The Diamond Jubilee Official Ceremony was held on the morning of November 6. It signaled the start of Tamkang University’s 60th anniversary celebrations, and drew an assortment of well-known attendees, including the Founder of TKU, Dr. Clement C.P. Chang, the President of TKU, Dr. Flora Chia-I Chang, and almost 100 dignitaries from TKU’s overseas sister universities, as well as TKU alumni, faculty, and students. The President of the Republic of China, Ma Ying-jeou, also arrived to pay tribute to TKU, and was greeted by a flock of cheering, shrieking students. In his speech, he emphasized how gratified he was to see “Tamkang University, Taiwan’s first private university, attain such remarkable achievements in just 60 years”.
Apart from commending TKU on its accomplishments and its “triple objectives of education” (its three-fold focus on globalization, information-oriented education, and future-oriented education), President Ma also praised TKU for consistently being ranked among the top ten universities in Taiwan – and the top private university in Taiwan – by the Webometrics Ranking Web of World Universities. He also lauded TKU’s eager pursuit of globalization, a direction that fits well with the Ministry of Education’s global objectives.
Subsequently, TKU President Chang delivered a brief address. She explained the TKU mission: carrying on its heritage while paving the way for the future, establishing a new culture for society, and nurturing talent in ambitious young souls. She called on students, faculty, and staff to continue to improve the quality of learning and education at TKU.
There was also a speech by a special guest, the Chancellor of Waikato University and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Rt. Hon. James Bolger, who spoke on behalf of the delegation of overseas sister universities. He expressed his approval of TKU’s vision – that of helping students acclimatize to today’s truly global society. He also explained that each year the University of Waikato has the honor of receiving over a dozen TKU exchange students, and added that “Waikato University, along with all of the sister universities present, sincerely look forward to maintaining their cordial academic partnership with TKU in the 60 years to come”.
The President of the TKU Alumni Association World Federation, Chen Ching-nan, then made a speech on behalf of all TKU alumni. In his speech, he thanked past and current TKU presidents for their efforts in preparing students for their future careers.
During the ceremony, six Golden Eagle awards were conferred to outstanding alumni in a variety of fields. Chen Ching-nan was also recognized for his generous donation of ten million NTD, as was Lin Yun-shan, for his donation of one million NTD.
