National Cheng Kung University ribbon cutting.

The Purdue-Formosa Exhibit, which runs through December 2009, focuses on the Purdue-NCKU Project, which ran from 1952 to 1963 and contributed to the development of NCKU’s engineering and science programs. The partnership was part of a USAID (Agency for International Development) Program that offered educational assistance to universities in the Asia-Pacific region. It was designed to create universities, set up scholarships for the brightest of the bright, offer sustained assistance to universities during their fledging stages, and promote their academic growth.

Purdue was chosen through the Foreign Assistance Act of 1950 to help provide assistance to developing countries. Taiwan had changed from Japanese to Chinese control after World War II. The island was small and needed roads, cities, more schools and industry in order to survive. It also needed up-to-date colleges to train its citizens to build and run the country. When asked to choose an American university to work with his institution, the college president at the island’s Tainan Provincial College of Engineering (now NCKU) picked Purdue because of its engineering and science reputation and because of its graduates who had returned to China to make significant contributions.

The USAID not only invested approximately $3 million into NCKU over the 10-year duration of the project but also provided new buildings and research laboratories, introduced new teaching methods and courses, and modernized the entire campus. As part of the project, Purdue chemical engineering professor R. Norris Shreve and a team of 16 colleagues served as consultants with administrators and faculty; more than 30 NCKU professors, in turn, studied at Purdue. Enrollment at the university grew from 890 to 3,500 during the decade-long program. A hall at NCKU was named for Shreve in 1961.

Speaking at the recent ceremonies, NCKU President Michael M.C. Lai called the event much more than a museum opening. The occasion, he said, honored a program that helped breathe life into the Asia-Pacific region and produced a myriad of alumni, who went on to influence Taiwan’s economy and industries. “This exhibit reminds us all of what two universities can achieve with dedication and passion for education,” he said.

“NCKU has endured a long journey to become an outstanding comprehensive research university. However, we did not get here purely on our own. It was the combined efforts and selfless assistances of so many people throughout the years and the world, such as those from Purdue University, that have given us a shining place in the international academic community,” he said.

Klod Kokini, associate dean of the College of Engineering, took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the exhibit. In his remarks at the event, he spoke of Purdue’s strong relationship with Taiwan and the College’s commitment to forming global partnerships and making global impact. Also in attendance were Vince Bralts, associate dean of the College of Engineering, and George McCabe, associate dean of the College of Science. “We are honored to have been a part of your history and growth, and we look forward to a horizon filled with more opportunities for partnerships,” Kokini said.

Related Link: Love of education, East Asia propelled Norris Shreve to help build a university