On June 12th, in Taiwan time, Chairman Wang Dunzheng of the E&M Foundation in the United States was awarded the “Education Professional Award” by Minister Zheng Yingyao of the Ministry of Education. The ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Education and Chairman Wang’s family, making the event a grand and heartwarming occasion.
Born in Taiwan, Wang Dunzheng obtained his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Chemistry from National Chung Hsing University before pursuing further studies in the United States. He later settled in Houston, Texas, where he achieved success in his career. Apart from co-founding Capital Bank with friends, he also served as the Chairman of New Century Life Insurance Company.
After achieving success in his career, Wang actively gave back to both American and Taiwanese societies. He has been honored with various accolades, including Outstanding Alumnus of National Tainan First High School, Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award of National Chung Hsing University, Outstanding Alumnus of Utah State University, and Honorary Doctorate, among others.
In 1990, Wang Dunzheng founded the E&M Foundation in the United States, offering scholarships to Taiwanese-American students and promoting educational programs through the Houston office. His significant contributions include promoting the “Taiwan-US Education Initiative”, funding the “Taiwan Excellence” program in collaboration with numerous American universities and Taiwanese institutions, as well as providing seed funding to Utah State University for the establishment of Chinese language courses. He has been a devoted supporter of promoting Chinese language teaching in the United States, sponsoring the establishment of the Taiwan Studies Center at the University of St. Thomas in the Houston area, and supporting the introduction of Taiwan-related courses at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University to enhance understanding of Taiwanese society, culture, and arts among American academics.
Since 2014, he has sponsored over a hundred American students from various universities for short-term study programs in Taiwan. In the same year, he set up a scholarship fund at Utah State University. Since 2021, he has supported Taiwanese female university students to participate in the MACHI research program at Rice University. Overall, he has provided scholarships to over 50 Taiwanese scholars and students to study, research, and intern in the United States.
Minister Zheng Yingyao expressed that Wang Dunzheng has made significant contributions to Taiwan-US educational exchange. Based on the recommendation of the Houston office and in accordance with the regulations for awarding the Education Professional Award, he was presented with the award during a departmental meeting to recognize Wang’s contributions and express gratitude for his efforts and dedication to promoting Taiwan-US educational exchange.
Director Xiao Yifang of the Houston office congratulated Wang Dunzheng on receiving this prestigious honor. This recognition is truly well-deserved. Along with colleagues from the education team, he extended sincere thanks and expressed hopes for continued collaboration in promoting Taiwan-US educational cooperation in the future.