Located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Taiwan faces significant seismic risks, making earthquake hazards and structural safety critical issues in engineering. Assistant Professor Jia-Cian Gao focuses on earthquake engineering and fault-displacement analysis. Through advanced numerical simulation techniques, his research helps engineers assess the intensity of seismic shaking, the magnitude of displacement, and the potential degree of structural damage, while providing key parameters required for seismic-resistant design.
As an alumnus of National Central University at both the master's and doctoral levels, Professor Gao has returned to his alma mater as a faculty member. Drawing on his academic background and extensive experience in industry collaboration, he hopes to cultivate a new generation of professionals capable of contributing to earthquake engineering, energy development, and the international engineering market.
The Core Role of Seismic Analysis: From Civil Structures to Nuclear Facilities, Wind Farms, and Reservoirs
Professor Gao's research team primarily relies on computer-based computation, parallel computing, and numerical simulation. Although the laboratory may not contain the large-scale instruments commonly associated with experimental research, its analytical results can have a major impact on the safety assessment of significant infrastructure projects in Taiwan.
Research applications cover a wide range of fields, including:
- Offshore wind power: strong-motion analysis of underwater wind-farm structures subjected to earthquakes.
- Nuclear power plants and nuclear-waste disposal facilities: structural safety assessments under extreme hazards.
- More than one hundred reservoirs across Taiwan: evaluation of dam risks caused by fault displacement.
- Large-scale infrastructure: seismic-design parameters for bridges and major buildings.
- Applications of new seismic knowledge: reassessment of engineering safety following the discovery of previously unknown faults.
Professor Gao recalls one particularly memorable case involving a dam constructed during the Japanese colonial period and a newly identified active fault. Adjusting a single model parameter could result in differences of hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars in subsequent reinforcement costs.
“Sometimes a change in just one model parameter can influence the decisions for an entire engineering project. The responsibility is extremely significant.”
Working Alongside Industry: From Taiwan to the Global Engineering Market
Professor Gao has many years of experience in engineering consulting and has also founded his own business. This background allows his research team to maintain close collaboration with engineering organizations in Taiwan and abroad.
Collaborative partners include:
- Major engineering consulting companies in Taiwan
- Water-resources agencies and geological survey organizations
- Energy developers
- Public-sector organizations such as Taiwan Power Company and CPC Corporation, Taiwan
- International engineering consultants and research institutions in Denmark, Italy, the United States, and other countries
For example, Professor Gao has collaborated with the Italian OGS research team to investigate potential seismic risks from faults beneath dams during reservoir capacity expansion projects. His team has also worked with European wind-farm developers on seismic assessments for offshore wind projects.
These international collaborations cover diverse topics, allowing students to gain firsthand insight into the requirements of the global engineering market.
Flexible and Diverse Research Approaches: From Computer Simulation to Firsthand Geological Data
One of the questions students most frequently ask is whether joining the laboratory requires spending long hours in the lab or conducting frequent fieldwork.
Professor Gao explains that research methods vary depending on the topic. Projects focused on models, statistics, and computational analysis primarily rely on computers and server-based computation. Research involving surface rupture, displacement measurements, or geological phenomena may require field investigations.
For example, measurements of ground cracks and surface displacement following a major earthquake must often be conducted immediately in order to collect valuable data. As a result, the research may combine numerical simulation with real geological observations and field data.
What Skills Do Students Need? Three Capabilities Are Especially Important
Professor Gao does not restrict students by academic background, but believes that the following three capabilities can make the learning process more effective:
1. Fundamental Science, Engineering, and Statistical Skills
Whether students come from Earth sciences, civil engineering, environmental engineering, or another field, a foundation in scientific and engineering reasoning together with basic statistical concepts can help them gradually engage with the research topics.
2. Language Skills
Because the laboratory participates extensively in international collaborations, students with strong English proficiency can more quickly read technical materials, participate in discussions, and integrate into multinational research teams.
3. Programming Skills
Modeling, simulation, and statistical analysis all depend on computational tools. The laboratory does not require any specific programming language, but commonly used tools include Python, R, GIS, plotting software, and various programs for data reading, analysis, and visualization.
“The programming language itself is not important, but students must be able to use programming tools to process data, conduct analyses, and create visualizations.”
Growing Demand Across Multiple Industries: Strong Career Prospects for Graduates
Earthquake engineering, seismic-resistant design, and the energy industry are all fields of significant importance in Taiwan. Potential career paths include:
- Water-resources agencies, geological survey organizations, Taiwan Power Company, CPC Corporation, Taiwan, and other public-sector institutions
- Engineering consulting companies specializing in seismic design, safety analysis, and structural simulation
- Energy developers with strong international operations and growing demand for technical professionals
- Independent verification organizations and third-party inspection agencies
- Engineering and environmental research institutions in Taiwan and abroad
Professor Gao notes that whenever projects involve earthquakes, energy, or engineering safety, professionals with relevant expertise are needed. He also emphasizes that students from the green-energy, decarbonization, or sustainability-leadership programs should not be concerned about coming from different academic backgrounds.
Professionals with backgrounds in law, finance, and management can also play important roles in energy verification and engineering projects. Once they understand basic engineering logic and industry-specific terminology, they can contribute significantly to project management, communication, and coordination within interdisciplinary teams.
A Message to Students: Choices Matter More Than Effort
At the end of the interview, Professor Gao shared one of the messages he most often gives to students:
“After becoming an adult, the choices you make matter more than how hard you work.”
He encourages students to invest their time in fields with strong long-term potential. Carbon emissions and net-zero issues will continue to receive significant attention, while engineering safety and the energy transition remain long-term national needs. Artificial intelligence is also becoming an increasingly important capability across professional fields.
Professor Gao further explains that the next generation should not focus solely on whether artificial intelligence will replace people. Instead, students should recognize that those who do not know how to use AI may eventually be replaced by those who know how to apply it effectively. He therefore encourages students to explore boldly, understand industries, and identify the professional path that best suits their strengths.