Yen Chen-hsing | |
Office1: | President of National Taiwan University |
Term Start1: | July 1970 |
Term End1: | July 1981 |
Predecessor1: | Chien Shih-Liang |
Office2: | President of National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology |
Term Start2: | 1 July 1969 |
Term End2: | 31 January 1971 |
Predecessor2: | Position established |
Office3: | President of National Tsing Hua University |
Term Start3: | 1969 |
Term End3: | 1970 |
Successor3: | Shu Shien-Siu |
Office4: | Chairperson of the Atomic Energy Council |
Term Start4: | 10 April 1981 |
Term End4: | 1 June 1990 |
Predecessor4: | Chien Shih-Liang |
Successor4: | Hsu Yi-yun |
Term Start5: | 20 April 1966 |
Term End5: | 5 December 1971 |
Successor5: | Chien Shih-Liang |
Office6: | Chairperson of the National Youth Commission |
Term Start6: | 28 January 1966 |
Term End6: | 9 July 1970 |
Predecessor6: | Position established |
Successor6: | Lee Huan |
Office7: | Minister of Education |
Term Start7: | 25 January 1965 |
Term End7: | 1 July 1969 |
Successor7: | Chung Chiao-kuang |
Office8: | President of National Cheng Kung University |
Term Start8: | August 1957 |
Term End8: | December 1964 |
Birth Date: | 10 July 1912 |
Alma Mater: | National Tsing Hua University University of Iowa |
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Yen Chen-hsing (; 10 July 1912 – 7 January 2005) was a Chinese-born engineer, educator, and politician based in Taiwan.
Yen graduated from National Tsing Hua University in Beijing and moved to the United States in 1937 to continue his education. He earned a master's degree and doctorate from the Department of Mechanics and Hydraulics at the University of Iowa in 1938 and 1941, respectively.
Upon graduation, Yen returned to China and helped construct the Burma Road. After World War II, Yen devised plans to dam the Yellow River. He joined the faculty of Henan University shortly before moving to Taiwan in 1949, along with Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government. In Taiwan, Yen became chief engineer of Kaohsiung Harbor before assuming the presidency of National Cheng Kung University in 1957. He stepped down in 1965 and was named Minister of Education.
The next year, Yen began concurrently serving as chairman of the National Youth Commission. As education minister, Yen extended the length of compulsory education programs in Taiwan from six years to nine years and helped establish many junior colleges.[1] Yen left the Ministry of Education in 1969 and ended his tenure at the National Youth Commission the next year. He stepped down from the Atomic Energy Council in 1971, having held the position since 1966. Yen assumed administrative posts at several universities while working in the government.
While serving as president of National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology from 1969 to 1971, Yen was also president of National Tsing Hua University until 1970. He then led National Taiwan University from 1970 to 1981. Upon stepping down from NTU, Yen returned to the Atomic Energy Council from 1981 to 1990 and later served President Lee Teng-hui as a senior adviser. Yen was elected to the Academia Sinica in 1982 and awarded the University of Iowa's Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement in 1984.[2] [3] In 1999, the University of Iowa inducted Yen into its Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy.[4]
Yen died in January 2005, aged 92. Following his death, the "Chen-Hsing Fluid Dynamics Lab" and "Chen-Hsing Memorial Hall" at National Taiwan University were dedicated in Yen's honor.[5]