Message from the Director
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the IAMS Preparatory Office, a collection of historical materials is underway. As the founder of the Institute, Dr. Y. T. Lee gave the inceptive goal of IAMS: to become a world class research institute with an interdisciplinary outlook encompassing the fields of physics, chemistry, and engineering, with an aim to solve important scientific problems that have a broad socio-technical impact. These efforts will be enhanced by state-of-the-art instrumentation and an interdisciplinary approach with an international spirit. Four decades after setting out with ambitious goals, IAMS has grown to become a mid-sized institute with its major research areas being Chemical Dynamics and Spectroscopy, Atomic Physics and Optical Science, Advanced Materials and Surface Science, Biophysics and Bioanalytical Technology. Research teams conducting strong theoretical and computational research have been established, and provide invaluable support and leadership in all of the Institute’s research activities. Under the efforts of the Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP), international students and postdocs from all over the world are being encouraged to join the Institute, which sets up a localized think tank having an international mindset. This makes IAMS a microcosm that harbors some of the brightest and most promising minds from across the world, all poised to realize a dream that we dreamed 40 years ago.
With the threat of COVID gradually declining globally, full-fledged research and collaborative activities including conferences and visits will be resumed in Taiwan. All of us should be able to take a deep breath and get back to our regular routines soon. We appreciate all the support we have received from all over the world, despite the threat from our unfriendly neighbor. We must do both hard work and smart thinking to make the world free and safe. And since this is the core philosophy at IAMS, I feel hopeful that we are on our way to a bright future!
Kuei-Hsien Chen,
Director
