Audrey Tang, the Minster of the Ministry of Digital Affairs(moda) met with German Federal Minister of Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger today. The two discussed the future of digital cooperation between Germany and Taiwan and had discussions on issues such as innovation on data altruism and public awareness on cyber security, hoping to have more collaboration in the future.

The moda also shared the current development of our international cooperation in the "Presidential Hackathon", "Innovations Benefit Society – Call for 100 Proposals", and "Taiwan Can Help: Free the Future". The discussion was very lively.

In the evening, Minister Audrey Tang was invited to the opening ceremony of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Global Innovation Center, a German think tank, to congratulate FNF with a pre-recorded video and to share our country's experience in digital citizenship participation, hoping to ensure digital resilience with democratic partners through the Global Innovation Center. Minister Watzinger also attended the opening ceremony in the evening after visiting the moda.

Minister Audrey Tang said that with the fluctuating international situation and the rise of digital authoritarianism, democracy is facing unprecedented challenges. It is an honor for Taiwan to welcome the FNF to establish the Global Innovation Center at this time. We look forward to exchanging democratic experiences between Taiwan and the FNF, and to work together for an innovative future.

Minister Tang pointed out that Taiwan's democracy development is tied to the development of Internet. In the decade between the end of martial law in 1987 and the first direct presidential election in 1996, Taiwan's democracy grew along with the development of computer and the global information network. Digitization reshaped the concept of real national borders, unlocked the potential for public participation, and demonstrated how democratic governments collaborate with the wisdom of the masses around the world.

The FNF, founded in 1958 by then West German President Theodor Heuss, has been working with civil society partners in nearly 60 countries to promote democracy and freedom. The Global Innovation Center in Taipei is focused on promoting "digital transformation" and "innovation for democracy".