Academia Sinica was founded in 1928 with the aim of creating a pre-eminent science and humanities research community in Taiwan. Guided by the principles of promoting and elevating cross-disciplinary research, providing an environment for novel and creative long-term projects, promoting the development of early career researchers, and contributing to the development of new technologies, Academia Sinica built a new path and continues to be the academic and technological backbone of Taiwan's research community and a leading research institute in Asia.

Academia Sinica is today comprised of 32 research institutes across three streams (math & physics, life sciences, humanities & social sciences), two interdisciplinary programs (sustainability sciences and digital culture), and a network of core facilities that offer on-campus access to cutting-edge research instruments, advanced technological developments, innovative training programs, and expert project consultation.

The Biodiversity Research Centre of Academia Sinica is driven to better understand the biodiversity of our planet through conducting research that integrates biology, biotechnology, ecology, sustainability, and socio-economics. Taiwan is a small country, only 0.03% of the planet's landmass, yet it is home to 2.6% of Earth's flora and fauna. This exceptionally high biodiversity has evolved because of Taiwan's uniquely diverse ecosystems. From shallow coral reefs to deep sea benthos and lowland tropical forests to alpine meadows, the the habitat diversity in Taiwan has given rise to an outstanding assemblage of life. The fundamental goal of the Biodiversity Research Center is to understand and sustainably manage these ecosystems and species. 

Academia Sinica is a globally renowned research institution; however, understanding the importance and the development of graduate and early career studies in continuing this success, in 2002 Academia Sinica inaugurated the Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP). In collaboration with 18 universities throughout Taiwan, for the past two decades the TIGP program has provided cutting-edge, discipline-leading graduate education programs that combine course work, field and lab work, and supervisory support for thesis research.

Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a research-oriented comprehensive university with eight Faculties and Graduate School, combining effective teaching with a vibrant research culture within closely-knit communities of scholars. CUHK has been guided by its mission to assist in preservation, creation, application and dissemination of knowledge with a global vision to integrate tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West. CUHK plays an active part in international academic networks and alliances, forming strong links with over 460 universities and strategic partners in 40 countries and regions around the world.

As a leading research university in Asia and among the best in the world, research at CUHK aims at contributing to global issues. Recently, CUHK has prioritized and focused research investments in four unique and complementary strategic research areas, “China: tradition and modernity”, “Innovative biomedicine”, “Information and automation technology” and “Environment and sustainability”. In addition, CUHK leads 11 research projects under selected Areas of Excellence (AoE). The University houses five state key laboratories to produce research of international quality and carry out important national research tasks. CUHK also focuses on integrating research, innovation and entrepreneurship into a dynamic and productive continuum, bringing research to the market for the benefit of society.

The School of Life Sciences was established in 2010 by combining Biology and Biochemistry departments under the Faculty of Science. Currently, the School offers six major programmes for undergraduate and research postgraduate (MPhil-PhD) studies, including Biochemistry, Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Environmental Science, Food and Nutritional Sciences, and Molecular Biotechnology. Research in “Plant and Agricultural Biotechnology” and “Centre for Organelle Biogenesis and Function” have been funded by AoE and by the establishment of State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology. Students receive training in fundamental knowledge and integrate knowledge and skills to academic research. With quality teaching and excellence in research, the School has trained future generation of scientists to pursue teaching and research careers in life sciences.