Remarks by Chairman Huang-Hsiung Huang

A Story of “Making the Impossible Possible“

TSE Board Members

Today’s signing ceremony can be said to be the Taipei School of Political Science and Economics moment. The Taipei School of Political Science and Economics (TSE) represents a story that makes the impossible possible.

More than one hundred years ago, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), with the support of the human and financial resources of the Fabian Society, gradually became stronger. From the 1950s to the 1980s, LSE became the source of three major global ideas: Socialism, Liberalism and Conservatism. Just like Oxford University and Cambridge University, it has also become a world-renowned institution.

The story of the Fabian Society and LSE has captured my attention and inspired me. Facing the new situation of the 21st century, the West-centric world for more than 300 years has been gradually changed, from quantitative to qualitative.It is therefore my dream to establish an academic arena for leading the world and historical thoughts for Taiwan, Asia and mankind.

部長、董事與校長簽約合照

“Let TSE become the LSE after 2030” is an undertaking worthy of all generations. This undertaking can never be achieved by chance, but requires practice, especially the combination of talents and funds. For the past two years, I have came across two fortunes and two blessings that allowed this dream to have a chance to take a crucial step:

First, last July, Linchen Hai, the founder of Baojia Group, firmly stated to me that he would honor his promise to donate 3 billion TWD for TSE.

Second, I have received the support from10 former Ministers of Education from the four administrations of Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian, Ma Ying-jeou, and Tsai Ing-wen, and the current Minister Pan Wenzhong.

Owing to these two blessings, the signing ceremony of TSE is able to be held today. I would like to especially thank Zeng Zhilang, Huang Rongcun, Wu Qingji, and Jiang Weining, four former education ministers, for being on the Board as volunteers, and I would like to thank Academician Chu Yun-han for his dedication to planning the TSE. At the same time, I would like to point out in particular that the Chairman Lin for using a personal trust to donate funds alone. He not only declined politely the chairmanship of the foundation, but also asked me to be the chairman instead and actively invited candidates for Board members. His son, Lin Jiahong, agreed to be a Board member only owing to earnest requests from the advice of several Board members who used to be ministers. Chairman Lin said, “Well, I think my son will probably respect my decision.”

Along the way, the idea of TSE has always been accompanied by many doubts. Even before signing the contract, my old friends still asked me in confusion: Is TSE possible? Where are the talents? So much money is needed, and it takes even longer to get it done. Do you have time? Can it be seen? …so on and so forth. We have come to today’s signing scene under this series of doubtful and “impossible” question marks. It’s all boiled down to this story about “turning the impossible into possible”.

This story also represents the birth of a new life. In the past, TSE surpassed many “impossibles” and became “possible”; on this journey towards the future, there will still be many challenges and many “impossibles” ahead. I am very happy that at this moment, I can walk with National Tsinghua University, which has produced many talents and nurtured Nobel Prize winners. I hope that we can jointly write down a story of “turning the impossible into possible” and let the birth of TSE during this epidemic warm people’s hearts and become one of the most beautiful humanistic landscapes in Taiwan.

Thank you.