NTHU President's US Job Hunt After Reappointment Sparks Outrage

National Tsing Hua University President Kao Wei-yuan began his second term on May 1, but just three days later, he traveled to the United States to apply for the presidency of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. This move has sparked widespread discussion and criticism.

Chen Chuo-shui, an academician at the Academia Sinica and honorary professor at National Taiwan University's history department, voiced his strong disapproval on Facebook. He stated that a university president seeking a foreign presidency only three days after beginning a new term is "wrong no matter how you look at it" and would cause controversy in "any normal country."

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No matter how you look at it, it is wrong.

Chen further drew a parallel to the former president of the University of Hong Kong, Peter Mathieson. Mathieson faced criticism for leaving his post less than four years into a five-year term to become president of the University of Edinburgh, even after his powers were curtailed due to his sympathy for the Umbrella Revolution. Chen emphasized that responsibility and loyalty are important values.

Chen suggested that individuals who openly disregard a Taiwanese university presidency do so because they perceive Taiwan as not valuing loyalty and because they envy those who profit from multiple affiliations. He implied that such actions undermine the integrity of academic leadership.

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Responsibility and loyalty are important values.