President Ma announced yesterday in a ceremony at the Academia Sinica that the government will show its determination to avoid academic brain drains and keep Taiwans best scholars at home. And an extra budget of 100 million NT dollars will be allocated to increase the salaries of out

The 200 local and international academicians of the prestigious Academia Sinica gather in Taiwan once every two years for a classic group shot as this.

Two thirds of these academicians live long-term overseas.

In recent years, many of these out

However, in the face of international competition, especially Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mainland China, exceptional scholars are often lured away.

At the conference, President Ma Yin-Jeou stated his determination to put more emphasis on retaining talents.

The National Science Council and the Ministry of Education have together are implementing a Flexible Wage program, in which 50 billion dollars will be allocated to fund top national universities for five years, as well as 100 million which will go to pay raise for out

The National Science Council will further allocate one billion to fund the research on national energy resource.

Although Taiwan is struggling financially, and tax rates have decreased, original plans to deduct from the allocated 50 billion dollars to fund Taiwan's top university for five years will no longer take place.

President Ma says, research is the lifeline the nation and also an investment on the future.

It is simply not possible to cut corners in its funding.