President Ma Ying-jeou met with University of Chicago President Robert J. Zimmer on the afternoon of April 21 at the Presidential Office and extended a cordial welcome to him on his visit to Taiwan.
The president noted that the University of Chicago has nurtured more Nobel Prize winners than any other university in the world and that he is delighted to meet with Professor Zimmer and the others who are accompanying him on this visit. The president welcomed the group on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan).
President Ma commented that Taiwan is home to many graduates of the University of Chicago. Former Vice President Lien Chan, Professor Christina Y. Liu and Industrial Technology Research Institute President Dr. Johnsee Lee are all well-known alumni of the university. Noting the attendance at today's meeting of Mr. Tom S. Tseng, who in the past was involved in alumni services for Harvard University, the president joked that Mr. Tseng's move to the University of Chicago's Development and Alumni Relations Office attests to the attraction of the University of Chicago.
In recent years, the president said, the number of Taiwan students studying in the United States has fallen significantly compared with 30 years ago. At the peak, over 50,000 Taiwan students studied in the United States, but that number is now about 30,000. There is room for this number to increase again, he said. Maintaining close ties with top universities throughout the world is an important factor in Taiwan's development. He said that he will work to strengthen relationships in this respect in the future.
President Ma furthermore pointed out that one reason for the decrease in the number of Taiwan students in the United States is the improvement in the research and academic environment in Taiwan. As a result, many students have decided to stay at home to attend graduate school. Another reason is the wider range of choices for students in terms of places to study overseas. For instance, he said, in the past a relatively small number of students went to the United Kingdom to study, but that number now has reached 15,000.
The president said he believes that if students have the opportunity to further their studies at preeminent schools such as the University of Chicago, both they and Taiwan will benefit. He expressed his hopes that President Zimmer will provide assistance so that even more students from Taiwan will be able to attend the University of Chicago and other world-class universities.
President Zimmer thanked President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with him and said that the Taiwan students at the University of Chicago are outstanding. He seconded President Ma's hopes that even more students from Taiwan will further their studies at the University of Chicago. President Zimmer also said he hopes that the efforts made by both sides will foster closer interaction and result in the cultivation of highly talented individuals.