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Soochow University () is a private university in
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. Soochow University maintains a church and a Methodist minister in residence, though it may be considered a secular institution. The university is noted for studies in
comparative law Comparative law is the study of differences and similarities between the law and legal systems of different countries. More specifically, it involves the study of the different legal systems (or "families") in existence around the world, includ ...
and
accounting Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the process of recording and processing information about economic entity, economic entities, such as businesses and corporations. Accounting measures the results of an organization's economic activit ...
.


History

The original Soochow University was founded by
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
s in
Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...
,
Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...
,
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
in 1900 as a merger of three institutions: the Buffington Institute and the Kung Hang School in the city of Soochow (now spelled Suzhou), in Jiangsu Province, and the Anglo-Chinese College in Shanghai. After the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...
, members of the Soochow Alumni Association who fled to Taiwan established a new institution there in 1951. A law school was opened in 1954, and a full university was certified in 1971. Meanwhile in Suzhou, the original university merged with the Southern Jiangsu College of Culture and Education and the Department of Mathematics and Physics at
Jiangnan University Jiangnan University () is a public university located in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education, and co-sponsored with the Jiangsu Provincial Government. The university is part of Project 211 and the Double First- ...
to form the ''Jiangsu Teacher's College'' in 1952, which revived the name Soochow University in 1982. However, while the English names are identical, the one in Suzhou uses the Chinese name 蘇州 (Soochow), not the original 東吳 (Tung-wu). The campus is home to the tomb of the prominent Chinese politician and diplomat Wang Ch'unghui, who fled to Taiwan after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. In 2014, the Japan–Taiwan Exchange Association listed Soochow University as one of the seven well-known Taiwanese universities.


Academics


Publications

In 1981, the first joint-issued class-made magazine, completely founded by students, called ''Xu Ai'', appeared in Soochow University. Students voiced political opinions as to temporal society, but the magazine was quickly banned by the strong commend of the college. However, the next year, the political students published another critical magazine, ''Monthly Political Magazine of Soochow University''. It was banned, a result from publishing an advertisement of ''Shen Geng'', which was a magazine of the
Chinese Nationalist Party The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the sole ruling party of the country during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until its relocation to Taiwan, and in Taiwan ruled under ...
control. On 9 September 1982, the Academic Conference of Political Department organized an audit for second year students about
Taipei City Council Taipei City Council () is the city council of Taipei, Taiwan. One of the largest Administrative divisions of Taiwan, local councils in Taiwan, the city council is currently composed of 61 councillors, all elected most recently in the 2022 Taiw ...
. But the lead teacher Huang Erxuan was charged by leading a group of students to the council to listen the interpolation produced by the outside party senator. He was fired the next year.


Ranking


Excellent Long-Established University Consortium of Taiwan

Soochow University is a member of the Excellent Long-Established University Consortium of Taiwan (ELECT), which is an organization devoted to inter-school cooperation and sharing resources between schools. The twelve union universities were all founded over half a century with each of their own strengths covering professional fields of science and technology, commerce, agronomy, medicine, media, law, education, art and design, etc. These schools allow students to have multiple options, cross-domain learning and a broader adaptive development for their education.


Campus

Soochow University in Taiwan has two branches: a downtown branch near the Republic of China (ROC) presidential office in Taipei's
Zhongzheng district Zhongzheng District (also Jhongjheng District) is a District (Taiwan), district in Taipei, Taiwan. Taipei Main Station is located in the district. It is home to most of the national government buildings of Taiwan. Overview The district is n ...
and the main campus near the
National Palace Museum The National Palace Museum, also known as Taipei Palace Museum, is a national museum headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in Beijing in 1925, the museum was re-established in Shilin District, Shilin, Taipei, in 1965, later expanded with a S ...
in Taipei's
Shilin district Shilin District (also spelled Shihlin District, zh, t=士林區, p=Shìlínqū, poj=Sū-lîm-khu) is a district of Taipei. The central command center of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) is located in Shilin. History The name ''Shilin'' w ...
. The law and business colleges are in the downtown campus. All other colleges are located in the main campus.


