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The inauguration of National Tsing Hua University's new president took place at the International Conference Hall at 10:00 a.m. on February 1st , 2010. Witnessed by Deputy Education Minister Lin and more than a hundred distinguished guests, President Lih J. Chen received the Presidential seal from President Wen-Tsuen Chen.
After receiving his Ph.D. degree in Physics from UC-Berkeley, President Lih J. Chen began his academic career at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NTHU in 1977. He rose from the positions of Department Chair, Dean of Engineering, and Vice Chancellor for Research and Development at University System of Taiwan before being elected to the current position. He was also on assignment at National Science Council as Deputy Minister from 2008 till the end of last January.
Other professional and academic duties of President Chen included: President of Chinese Society for Materials Science, Founding President of Chinese Federation of Materials Societies in Taiwan, President of Microscopy Society in Taiwan, Second Vice President of International Union of Materials Research Societies, and Editor of Materials Chemistry and Physics.
The list of President Chen's academic accomplishments and honors is long. It includes: Member of The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World; Academician of Academia Sinica; Lifelong National Chair Professor; Distinguished Chair Professor of NTHU; Fellow of American Vacuum Society; Member of Asia-Pacific Academy of Advanced Materials; Outstanding Research Fellow, National Science Council; The Mineral-Metallurgy and Materials Society William Hume-Rothery Award; Hsu You-Zhian Foundation Chair in Nanotechnology; Pan Wen-Yuan Foundation Award for Outstanding Contribution to Electronics Research as well as Ho Chin-Tui Foundation Award for Outstanding Contributions in Materials Science.
In the handover ceremony, it was noted that under President Wen-Tsuen Chen's leadership, NTHU has accomplished a great deal during the past four years in promoting academic excellence, research and industry cooperative activities, infra-structure improvement, and administration efficiency. It's ranking among the world's best universities, according to The Times and Shanghai Jiao Tong University's surveys, has ascended substantially. No less acknowledged was the university's being credited with the most "excellence" ratings by the Ministry of Education-- subsequently rewarded with the most increase in the Ministry's Special Funding. The South Campus Project was completed during Dr. Chen's tenure, with its beautiful brand-new dorms and the circum-campus walkway. The campus has since become an ever more inviting place. Also to Dr. Chen's credit is the soon-to-be-completed Learning Resource Center, the Delta Electronics Building, the Ilan Campus as well as the Ju-dong Campus. The addition of these physical plants will no doubt further enhance the university's R&D resources.
President Lih J. Chen, in his inauguration speech, has outlined his vision for the university: an institution of academic; excellence a school that offers the best education of science and humanities, and an incubator for scientific innovations. The university will consolidate its resources, striving to be the top school in the Greater China Region. This will be accomplished by nurturing and recruiting the best human resources because faculty is the locomotor of college education. To promote better learning, President Chen will actively pursue the merge with Hsinchu Education University, participating in the development of Hsinchu Life Sciences and Medical Sciences Park, and the construction of a Greater Hsinchu as a Cultural and Science City. He will endeavor to make NTHU a greener and more energy-efficient campus, and oversee the completion of a multi-purpose gymnasium.
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