Hualien Teams Win Eight Medals at National President Cup AI Literacy Competition

(中央社訊息服務20251204 17:20:19)The results are in for the 2025 President Cup AI Literacy Competition, hosted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education and organized by the Tainan City Government’s Bureau of Education. All nine teams representing Hualien County advanced to the national finals, distinguishing themselves from over 150 teams and more than 300 students from across the country. The delegation brought home three silver medals, two bronze medals, and three honorable mentions. Spanning five categories—including General Elementary School, Remote-Area Elementary School, General Junior High School, Remote-Area Junior High School, and Performance Division—the 18 students demonstrated the strength and depth of Hualien’s commitment to advancing AI education. As a key national platform for evaluating AI literacy under Taiwan’s 12-Year Basic Education framework, the President Cup AI Literacy Competition challenges students to apply real-world AI skills. Hualien’s impressive performance reflects the county government's long-standing investment in smart education initiatives and its dedication to creating opportunities for all learners.

The competition centers on a gamified platform known as PAIA Squid Game. Students are tested on a range of skills, including AI model training, machine learning logic, programming, and real-time problem solving. Preliminary rounds were held simultaneously at venues nationwide on November 17. Each team had a limited time to build and upload their models to the platform, which then used automated matchups to determine which teams advanced.

With support from the Digital Learning Project Office under Hualien County’s Department of Education, the county’s student teams underwent rigorous selection and intensive pre-event training. On competition day, they used venue-provided equipment to develop their AI models and write code. Their performance was assessed based not only on technical skills, but also on teamwork and the ability to respond quickly under pressure.

Each submitted AI program and model was reviewed by a judging panel to ensure compliance with competition rules. Only approved models advanced to the head-to-head preliminary matchups, in which two randomly selected teams faced off. Winning teams progressed to the next round, while losing teams entered a repechage bracket, continuing to compete until the final group of national finalists was determined.

“AI education is critical to nurturing the talent of tomorrow,” said Hualien County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei. “Today, our students proved just how strong Hualien’s AI education has become and how it helps every child shine.” Mayor Hsu reaffirmed the county’s commitment to ensuring that geography is never a barrier to opportunity and that smart education reaches every corner of the region.

The national finals and award ceremony were held on Friday, November 28, at ICC Tainan (International Convention Centre Tainan). Hualien’s eight-medal showing is not only a competition victory, but also a powerful testament to the county’s efforts in advancing AI learning in remote areas. These young innovators are turning their training into real-world impact, giving the nation a glimpse of Hualien’s emerging strength in AI education and talent development.

Media Contact: Li Cheng-Pu, Department of Education, Hualien County Government
Tel: (03)856-0237 ext. 20