National Taiwan University

The objectives of the Center for Condensed Matter Sciences (CCMS) in National Taiwan University (NTU) are to provide an environment and facility for frontier research in basic and applied areas related to condensed matter sciences, and to develop interdisciplinary curriculum in order to cultivate new generations of innovative researchers. By promoting collaborative research among different departments and colleges, we aim to make significant contributions towards the advancement of scientific and technological levels of this country, on a PAR with the most advanced laboratories in the world. The Preparatory Office of the Center was founded in January 1991, after the Administrative Council of the University approved it. The Center was formally established in October, 1992 after the ratification by the Executive Yuan. The first director of CCMS, Professor Chao-Yuan Huang, then started recruiting research fellows, and setting up laboratories and experimental apparatus. From November 1992 to October 1994, the administrative office was temporally located in the Institute of Applied Mechanics. During the period, a laboratory for the Organic Polymer Materials Group was set up in the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences (IAMS) in Academia Sinica. In October, 1994, this laboratory was moved to the Global Change Research Center. Another laboratory for the Magneto-electronics Group and the Administrative Office of CCMS were set up in the same building. Meanwhile, three other laboratories for the Semiconductor Physics Group, the Inorganic Materials Group, and the Laser and Spectroscopy Group were set up at IAMS. When the first directorship was about to expire in July, 1998, the President of the University invited several eminent scholars in condensed matter sciences to form the Selection Committee for the CCMS Director in November, 1997 to solicit candidates for the new Director. In the transition period from August to October 1998, the Vice-President of the University, Professor Cheng-Hong Chen, was the Acting Director. Eventually Professor Tung-Jung Chuang was chosen to succeed as the third director and is leading CCMS into the new century. The construction of a new building for CCMS and the Physics Department of NTU was started in 1995 and completed near the end of 2000. All offices, laboratories and related facilities of CCMS have been moved and/or newly set up in this new building since January 2001.