Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange (CCKF) is a private, non-profit organisation located in Taipei
, Taiwan
, that provides support for research grants on Chinese studies in the humanities
and social sciences at overseas institutions. It was founded in 1989 and named after Chiang Ching-kuo
, leader of the Republic of China
from 1972 to 1988. The foundation also has a regional office in McLean, Virginia
in the United States
.
, the ruling party of the Republic of China. The stated motivation for the foundation stems from professors of Chinese descent at American universities becoming concerned about the decline of programs of Chinese studies at colleges and universities overseas, and their desire to reverse this situation. Chiang Ching-kuo is said to have favored creation of the foundation, and it was created as a living memorial to him. The foundation was patterned after the Fulbright Program
in the United States.
The foundation's original endowment was US$
86 million, consisting of $53 million from the Republic of China Ministry of Education
and $33 million from private donors. The foundation then operates using the interest generated from this endowment, which as of 2004 was $3.4 million for a year. The foundation is governed by a board, consisting of prominent government officials, academics, people in industry, and assorted other citizens. As of 2011, the board had 19 members; its chair was Kao-wen Mao, and notable members included former Taiwan Province
governor James Soong
, Morris Chang
of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation
, former Chinese University of Hong Kong
Vice-Chancellor Lawrence Lau, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Frederick F. Chien. The Ministry of Education continues to have a strong voice in foundation decisions.
The foundation's principal goals are to foster the overseas study of Chinese culture and society, to support international scholarly exchange, to promote widespread attention to and understanding of Taiwan, and to promote academic dialogue on global issues.
The foundation organizes its grants by four geographical areas: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and domestic (Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao); historically, most of its activity has been with those in the United States.
In its first seven years of operation, the foundation spent $23 million on American scholarship. By 2001, many Western academics who were specialists in China were getting research funds from the foundation. By 2004, the foundation had supported nearly 2,000 projects overall.
The Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation provides research grants, fellowship grants, grants for conferences, seminars, and workshops, publication subsidies, doctoral fellowships (including for Taiwanese students abroad), and travel grants and visiting fellowships. In some cases, research that focuses on Taiwan's recent social, cultural, economic, or political development is encouraged, as are collaborative projects with scholars in Taiwan.
Grants from the foundation have sometimes proven controversial. In 1996, the University of California, Berkeley
was offered $3 million for a new center to study ancient Chinese cultures, but the offer was dependent upon the university commemorating both the foundation and Chiang Ching-kuo. This brought about opposition to the proposed funding by students and scholars who objected to the history of political repression during the earlier years of Chiang's regime, who thought it would damage Berkeley's reputation and put Berkeley under undue control by the foundation, and who feared it would harm the university's research and exchange student dealings with the People's Republic of China
. The director of the US office of the foundation said in response that political aspects are not a factor in the foundation's funding decisions. The university decided to name the program, but not the center, after Chiang and the foundation, causing the foundation to suspend the offer.
In the end, two centers for Sinological research were set up: The Chiang Ching-kuo International Sinological Center at Charles University (CCK-ISC) was established in 1997 at Charles University in Prague
, and the Chiang Ching-kuo Center for Chinese Cultural and Institutional History was established in 1999 in conjunction with the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University
in New York.
Political complexities have also extended to scholars working in the People's Republic, who have worried that getting research funds from the foundation or other sources in Taiwan would lead to them being suspected as spying for or otherwise colluding with Taiwan.
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, that provides support for research grants on Chinese studies in the humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
and social sciences at overseas institutions. It was founded in 1989 and named after Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo , Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of President Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China...
, leader of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
from 1972 to 1988. The foundation also has a regional office in McLean, Virginia
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange was founded in 1989 by officials of the KuomintangKuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
, the ruling party of the Republic of China. The stated motivation for the foundation stems from professors of Chinese descent at American universities becoming concerned about the decline of programs of Chinese studies at colleges and universities overseas, and their desire to reverse this situation. Chiang Ching-kuo is said to have favored creation of the foundation, and it was created as a living memorial to him. The foundation was patterned after the Fulbright Program
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
in the United States.
The foundation's original endowment was US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
86 million, consisting of $53 million from the Republic of China Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Republic of China)
The Ministry of Education of the Republic of China is responsible for incorporating educational policies and managing public schools throughout the Free Area of the Republic of China. The ministry is a cabinet level governmental body of the Executive Yuan...
and $33 million from private donors. The foundation then operates using the interest generated from this endowment, which as of 2004 was $3.4 million for a year. The foundation is governed by a board, consisting of prominent government officials, academics, people in industry, and assorted other citizens. As of 2011, the board had 19 members; its chair was Kao-wen Mao, and notable members included former Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
governor James Soong
James Soong
James Soong Chu-yu , is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He founded and chairs the People First Party, a smaller and more conservative party in the Kuomintang -led Pan-Blue Coalition....
, Morris Chang
Morris Chang
Morris Chang , is the founding Chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. in 1987. TSMC pioneered the "dedicated silicon foundry" industry and is the largest silicon foundry in the world. Morris is known as the father of Taiwan's chip industry.Chang was born in Ningbo, Zhejiang...
of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation
TSMC
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Limited or TSMC is the world's largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, with its headquarters and main operations located in the Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan.-Overview:...
, former Chinese University of Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao...
Vice-Chancellor Lawrence Lau, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Republic of China)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China is a cabinet level policy-making body, governed under the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China. The fundamental purpose of the ministry is to promote, expand, and conduct bilateral foreign affairs with other nations. It is in charge of...
Frederick F. Chien. The Ministry of Education continues to have a strong voice in foundation decisions.
The foundation's principal goals are to foster the overseas study of Chinese culture and society, to support international scholarly exchange, to promote widespread attention to and understanding of Taiwan, and to promote academic dialogue on global issues.
The foundation organizes its grants by four geographical areas: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and domestic (Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao); historically, most of its activity has been with those in the United States.
In its first seven years of operation, the foundation spent $23 million on American scholarship. By 2001, many Western academics who were specialists in China were getting research funds from the foundation. By 2004, the foundation had supported nearly 2,000 projects overall.
The Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation provides research grants, fellowship grants, grants for conferences, seminars, and workshops, publication subsidies, doctoral fellowships (including for Taiwanese students abroad), and travel grants and visiting fellowships. In some cases, research that focuses on Taiwan's recent social, cultural, economic, or political development is encouraged, as are collaborative projects with scholars in Taiwan.
Grants from the foundation have sometimes proven controversial. In 1996, the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
was offered $3 million for a new center to study ancient Chinese cultures, but the offer was dependent upon the university commemorating both the foundation and Chiang Ching-kuo. This brought about opposition to the proposed funding by students and scholars who objected to the history of political repression during the earlier years of Chiang's regime, who thought it would damage Berkeley's reputation and put Berkeley under undue control by the foundation, and who feared it would harm the university's research and exchange student dealings with the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The director of the US office of the foundation said in response that political aspects are not a factor in the foundation's funding decisions. The university decided to name the program, but not the center, after Chiang and the foundation, causing the foundation to suspend the offer.
In the end, two centers for Sinological research were set up: The Chiang Ching-kuo International Sinological Center at Charles University (CCK-ISC) was established in 1997 at Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
, and the Chiang Ching-kuo Center for Chinese Cultural and Institutional History was established in 1999 in conjunction with the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York.
Political complexities have also extended to scholars working in the People's Republic, who have worried that getting research funds from the foundation or other sources in Taiwan would lead to them being suspected as spying for or otherwise colluding with Taiwan.