The Taipei Medical University Foundation (TMUF) held its inauguration ceremony in Palo Alto, the Bay Area, last Saturday, June 13th. The event was attended by numerous figures from the political, overseas Chinese, and tech sectors, who came together to witness a significant milestone in Taipei Medical University’s overseas development.
Notable guests such as Zhu Yongchang, Deputy Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, Chuang Yashu, Director of South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center, Yen Hong-wei, Head of the Technology Division, and Su Youli, Director of Startup Island TAIWAN Silicon Valley Base, were present to offer their congratulations. TMU Chairman Chen Jui-chieh personally led a delegation from Taiwan to the US to mark the establishment of a crucial overseas outpost for TMU.
TMUF CEO and TMU Pharmacy Department alumna Liu Chia-ning expressed that the foundation’s establishment will unite TMU alumni and supporters from around the world. She emphasized that over the past sixty years, TMU has not only nurtured healthcare professionals but has also cultivated generations of individuals willing to serve society and change the world. In the future, the foundation aims to serve as a platform for dialogue between healthcare and technology, academic and industry cooperation, and Taiwan’s integration with the world, especially in an era of rapid developments in AI, precision medicine, and smart healthcare, to help Taiwan’s medical expertise shine on the global stage.
During his speech, Chairman Chen Jui-chieh highlighted the significance of the Taipei Medical University North America Foundation as the first foundation established overseas by TMU. He expressed gratitude to alumni and individuals from all walks of life for their contributions in making this possible, and he looks forward to the foundation uniting the strength of overseas alumni and friends of TMU to support the continual growth of their alma mater in healthcare, education, research, and international cooperation.
In an interview, Chen Jui-chieh mentioned that TMU currently has over 55,000 alumni worldwide, with approximately 1,049 in North America and about 442 in California. With the establishment of the foundation, it will be easier for North American alumni to support the development of their alma mater and benefit from relevant tax exemptions in the US, further solidifying the strength of overseas alumni.
A donation appreciation ceremony was held during the event, during which Chairman Chen Jui-chieh awarded alumni Chen Zhengwen, Tsai Jieyi, as well as New York alumni Jain Rongzhi and Huang Fenghuang, in recognition of their donations supporting the foundation. A plaque unveiling ceremony was also conducted, with the chairman presenting blessings gifts, leaving a significant commemoration of the foundation’s establishment.
Dr. Chen Zhengwen, a 5th-year alumnus of the Medical Department, donated $100,000 to support TMU’s “Wings Expansion Plan.” Unable to attend due to undergoing chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, Dr. Chen was represented by Johns Hopkins University Professor Wang Tianli. Professor Wang praised Dr. Chen’s long-standing concern for the development of his alma mater and younger generations, stating that the donation aims to aid financially challenged students, promote exchanges between TMU and the North American high-tech and academic sectors, and invite more experts to TMU for lectures and visits. She also acknowledged the importance of the foundation’s establishment, believing it will help TMU accumulate more resources in its pursuit to become a top university embodying the spirit of Ivy League institutions.
Dr. Tsai Jieyi, a 2nd-year alumnus of the Medical Department, donated $50,000 to support TMU’s “Campus Development Fund.” Having spent 60 years in the US and practiced in California for 45 years after training in New York, Dr. Tsai has delivered over 12,000 babies and performed around 3,000 cesarean sections during his career. Dr. Tsai congratulated the foundation’s establishment and expressed his hope that it continues to unite alumni forces to support the alma mater’s development. New York alumni Jain Rongzhi and Huang Fenghuang donated $2,000 to support the initial operation of the foundation, wishing for its smooth and robust development.
Chairman Chen Jui-chieh expressed his hope for future occasions to allow alumni to witness TMU’s progress and further unite the strength of overseas alumni. He also noted TMU’s fruitful outcomes in research and clinical trials in recent years, as well as the relatively affordable medical education fees in Taiwan, with TMU students paying under NT$100,000 annually on average, making it a cost-effective choice for medical professional education.
It is noteworthy that this time Chairman Chen Jui-chieh led a group of 10 students and cross-disciplinary faculty member Hsu Yixin to the US to participate in the foundation’s establishment conference. Hsu Yixin mentioned that the trip received support from the Ministry of Education’s Youth Development Administration, with the students being outstanding members of startup teams selected internally by the university. TMU has been actively nurturing entrepreneurial spirit in students in recent years, encouraging them to identify problems in healthcare settings and propose solutions.
First-year student Zhang Zhiqi from the Dentistry Department of TMU expressed her anticipation for exchanging ideas with local students in the Bay Area, understanding different cultures and innovative thinking, and fostering a broader vision and execution ability in a startup environment. Third-year student Lin Shixuan from the Medical Department represented the “TMU Film Society” on this trip to the Bay Area, aiming to address the issue of athletes enduring sports injuries and pain behind scoring on the field through visual storytelling. They also look forward to learning about sports technology in the Bay Area and bringing back relevant experiences to Taiwan.