PKU Alumni Meeting Held in Taiwan for the First Time

Peking University, Dec. 13, 2010: The first PKU alumni meeting in Taiwan was held on Dec. 12 in the Grand Hotel in Taipei. Over 200 PKU alumni from both sides of the Taiwan Strait attended the meeting, whose ages varied from 20 to 90. It was the first communication activity PKU alumni from both sides held in Taiwan.

Ku Yen Chuo-yun, granddaughter of Yan Fu (1853-1921) - first president of National Peking University from 1912 when China became a republic - attended the meeting and made a speech. She recalled the difficulties her grandfather faced when he took charge of university affairs. She also said that being PKU president was one of the most important jobs in his life, because his lifelong ideal was to save the country through education. Mrs. Ku also said, if my grandfather could see the impressive teaching buildings and outstanding alumni of today s Peking University, and know its fame all around the world, he would be very delighted and gratified.

Zhang Weizhen, President of PKU Alumni Association of Taiwan, introduced that in 1949, there were about 720 PKU alumni in Taiwan and over 50 were still alive today, but only about 20 could attend alumni meetings. 40 years after 1949, new PKU alumni in Taiwan promoted the communications work, helping materialize the PKU Alumni Association of Taiwan in 2008. At that time, someone suggested holding a both-side PKU alumni meeting, but most of the alumni thought it impossible. However, after one-year-and-a-half preparation, this dream finally came true. I am glad for that, said President Zhang.

Among all the alumni at the meeting, there were 120 coming from the mainland. Meng Xiaosu, Board Chairman of China National Real Estate Development Group Corporation and Happy Life Insurance Co. Ltd, said in his speech that PKU had changed his life course and his fate. He said, We participated in the household contract responsibility system reform and the market-oriented economic reforms. Today the mainland has outstripped Japan and become the second largest economy in the world and Taiwan also has been developing well. The both sides of the Taiwan Strait have realized the dream of our predecessors 150 years ago, to make our country powerful.

Wang Jin-pyng and Mrs. Ku

The atmosphere of the meeting was friendly and hot. Honored guests and alumni communicated about their emotions to PKU and looked forward to the future of the both sides. Wang Jin-pyng, leader of Taiwan s legislative body, said that although his teaching career was short, he had taught Yin Yanliang, the contributor to Guanghua School of Management. Kong Lingsheng at the age of 90, said when he was admitted into PKU with the highest score, he got the largest amount of scholarship, 500 liang (25 kg) of gold, which got him a lot of admiratio.

Kong Lingsheng (People.com.cn/Sun Liji)

Subsequently, PKU alumni discussed the communication and cooperation of the both sides of the Taiwan Strait in real estate, finance, medicine, IT, and energy.

The alumni on the island will visit the former residence of Hu Shi, president of Peking University from 1946 to 1948.

Translated by: Xu Xinyi
Edited by: Zhang Chunlan
Source: PKU News (Chinese)