5th “GiCS – Girls in Cyber Security” Finals Held in Shalun, Celebrating Female Talent in Cybersecurity and Innovation

Guided by Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and the Ministry of Education, the 5th annual “GiCS – Girls in Cyber Security” competition was co-hosted by the National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) and the Taipei Computer Association. The final round took place on May 10 at the Shalun Cybersecurity and Smart Technology R&D Building in Tainan.
Competition Highlights:
•    In the Cybersecurity Challenge category:
o    High School Division first place: joint team from Taipei First Girls High School and Chih Ping Senior High School (Taoyuan)
o    University Division first place: National Taipei University of Technology
•    In the Creative Ideation category:
o    High School Division first place: Ming Dao High School (Taichung)
o    University IT-related field: National Taipei University of Education
o    University non-IT field: Chung Shan Medical University
Inspiring Future Innovators:
At the award ceremony, NSTC Minister Wu Cheng-Wen emphasized the growth of the event, which attracted over 4,000 female students from high schools and universities since its kickoff press conference on March 8. He praised the winning teams and encouraged participants to continue exploring interdisciplinary knowledge. He also noted the event's evolution—from Girls in Cyber Security to Girls in Creative Society—encouraging participants to break boundaries and shine in any field.
Innovative Themes & Real-World Challenges:
This year’s competition was split into two tracks:
•    Cybersecurity Challenge: Included CTF (Capture the Flag) challenges and a new AI robot security battle to simulate real-world cyber defense scenarios.
•    Creative Ideation: Participants proposed innovative solutions to everyday problems, with many focusing on cybersecurity risks arising from daily interactions with robotics.
Industry Support & Engagement:
The event featured hands-on exhibits from companies including AUO, CHT Security, and CyCraft, as well as a live robot demo by Robo-One TW, allowing students to explore practical applications of cybersecurity and robotics.
Over the past five years, GiCS has reached nearly 15,000 participants, many of whom have become advocates and mentors themselves. The program continues with camps, internships, and future events that support women in tech and cybersecurity.

First-place winning teams group photo
Group photo of all participants

NSTC Minister Wu Cheng-Wen encourages participants to explore interdisciplinary learning through the GiCS platform