On May 20, President Ma Ying-jeou swore in a new Cabinet. Based on the criteria of “integrity, competence and experience,” about half of the new Cabinet, in particular those related to the ministries of finance and economic affairs, are experienced members of previous Kuomintang administrations. Others include university professors and scholars with high academic standings. Close to one fourth of themembers of the new Cabinet are women, in line with the goal set out by Ma during his election campaign. Here is a list of the ministers who have been given a chance to sit at the big table.
Liu Chao-shiuan, 65, Premier. Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Toronto. He has been president of National Tsing Hua University and Soochow University, vice chairman of the National Policy Foundation, division director and minister of the National Science Council, minister of transportation and communications and vice premier.
Chiu Cheng-hsiung, 66, Vice Premier and concurrently Minister of the Consumer Protection Commission. Ph.D. in economics from Ohio State University. He has been department director-general and deputy governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan), president of Hua Nan Commercial Bank, board chairman and honorary board chairman of EnTie Commercial Bank and minister of finance.
Tsai Hsung-hsiung , 67, Minister without Portfolio and concurrently Governor of Taiwan Province. Ph.D. in urban planning from Princeton University. He has been vice minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development and minister of the Environmental Protection Administration.
Chang Jin-fu, 60, Minister without Portfolio. Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. He has been a professor at National Taiwan University, director of the Ministry of Education’s Science and Technology Advisory Office, deputy minister of the National Science Council and president of National Chi Nan University.
Ovid J.L. Tzeng, 64, Minister without Portfolio. Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Pennsylvania State University. He has been a professor at the University of California-Riverside, minister of education, vice president of Academia Sinica and president of National Yang-Ming University.
Chu Yun-peng, 55, Minister without Portfolio. Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland. He has been a research fellow and director of Academia Sinica’s Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, commissioner of the Fair Trade Commission and Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, president of Jinwen University of Science and Technology and a professor at National Taiwan University and National Central University.
Fan Liang-shiow, 62, Minister without Portfolio and concurrently Minister of the Public Construction Commission. MS from the Institute of Traffic and Transportation, National Chiao Tung University. He has been vice president of Taipei Rapid Transit Corp., commissioner of Taipei City Government’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems and deputy magistrate of the Taoyuan County Government.
Chen Tain-jy, 56, Minister without Portfolio and concurrently Minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development. Ph.D. in economics from Pennsylvania State University. He has been a professor at the University of Mississippi, Drexel University and National Taiwan University, researcher, department director and president of Chung-Hua Institute for Economic Research.
Hsieh Hsiang-chuan, 64, Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan and concurrently Governor of Fujian Province. Ph.D. in nutritional biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin. He has been department director-general and deputy minister of the National Science Council, director-general of the Hsinchu Science Park Administration and convener of the National Policy Foundation’s Economy and Technology Division.
Liao Liou-yi, 61, Minister of the Interior. BS in Statistics from Feng Chia University. He has been mayor of Fengyuan City in Taichung County, Taichung County magistrate, member of the Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council and national policy adviser to the president.
Francisco H.L. Ou, 68, Minister of Foreign Affairs. BA in Diplomacy from National Chengchi University. He has served in various posts including vice minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has been Taiwan’s representative to Argentina and Spain and ROC ambassador to Nicaragua and Guatemala.
Chen Chao-min, 68, Minister of National Defense. War College, Armed Forces University (now National Defense University). He has served as air force operations commander, superintendent of the ROC Air Force Academy, commander-in-chief of Air Force General Headquarters, strategic adviser to the president and deputy minister for armaments.
Li Sush-der, 57, Minister of Finance. MBA from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He has served in various posts at the National Tax Administration and Ministry of Finance, as commissioner of Taipei City’s Department of Finance and secretary-general of the Taipei City Government.
Cheng Jei-cheng, 62, Minister of Education. Ph.D. in communication from Ohio State University. He has been a professor at National Chiao Tung University, dean of National Chengchi University’s College of Communication and president of National Chengchi University.
Wang Ching-feng, 56, Minister of Justice. LL.M. from National Chengchi University. She has been president of the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation, a member of the Control Yuan, head of the Association for Rebuilding Homes Destroyed by the 921 Earthquake, commissioner of the Central Election Commission, chairwoman of the March 19 Shooting Incident Special Investigation Commission and vice president of the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China.
Yiin Chii-ming, 56, Minister of Economic Affairs. Ph.D. in business administration from National Chengchi University. He has served as a specialist at the Council for Economic Planning and Development, division chief and director-general of the Industrial Development Bureau, vice minister of economic affairs and a professor at Chung Hua University.
Mao Chi-kuo, 60, Minister of Transportation and Communications. Ph.D. in transportation management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has been vice minister of transportation and communications, director-general of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, chairman of Chunghwa Telecom and a professor and dean of the College of Management at National Chiao Tung University.
Kao Su-Po, 40, Minister of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission. S.J.D. from George Washington University. He has been a professor at Central Police University and Shih Hsin University and a member of the Legislative Yuan.
