ching Winnie Li, respectively. In 2015 the NCTS was relocated to the National Taiwan University in Taipei, and the director of the fourth phase (2015-2020) was Dr. Jungkai Alfred Chen.