Wu Cheng-wen (engineer) explained

Wu Cheng-wen
Native Name Lang:zh-hant
Office1:2nd Minister of the Science and Technology Council
Premier1:Cho Jung-tai
Term Start1:20 May 2024
Predecessor1:Wu Tsung-tsong
Office2:President of the Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Predecessor2:Lu Deng-maw
Successor2:Chou De-kuang
Term Start2:2023
Term End2:20 May 2024
Nationality:Taiwanese
Birth Place:Tainan, Taiwan
Party:Independent
Alma Mater:National Taiwan University
University of California, Santa Barbara

Wu Cheng-wen (; born 1958) is a Taiwanese engineer, academic administrator, and politician who has served as the minister of the National Science and Technology Council since 20 May 2024.

Early life and education

Wu is a Tainan native, born in 1958.[1] Wu was an outfielder and pitcher for the Tainan Giants, representing Taiwan in the 1971 Little League World Series.[2] [3] He graduated from National Tainan First Senior High School and studied electrical engineering at National Taiwan University.[2]

Academic career

Wu joined the National Tsing Hua University faculty in 1987, upon completing his master's degree and doctorate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, advised by Peter Cappello.[4] Wu later became vice president of National Tsing Hua University. In this role, Wu attended the 2016 ceremony marking the establishment of an office for the China-funded Cross-Strait Tsinghua Research Institute at NTHU.[5] [6] [7] In 2017, Wu was one of eight candidates during the initial round of voting for the presidency of National Taiwan University.[8] [9] After education minister Pan Wen-chung drew attention to a "flawed" selection process that saw the election of Kuan Chung-ming to the post,[10] Wu announced his intention to withdraw from further votes if interference took place in the selection of Kuan.[11]

Wu has been affiliated with the Industrial Technology Research Institute as head of its Information and Communications Research Laboratories,[12] [13] as well as its vice president,[14] [15] and later, senior vice president.[16] [17]

Political career

At the time of his appointment as leader of the Executive Yuan's National Science and Technology Council on 16 April 2024, Wu was president of the Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology.[18]

In June 2024, Wu announced the government's proposal to extend the third phase of Taiwan's space development program.[19]

Honors and awards

Wu was elected a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 2004.

Notes and References

  1. News: President . 17 April 2024 . Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology.
  2. News: Wu Cheng-wen’s journey from star pitcher to Taiwan’s next science minister . 16 April 2024 . Formosa Television. Video
  3. News: Giant killers of baseball . 16 April 2024 . Taiwan Today . 1 September 1973.
  4. News: Dr. Cheng-Wen Wu was appointed as Vice President at ITRI . 16 April 2024 . University of California, Santa Barbara Department of Computer Science . 29 March 2010.
  5. News: Cross-strait education exchanges must adhere to Taiwan law: MOE . 16 April 2024 . Central News Agency . 10 November 2021. Republished as: News: Ministry urges no extralegal university collaboration with entities from China . 16 April 2024 . Taipei Times . 11 November 2021.
  6. News: Pan . Jason . NTHU officials urged to resign over China center . 16 April 2024 . Taipei Times . 11 November 2021.
  7. News: The Liberty Times Editorial: NTHU shows enemy inside the gate . 16 April 2024 . Taipei Times . 20 November 2021.
  8. News: Lin . Chia-nan . Academia Sinica denies swaying NTU president’s selection . 16 April 2024 . Taipei Times . 21 November 2017.
  9. News: Maxon . Ann . NTU academic wants total repeat of vote . 16 April 2024 . Taipei Times . 26 September 2018.
  10. News: Selection process for NTU president was flawed: education minister . 16 April 2024 . Central News Agency . 29 April 2018.
  11. News: NTU objects to MOE's decision not to confirm Kuan as president . 16 April 2024 . Central News Agency . 28 April 2018. and News: NTU objects to MOE's decision not to confirm Kuan as president(update) . 16 April 2024 . Central News Agency . 28 April 2018. Republished as: News: NTU expresses regret over decision to block Kuan . 16 April 2024 . Taipei Times . 29 April 2018.
  12. News: Wang . Lisa . Intel, ITRI announce research project . 16 April 2024 . Taipei Times . 7 December 2011.
  13. News: ITRI unveils innovative remote-sensing technologies . 16 April 2024 . Taiwan Today . 5 July 2011.
  14. News: ITRI makes IC technology breakthrough . 16 April 2024 . Taiwan Today . 26 December 2012.
  15. News: ITRI, Intel unveil quicksilver memory technology . 16 April 2024 . Taiwan Today . 5 December 2012.
  16. News: Chin . Jonathan . ITRI touts graphite technology to draw water from the air . 16 April 2024 . Taipei Times . 17 December 2021.
  17. News: ITRI, Trumpf to establish laser application center . 16 April 2024 . Central News Agency . 2 September 2020.
  18. News: Chen . Christie . Economics minister, NDC chief among new Cabinet members announced . 16 April 2024 . Central News Agency . 16 April 2024. Republished as: News: Chen . Yun . Madjar . Kayleigh . New economics, digital ministers announced . Taipei Times . 16 April 2024.
  19. News: Nakhiengchanh. Michael. Taiwan to invest NT$40 billion in space budget. Taiwan News. 25 June 2024. 4 July 2024.