Shilin Campus

The Shilin Campus is in the mountainous terrain of the Shilin District. Faculty and student housing are available on the main campus although they cannot meet demand. There are three female student dorms and two male student dorms with a total occupancy of 1,500. Many students commute to campus by bus and the subway system.


Downtown Campus

The Downtown Campus is in the Zhongzheng District.


Organization

Taiwan's first private university is headed by a president and a board of trustees. The University is divided into six schools or colleges, each having a variety of departments:


School of Arts and Social Science

*Department of Chinese Literature *Department of History *Department of Philosophy * Department of Political Science *Department of Sociology *Department of Social Work *Department of Music *Center for Teacher Education


School of Foreign Language and Culture

*Department of English Language and Literature *Department of Japanese Language and Literature *Department of German Language and Literature *Language Center


School of Science

*Department of Mathematics *Department of Physics *Department of Chemistry *Department of Microbiology *Department of Psychology


School of Law A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for bec ...


School of Business

*Department of Financial Engineering and Actuarial Mathematics *Department of Economics *Department of Accounting *Department of Business Administration *Department of International Business *Department of Computer and Information Science *Undergraduate Program of Business


School of Big Data Management


Sports

Sports play an important role in campus life. The downtown campus has tennis and basketball courts. The main campus has indoor and outdoor basketball courts, tennis courts, a race track, a mini rock climbing wall, and a field that is used for softball and soccer. Each year the university holds two major student athletic events. Much of the sports facilities on the main campus are on land owned by the Taipei city government rather than by the university. The city government has considered reclaiming the land to build an expressway but has decided to back off with this project.


Clubs

The university has 183 student clubs or societies, such as Association for Diplomacy Research (SCU A.D.R.).


Traditions

* 24-hour International Ultramarathon: Runners from several countries, students, faculty, and celebrities such as Ryoichi Sekiya and Mami Kudo participate in this annual event. Only very few of the contestants venture running for the entire duration of the marathon. Portable toilets are set up near the race track with one or two toilets reserved for certain internationally renowned runners. Some spectators set up tents near the track and camp the entire night watching the marathon. *Campus Christmas Carol: Students from the music department visit the faculty residential apartment complexes sing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve. Having people singing carols in the neighborhood is a rare sight in Taiwan since Christians make up a small minority of the population.


