The China Foundation for the Promotion of Education and Culture Celebrates 100th Anniversary (2024)

2024.05.30

National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan was established using part of the Boxer Indemnity returned by the United States, which became the Tsing Hua fund. The China Foundation for the Promotion of Education and Culture (The China Foundation), which has managed the fund since 1924, celebrated its 100^th anniversary this year by holding a seminar titled "China Foundation's Centenary: Reflections and Prospects " at NTHU to reflect on its legacy and future commitment to supporting the university's growth.

NTHU President W. John Kao (高為元) highlighted the enduring support of the fund established a century ago, emphasizing its alignment with the university's recent initiatives to reward outstanding talent through sustainable investment. He expressed hope for continued collaboration between NTHU and the China Foundation to achieve another century of glory.

The Chairman of the China Foundation, Chao-Shiuan Liu (劉兆玄), underscored the foundation's pivotal role in modern education and culture. He introduced a new book, "A Century of Glory - The China Foundation's Century-Long Journey," and reflected on the foundation's steadfast dedication to education over the past hundred years.

Former NTHU president and board member of the China Foundation, Lih J. Chen (陳力俊), noted that the foundation is the nation's oldest. It has supported NTHU through significant historical upheavals, including the Northern Expedition, the War of Resistance against Japan, and the university's relocation to Taiwan. Despite losing most of its assets in China during the civil war, some assets that remained in the United States continued to support NTHU's development in Taiwan under the guidance of the late former NTHU president I-Chi Mei (梅貽琦).

Chen emphasized the foundation's origin as a Sino-American initiative set up to manage the returned indemnity funds. Initially, a third of the board members were American, a practice that continues today.

The late board members of the foundation included prominent figures, such as educator Paul Monroe (孟祿), diplomat Roger Greene (顧臨), educator and philosopher John Dewey (杜威), V.K. Wellington Koo (顧維鈞), Monlin Chiang (蔣夢麟), Hu Shih (胡適), Yuan-pei Tsai (蔡元培), Ssu-nien Fu (傅斯年), Shih-liang Chien (錢思亮) and Ta-You Wu (吳大猷). Hu Shih notably served on the board for 35 years.

The China Foundation has deep connections with NTHU. The late Chia-Lun Lo (羅家倫), the first president of NTHU, played a crucial role in entrusting the fund to the foundation to prevent its misuse. Many NTHU presidents, including the late I-Chi Mei (梅貽琦), the late Dr. Cheng-Hsing Yen (閻振興), the late Kao-Wen Mao (毛高文), Chao-Shiuan Liu (劉兆玄), and Lih J. Chen (陳力俊), have served as board members and helped to manage the fund.

To celebrate the centenary, four American directors traveled to Taiwan for the seminar: David Firestein, President of the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations; Douglas Dempster, Professor at the University of Texas at Austin; William Fuller, President Emeritus of the Asia Foundation; and Robert Parker, former Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan.

NTHU Vice President Chen-Fu Chien (簡禎富) acknowledged the foundation's unwavering support, particularly in the early years of NTHU's establishment in Taiwan. Many crucial research facilities were acquired with the foundation's funds, helping to build a solid foundation in the challenging post-war environment.

While the foundation's contributions make up a small percentage of NTHU's annual budget, they fund significant activities, including seminars on history and geopolitics from a Taiwanese perspective.