Title: Scholarship for Taiwan Church History Studies Established in Princeton
Taiwan Church News 2859 11-17 December 2006
Reported by staff. Written by David Alexander
Princeton Theological Seminary on the East Coast of the United States has established a new scholarship with funds donated by a Taiwanese professor who emigrated to the USA from Taiwan several decades ago. On 30th Nov em ber the fund was established at a ceremony attended by Professor Iu* Kheng-an (Yang Cheng-an), his family members and several prominent Taiwanese pastors and other church leaders.
Professor Iu* is originally from Tainan, the second son of the Rev. Iu* Su-liong. After graduating from National Taiwan University’s department of law he went to Princeton where he took the Bachelor of Divinity degree. Late in the 1950’s he finished the Doctor of Theology degree there as well. He went on to Columbia University in New York where he took a second doctorate, this one in International Relations. He was then hired by the State University of New York where he taught for three decades.
Over the years of his teaching, he has particularly focused on the economic relationships between Japan, Taiwan and the United States. In 1992 the Japanese Imperial Government honored him for his work. During the most recent ten years he has focused on the affairs of his homeland, Taiwan. He has participated in movements for democratic progress in Taiwan and research on Taiwan’s future security. He has testified before the US Congress on affairs related to American relationships with Japan and Taiwan, and has made several trips home to Taiwan to confer with President Chen Shui-bian. Since 1992 he has served as a policy advisor to Taiwan’s president.
In the November 30th ceremony he spoke of how his early studies at Princeton, commencing in 1954, were supported by a scholarship. The scholarship fund he now endows is intended to support students who come for Master’s level and doctoral level research, as well as visiting scholars who will focus on Taiwan Church History.
The simple ceremony, lasting only half an hour, was conducted by several prominent Taiwanese clergy from the area and officers of the seminary’s administration. Professor Iu* said that the contribution to the fund made by his wife and himself was considered to be the first step, and invited others to increase the fund. As the endowment grows, more and more sons and daughters of Taiwan will be enabled to learn and focus on the abundant riches of their history and heritage.
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