Soochow University graced by Kao Koong-lian as Chair Professor on Business Management SCU students blessed to have first-hand accounts on cross-strait exchanges

Soochow University has the honor of welcoming Professor Kao Koong-lian, former Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the Straits Exchange Foundation, and now National Policy Advisor to the President, on board to be our Chair Professor on International Business Management.  On 3rd June 2014 a ceremony and reception was held in Professor Kao’s honor and was graced by many distinguished guests.

President Pan Wei-Ta thanked Professor Kao for returning to Soochow to share with our students his many years of experience in cross-strait negotiations, and business management of Taiwan enterprises in China.  Professor Kao Koong-lian has been involved in literally every single one of the agreements and negotiations across the strait in recent years.  His profound understanding of the economic development of China and all commercial activities involving Taiwanese businessmen is beyond measure.  And he is the person responsible for the epic-making era in the economic exchanges between Taiwan and China.  Soochow is greatly honored, and our students and faculty members as well are all extremely blessed to have Professor Kao joining us.

Professor Kao was the fifth person in Taiwan to have earned a PhD degree in Business Management.  Upon returning from America, he was spearheading the development and growth of SCU’s Department of Business Administration.  His students at the time have all becoming the pillars of our society by now.  Professor Kao quipped that teaching at Soochow, entering public service, or holding key positions in the government have all been an act of chance, that he didn’t plan to have accumulated so much experience in politics nor in business.   

Beginning in September 2014 Chair Professor Kao Koong-lian will be teaching a course "International Business Management” in the Business School’s Master’s Global Business Program.  He will be focusing on cross-strait business management, development plan for Taiwan businesses, business negotiations and consultations, and conducting seminars on special topics in management.  Former Chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation Chiang Pin-kung praised Soochow University for having the great insight, and offered his best wishes to Professor Kao.  He further noted that Professor Kao could pass on and bring to full use his experience and network to Soochow so that our Business School could develop into a research and teaching institution on cross-strait economic exchanges.

Dean of School of Business Jan Chyan-Long responded by saying that Soochow University has always put first the brining in of first-rate faculty members.  He cited two examples to prove his point; Chair Professor Sean C. Chen, former Premier and now Senior Advisor to the President, joined Soochow in 2013, and in 2014 Chair Professor Kao Koong-lian.  These master teachers will definitely opening up a new horizon for Soochow University.

SCU’s Department of Business Administration has always been highly acclaimed for the research on Small and Medium Businesses of Taiwan.  With the addition of Chair Professor Kao Koong-lian, new perspectives will be opening up in the fields of business development on China, and theories and practices of bilateral negotiations.  Soochow’s Department of Business Administration will be able to serve as think tank for Taiwanese businesses in China, develop more academic and business co-operations across the strait, and become an important research and teaching center in the field of cross-strait business administration.