The recipients of the 27th Taiwan-France Cultural Award have been announced. These laureates are Gwennaël Gaffric, associate professor of Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University (Lyon 3) and French translator of Taiwanese literature; Elizabeth Zeitoun, research fellow of the Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica and MOC Cultural Association Medal awardee; and Chen Yi-fen (陳逸芬), Formosa Baroque Orchestra founder and baroque flutist.
Gwennaël Gaffric is a scholar, literary book editor, and the current Associate Dean of the Faculty of Languages, Lyon 3. As a lover of Taiwanese literature, he has engaged in multiple research, teaching, publication, and translation projects. He pioneered the development of scholarship and publication of Taiwanese literature in France and French-speaking countries through book translation and academic papers.
As a researcher of linguistics, Elizabeth Zeitoun entered Academia Sinica in Taiwan in 1992. For three decades, she has dedicated herself to promoting the studies of Taiwan’s Austronesian languages. She has made outstanding contributions to the collection, documentation, preservation, dissemination, and teaching of the languages of Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples.
Chen Yi-fen received a comprehensive education in classical music when she was young and holds a diploma from the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. She devoted herself to the promotion of classical music and founded the Formosa Baroque Orchestra. The orchestra regularly invites renowned international musicians to Taiwan to hold concerts and organize educational activities, serving as a bridge between Taiwan and Europe in the field of classical music.
The Taiwan-France Cultural Award was established by the Ministry of Culture (MOC) and the French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences in 1996. The 27th Taiwan-France Cultural Award committee was formed by Culture Minister Shih Che, Perpetual Secretary Bernard Stirn of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, and other members from Taiwan and France.
Starting in 2006, the Taiwan-France Cultural Award broadened the submission to all European countries, to commend institutions or individuals who have made significant contributions to art and cultural exchanges between Taiwan, France, and Europe.