A symbol of the NCTU Spirit: Forever president Hung-Hsun Ling
Mr. Hung-Hsun Ling, also named “Chu-Ming”, was from Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province. He was born in 1894 and passed away in 1981. In the summer of 1910, he studied in the Shanghai Vocational College of Higher Education (NCTU’s forerunner) as a government-supported student. And Mr. Ling earned the school’s director Mr. Wen-Chih Tang’s favor for his Gold Prize in Chinese classics examination.
In 1920, Mr. Ling became a part-time instructor in the alma mater. In 1924, he served as president of the school, becoming the youngest one in the new education system in China. In his term of office, an industrial exhibition and China’s first graduate-level Institute of Industry originated with him.
After resigning his position in 1927, he began 16-year long railroad construction career. The contemporaries called him the “Railroad Sage” because he could be described as the successor of Tien-Yu Chan, who was China’s greatest railway engineer. After the ROC moved to Taiwan, Mr. Ling served as the Chairman of the Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC) for 20 years (1951-1971), and he led the CPC to build a foundation for Taiwan’s industry.
In 1957, the Executive Yuan approved to set NCTU Institute of Electronics. Mr. Ling, recommended by the alumni, became the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee to rebuild NCTU in Taiwan. Under Mr. Ling’s devotion, we had NCTU reestablishment accomplished.
Throughout his life, he exerted himself for his school and country and has truly become a model for his strict, self-controlled spirit and honest, upright conduct.