Kuan Accidentally Elected NTU President, Is This the Beginning of Reforms?

 Kuan Accidentally Elected NTU President, Is This the Beginning of Reforms?

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

January 7, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

Kuan Chung-ming, an Academia Sinica academician, economist, and former chairman of the Cabinet’s National Development Council, won the most votes in two rounds of balloting as a dark horse, and was accidentally elected President of the National Taiwan University (NTU). Chou Mei-yin and Chen Juo-shui, who were favored in the polls, were defeated in the first round. This result has a great gap with the expectations of the outside world, and gave the outside world new expectations for the future of NTU.

Such an "atypical," "politically incorrect" candidate surprisingly stood out in both rounds of balloting, with a convincing plurality. What signals does this reveal? Does the collective spiritual state of those who represent the university and selection committee in the election process convey a simple message: National Taiwan University today no longer needs a President with correct interpersonal relations, or a President produced through the manipulations of a certain academic heavy-weight, not does it need a President with color-correctness!

Upon his election, Kuan Chung-ming wrote down the reasons for his victory: "The choice of this election was not me personally, but rather the beginning of reforms that must be undertaken for NTU and Taiwan's higher education," and he announced that he would no longer take part in the activities of any political parties. This announcement shows that Kuan is very clear in his mind that his election reflected the desire of both the faculty and students of NTU to "seek reforms." His declaration that he would not participate in the activities of any political parties also indicated in advance that he will refuse to allow any political forces to meddle in the campus. For the men and women of NTU, is it not a moment to stand tall with a backbone?

We congratulate President Kuan, and hope that under his direction, a brand new NTU will emerge so that young people will be willing to stay on and strive together!

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