This is a page where we collect frequntly asked questions, initialized in Febuary, 2024. Please contact us at <postdoc_representatives@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw> if you find some information missing/outdated.
Emergency contact
See ASIAA internal site: LINK HERE.
General help
Your supervisor(s) / the postdoc represnetatives / the mentoring committee, whoever you're more comfortable with
IT help: cchelp
Building / office environment
Building committee (chair: Wei-Hao. link to contacts)
Sexual Harassment
Sexual Harassment Prevention and Appeal, AS headquarter (link, switch to English at top-right corner)
Harassment other than sexual
Labor rights
Department of Labor, Taipei City Government (link)
For everyone: [2024] 3 hours of Information security and 2 hours of gender equality. Academic ethics for newcomers or 1 hour for every 3 years.
For Taiwanese: [2024] 4 hours of environmetal training.
You can take online trainings here. Your trainings records are on the same website (site title: "環境教育終身學習網").
Public holidays in Taiwan: 11 days a year.
Three ordinary types of leave:
Annual leave: (1) < 1 yr: none. (2) 1~2 yr: 7 days. (3) 2~3 yr: 10 days. (4) 3~5 yr: 14 days.
Sick leave: 15 days.
Need a doctor's ntoe for sick leave >= 2 days.
Personal leave: 5 days. Fewer days for your first yr.
If you take sick + personal leaves > 14 days, your annual review will be downgraded.
Contact the front office for special cases.
Only annual leaves could be carried over for at most 1 yr (e.g. you can accumulate your 2023 annual leaves for 2024, but not 2025).
There are several institutes in northern Taiwan that often looks for seminar speakers:
NTNU (biking distance): https://www.cag.ntnu.edu.tw/index.php/en/main/
NCU (< 2hr train/bus): https://www.astro.ncu.edu.tw/index_e.php
NTHU (~2hr train/bus): https://www.astr.nthu.edu.tw/?Lang=en
NTU astronomy shares the Astro-Math building with us: https://www.phys.ntu.edu.tw/astro/engastro/Introduction.html
The most convenient way is to submit projects to the ASIAA Summer Student Program (SSP). The call for projects usually begins in January (with deadline in mid February).
2024 site: https://events.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/ssp/2024/
591.com.tw
The website https://www.591.com.tw is an extensive, though somewhat challenging, resource for apartments for rent in Taiwan. If you don't read Mandarin, you will probably want to Google Translate the entire site, though unfortunately the site does not quite display properly when translated. Here are some tips for making the search a little less overwhelming. Here are some tips to make the search a little less overwhelming:
Filter by desired neighborhood. Nearby, convenient neighborhoods in Taipei include Daan (大安), Wenshan (文山), Zhongzheng (中正), Zhongshan (中山), Songshan (松山), Xinyi (信義). In New Taipei, you might consider Yonghe (永和), Banqiao (板橋), and Sanchong (三重). Some postdocs live at greater distances, where one can find more space.
Filter by budget. You will likely be looking for something In the 15000 - 25000 NTD range.
Sort by newest listings. 591 Is full of old listings that are either still around because they're terrible and no one wants them, or the apartment is already gone and the landlord neglected to remove it. Moreover, the best apartments get snatched up fast. By focusing on the new listings, you can be sure that the apartment is available, and you have a chance of getting to it before someone else does.
Contact the landlord / agent via LINE, where you can text them with Google Translate. Often they will want to talk on the phone rather than chat, but you can ask them to keep the communication text-based. If you need to have a phone conversation, you can ask someone In the front office, or a Taiwanese colleague, to help you with the conversation.
Be prepared to move fast -- but don't rush! An annoying fact of life In the apartment search Is that the best places go quickly. So If you see an apartment that looks promising, It's best to try to arrange a viewing as soon as possible. But if an apartment Is not the right fit for you, trust your gut. There are lots of not-so-great places on 591, but it is possible to find a decent apartment in this town on our salary.
Real estate agent
If finding an apartment on your own Is too much of a chore, there are of course real estate agents who can help you find an apartment, for a fee. You may ask the front office or a postdoc representative for recommendations (this is usually a word-of-mouth recommendation from others who have used an agent).
Other things to keep in mind:
Older Taiwanese apartments are generally designed for families, so they will often have more space and more bedrooms. Single-bedroom apartments are more commonly found In newer buildings, or older buildings with units that have been renovated.
Many apartments designed for single occupants do not have kitchens! This is not always such a big deal, because food in Taiwan is cheap, delicious, and readily available, but If cooking is important to you, check out the kitchen situation before going after an apartment.
Washing machines are common, but clothes dryers are not. Most people hang up their laundry to dry.
When: If any information on your ARC changes, you need to update it within 15 days of the change. There is no charge for updating the information.
Bring your original ARC, passport, and ID photo.
If changing your home address, also bring the original copy of the lease agreement.
Where: National Immigration Agency (5-min walk from Xiaonanmen station)
opens from 8 am to 5 pm
Mornings typically have shorter wait times.
Renewal takes about 14 days.
You can choose to receive the new ARC card at the office or by mail.
If by mail, you should return the original ARC when applying. Envelopes can be purchased at the post office downstairs.