Bonnie Yen, a senior student at the Innovation International College, National Chengchi University, has been awarded the College Student Research Creativity Award by the National Science Council (NSC) for her outstanding academic achievements in the field of offshore wind power research. She also received nearly NT$100,000 in research incentives from the College Student Research Scholarship and the full support of National Chengchi University. Under the guidance of Assistant Professor Chih-Yuan Yang, her research focuses on exploring the development of wind farms in the Taichung area, replicating successful local communication experiences from Changhua.
Bonnie’s research focuses on the successful local interaction experiences in the second phase of offshore wind power development by the Copenhagen Infrastructure Fund, and explores how to apply these successful experiences to the third phase of wind farm development in Taichung. Her study emphasizes the imagination of local energy in the Taichung coastal area through material participation approaches, and explores the roles and participation of local communities in wind farm development through semi-structured interviews and video-assisted narrative interviews.
Bonnie’s research methods include literature review, theoretical exploration, and field interviews, aiming to explore the impact of local communication and community participation on wind farm development. Her findings underscore the importance of material participatory democracy, where local communication not only affects short-term development effectiveness but also plays a crucial role in the long-term operational success of offshore wind power, establishing effective local relationships and citizen participation mechanisms to support future energy development projects.
Assistant Professor Chih-Yuan Yang emphasized that the college student project provides students with a valuable opportunity to implement the entire research process. He said, “Through the ability to analyze knowledge, students can discover problems, provide initial answers, and organize systematic results. The college student project covers the collection of written knowledge, field experiences, and project budget management, making it a highly practical research project that also provides practical job skills.”
He further encourages more students to participate in such research projects, which not only receive support from national research funding but also gain industry recognition, providing significant assistance for students’ future job applications and academic pursuits.
Bonnie Yen expressed that she has learned many interview techniques and experiences through the research project. This enriching interview experience has deepened her understanding of the complexities of local justice transformation, and she hopes to propose strategies that are widely recognized by society in the future.
This award fully demonstrates Bonnie Yen’s outstanding performance in academic research. Her research results are expected to make substantial contributions to Taiwan’s energy policy and community participation, highlighting Innovation International College’s high regard and comprehensive support for nurturing outstanding students.
Assistant Professor Chih-Yuan Yang served as the supervisor for this research project (Photo credit: ICI)
Bonnie Yen’s research report primarily explores the local multifaceted values and support for offshore wind power. (Photo credit: ICI)
Bonnie Yen’s research report primarily explores the local multifaceted values and support for offshore wind power. (Photo credit: ICI)