Notable alumni

*
Chen Chih-ching Chen Chih-ching (; born 11 January 1952) is a Taiwanese lawyer. He was the Minister of Council of Agriculture in 2016. He was the Acting Magistrate of Nantou County from Deputy Magistrate position since 30 November 2012 until 25 December 2014 ...
, Minister of
Council of Agriculture The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA; ) of Taiwan, formerly the Council of Agriculture, is the ministry under the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in charged with overseeing affairs related to agriculture, forestry, fishery, animal hu ...
(2016) *
Han Kuo-yu Han Kuo-yu (Chinese language, Chinese: 韓國瑜, born 17 June 1957), also known as Daniel Han, is a Taiwanese politician and retired Republic of China Army officer who is the current president of the Legislative Yuan. Han graduated from the ...
, mayor of
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million p ...
* Jeffrey Koo Sr. (1957), businessman * John Chiang, Vice Chairperson of
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
(2008-2014) * John Deng, Minister of Economic Affairs (2014-2016) *
Kevin Chu Kevin Chu or Chu Yen-ping (; born December 1950) is a Taiwanese film director. Chu once said in an interview that he is "not an artist," but rather "a movie factory that puts out products to match the season", and is compared to Hong Kong directo ...
, film director * Mandy Wei, actress, model and host * Shih Jun-ji,
Vice Premier of the Republic of China The Vice Premier of the Republic of China () serves as the deputy to the premier and is appointed by the president, on the recommendation of the Premier. The title of vice premier had been changed several times, so this list is divided into ...
*
Chiang Wei-kuo Chiang Wei-kuo (; 6 October 1916 – 22 September 1997), also known as Wego Chiang, was the adopted son of Taiwan, Republic of China President of the Republic of China, President Chiang Kai-shek, the adoptive brother of President Chiang Chin ...
, Son of Chiang Kai-Shek * Shyu Jong-shyong, Deputy Secretary-General of
Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...
(2015-2016) * Sun Lih-chyun, spokesperson of
Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...
* Tseng Chung-ming, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare (2013-2015) * Winston Chang, President of the Soochow University (1992–1996) * Bai Pei-ying, Minister of Finance (1992–1993); Board Chairman of the Chung Yuan Christian University * Cheng Chung-mo, Taiwan Grand Justice and Vice President of the Judicial Yuan (1999–2006) * Chou Chih-P'ing, Professor of East Asia Studies, Princeton University, U.S. * Chang Chien-Chi, well-known photographer; Winner of the W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography (1999); member of the Magnum Photos agency, New York * Lee Choa-hsiu, President of the Tainan National University of the Arts (2007–), and at the age of 42, was the country's youngest national university president. * Frank C.J. Liu., Former
Franklin Templeton Investments Franklin Resources, Inc. is an American Multinational corporation, multinational investment management holding company that, together with its subsidiaries, is referred to as Franklin Templeton; it is a global investment firm founded in New York ...
chief representative for China and President of
Franklin Templeton Investments Franklin Resources, Inc. is an American Multinational corporation, multinational investment management holding company that, together with its subsidiaries, is referred to as Franklin Templeton; it is a global investment firm founded in New York ...
(Taiwan). * Liu San-chi, President of the Yu Da College of Business; Former Minister of the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) of Executive Yuan, Taiwan * Hsu Shu-hsiang, President of the Transworld Institute of Technology (2006–) * Lu Reng-kong, Chairman of the Da An Commercial Bank; Former Taiwan Finance Minister (1984–1985) * Shieh Jhy-wey, Taiwan's Representative to Germany (Taipeh Vertretung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland; 2005.5 –); Dean of the School of Foreign Languages of Soochow University (1996–2002) * Tu Yin-tzyong, Chairman of the Citigroup Global Markets Taiwan Ltd; Executive Vice President of the Goldman Sachs Group, New York * Members of the Legislative Yuan: Chang Hung-lu, Chang Show-foong, Hung Chao-nan; Chang Ching-fang; Hsu Chung-hsiung; Cheng Kuei-lien; Lin Hsu Shao-ping; Cheng San-yuan; Hsu Yuan-kuo


School presidents

* (1901–1911) *John W. Cline (1911–1922) *Walter B. Nance (1922–1927) * (1927–1949) * (1951–1952) *Shih Jiyan (1952–1954) *Chen Ting-ruei (1954–1955) * (1955–1957) * (1957–1968) * (1968–1969) * (1969–1983) *Edward Yang (1983–1992) * Winston Chang (1992–1996) * (1996–2004) * Liu Chao-shiuan (2004–2008) * Huang Chen-tai (2008–2011) * Pan Wei-ta (2012–2024) *Chan Chien-lung (since 2024)


Noted faculty

* Winston Chang * Liu Chao-shiuan: former president of the university and former
Premier of the Republic of China The premier of the Republic of China, officially the premier of the Executive Yuan ( zh, 行政院院長), is the head of government of Taiwan and leader of the Executive Yuan. The premier is nominally the principal advisor to the President ...


See also

*
List of universities in Taiwan The following is a list of university, universities, colleges, junior colleges, and institute of technology, institutes of technology in Taiwan. Public universities and colleges Private universities and colleges Technical and vocat ...
** List of schools in the Republic of China reopened in Taiwan * U12 Consortium


References


External links


Official site
{{coord, 25, 05, 43, N, 121, 32, 44, E, region:TW_type:edu_source:kolossus-frwiki, display=title Private universities and colleges in Taiwan Universities and colleges established in 1951 Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia 1951 establishments in Taiwan Universities and colleges in Taiwan Universities and colleges in Taipei Comprehensive universities in Taiwan