Tunghai University-News--"The Touching Story of 'Expressing Love for Tunghai Through Actions': 79-Year-Old Alumnus Donates One Million Dollars Riding a Bus Back to Alma Mater"

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::: Tunghai University-News--"The Touching Story of 'Expressing Love for Tunghai Through Actions': 79-Year-Old Alumnus Donates One Million Dollars Riding a Bus Back to Alma Mater"

"The Touching Story of 'Expressing Love for Tunghai Through Actions': 79-Year-Old Alumnus Donates One Million Dollars Riding a Bus Back to Alma Mater"

Department : THUPR
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Date : 2023-12-25

Faced with the impact of declining birth rates, not only private universities but all universities in the future cannot stay out of it," In response to an inevitable survival crisis, Tunghai University officially initiated the "Taking Action to Love Tunghai" fundraising campaign in August. A alum, upon hearing the news, specifically returned from overseas, aged 79, supported by a cane, and single-handedly took a long-distance bus ride back to his alma mater to donate $1.1 million (approximately NT$35 million); another 86-year-old alumnus also donated nearly NT$1 million at the beginning of the campaign to support their alma mater. President Chang Kuo-En expressed his hope to raise NT$300 million as the "Tunghai Sustainable Development Fund" to aid the university's development.

Tunghai University's Economics Department alumnus Ding Shan-Jiu (right) specially returned from overseas, supported by a cane, riding a bus alone to donate $1.1 million to his alma mater.

"I deeply feel the limitations of life now, and what's eternal is love! My wife and I were classmates at Tunghai. Even after her passing, I still often think of her. This money is my donation to our alma mater, and it's also donated for her," supported by his cane, Ding Shan-Jiu, an alumnus of Tunghai University's Economics Department, said. Despite mobility challenges, upon learning of the university's fundraising plan, he returned to Taiwan alone and donated funds by taking a bus and public transportation back to his alma mater. Ding Shan-Jiu said that five years ago, he and his wife, Duan Hui-Hui, a graduate of the Sociology Department, made a vow to help their alma mater. Recently, upon seeing Tunghai initiating the "Taking Action to Love Tunghai" donation campaign, despite his wife having passed away, he felt he should personally fulfill her wish.

After his discharge, Ding Shan-Jiu went to the US for a master's degree, experiencing a loss of financial support after his father's passing. He managed to complete his degree by working odd jobs like washing dishes. He said that despite being an average student during his time at Taichung First Senior High School, facing numerous crises in life later on, it was the practical and liberal arts education he received at Tunghai that enabled him to overcome challenges and navigate through crises. Similarly, Chen Wei-Cang, chairman of the "Lionvalley Cultural and Educational Foundation," also a graduate of Taichung First High School who enrolled in the Economics Department, has dedicated recent years to public welfare, documenting the world through visuals and reaching out to leprosy villages to care for patients. He promptly donated nearly NT$1 million to support the alma mater's development. Worried about education, he expressed that aside from private universities, many children in rural areas also need attention and care.

Tunghai University mentioned that apart from the support of alumni like Chen Wei-Cang, Ding Shan-Jiu, Liu Li-Zhu (alumnus of Tunghai's Accounting Department), Lin Yong-Hsiung (Economics Department), Chang Ji-Ming (Engineering Department), as well as the presidents of the North American Alumni Association Chen Xiang-Wen (Chemistry Department), the Southern California Alumni Association Liu You (Engineering Department), and the East Coast Alumni Yang Jin-Shan (Biology Department), there's support from within the university as well, including Li Shu-Hsing, the dean of the management school, EMBA director Hsu En-Te, and even President Chang Kuo-En and his wife, all contributing to the donation campaign. President Chang stated that in order to construct a better teaching and research environment and attract more outstanding talents, more funding is urgently needed. This is the reason for initiating the fundraising, and the proceeds will be deposited into the "Tunghai Sustainable Development Fund." The annual interest will be used for administrative purposes and construction. They hope to raise NT$300 million to face the increasingly severe impact of declining birth rates in the future. Additionally, they have appointed alumnus and Vice President of the Legislative Yuan, Tsai Chi-Chang, as the convener of the "Tunghai Sustainable Development Advisory Committee" to seek more assistance from the outside world and create a better Tunghai.

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