Wu Ying-yih, 65, Minister of the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission. Ph.D. from the College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been a resident general surgeon at Veterans General Hospital, specialized surgeon and director at the Wu Family Medical Center, Chicago, director and general surgeon at Chicago’s South Shore Hospital, board member of Hinsbrook Bank & Trust and member of the Legislative Yuan.
Perng Fai-nan, 69, Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) (retained). MA in economics, University of Minnesota. He has held numerous positions in the Central Bank and served as chairman of the Central Trust of China and chairman of the International Commercial Bank of China (now Mega International Commercial Bank).
Shih Su-mei, 56, Minister of the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. BBA from National Taiwan University. She has served in various posts at the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics and has been director of the Taipei City Government’s Department of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.
Chen Ching-hsiou, 49, Minister of the Central Personnel Administration. Ph.D. in law from National Taiwan University. He has been an attorney, a professor at Soochow University, chairman of Taipei City Government’s Law and Regulation Commission and a member of the Ministry of Justice’s Advisory Committee on the Administrative Penalty Act.
Vanessa Yea-ping Shih, 46, Minister of the Government Information Office. MA from the Graduate Institute of International Law and Diplomacy, National Chengchi University. She has served as deputy director-general of the Department of Personnel and Department of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan’s deputy representative to Australia and senior assistant at the National Security Council.
Lin Fang-yue, 58, Minister of the Department of Health. Ph.D. in clinical medicine from National Taiwan University. He has been a professor at the university’s College of Medicine, president of the Society of Emergency & Critical Care Medicine and department director and superintendent of National Taiwan University Hospital.
Stephen Shu-hung Shen, 59, Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration. Ph.D. in chemical engineering from National Taiwan University. He has taught at National Taiwan University and Jinwen University of Science and Technology, served in various posts at the Environmental Protection Administration and National Science Council and as commissioner of Taipei City Government’s Department of Environmental Protection.
Chou Kung-shin, 61, Director of the National Palace Museum. Ph.D. in art history and archaeology from the University of Paris-Sorbonne. She has served as editor, researcher and chief curator of the National Palace Museum and as a professor and director of the Graduate Institute of Museum Studies at Fu Jen Catholic University.
Lai Shin-yuan, 52, Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council. D.Phil. in development studies from the University of Sussex. She has been a researcher for the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, founder and director of the Chinese Taipei APEC Study Center, a professor at Shih Hsin University, Tamkang University and National Chi Nan University, senior adviser to the National Security Council and a member of the Legislative Yuan.
Kao Hua-chu, 62, Minister of the Veterans Affairs Commission. War College, Armed Forces University (now National Defense University). He has been a brigade commander, commanding general of an infantry division, commanding general of airborne and special forces, General Staff Headquarters vice chief, commanding general of Combined Logistics Command of the Ministry of National Defense and minister of the Veterans Affairs Commission.
Wang Yu-ting, 35, Minister of the National Youth Commission. LL.B. from Fu Jen Catholic University. She has been a member of the Legislative Yuan, consultant to the Tainan City Government and consultant to the Tainan Women’s Association.
Tsai Chuen-horng, 58, Minister of the Atomic Energy Council. Ph.D. in nuclear materials from the University of California, Berkeley. He has been a professor and dean at National Tsing Hua University and an adviser and consultant to the Industrial Technology Research Institute and the Atomic Energy Council.
Lee Lou-chuang, 61, Minister of the National Science Council. Ph.D. in physics from California Institute of Technology. He has been a professor at the University of Alaska, National Cheng Kung University and National Central University, chief scientist of the National Space Program Office, president of the National Applied Research Laboratories and president of National Central University.
Jiang Yi-huah, 47, Minister of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission. Ph.D. in political science from Yale University. He has been a researcher at Academia Sinica, visiting professor at the East Asian Institute, Columbia University, professor and associate dean of the College of Social Sciences at National Taiwan University, associate dean of academic affairs at National Taiwan University and an adviser to the Ministry of Education.
Huang Pi-twan, 63, Minister of the Council for Cultural Affairs. Ph.D. in literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has been a professor, chair of the foreign languages department at National Sun Yat-sen University and National Chi Nan University, deputy director of the National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center, director of the Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education and president of Tainan National University of the Arts.
Chen Wu-hsiung, 64, Minister of the Council of Agriculture. Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois. He has been commissioner of the Taiwan Provincial Government’s Department for Agriculture and Forestry, secretary-general of the Taiwan Provincial Government, vice minister of the Council of Agriculture, an adviser to the Executive Yuan and a National Policy Foundation fellow.
Wang Ju-hsuan, 47, Minister of the Council of Labor Affairs. LL.M. from Fu Jen Catholic University. She has been an adviser to the Taipei City mayor, chairwoman of the Awakening Foundation, member of the Executive Yuan’s Commission on Women’s Rights Promotion, executive director of the Taipei Bar Association, member of the Presidential Human Rights Advisory Council and member of the Executive Yuan’s Labor Pension Fund Supervisory Committee.
Tang Jinn-chuan, 62, Chairman of the Fair Trade Commission (retained). LL.M. from National Taiwan University. He has been a prosecutor, judge, lawyer, member of the Kaohsiung City Council, member of the Legislative Yuan, vice minister of justice and deputy mayor of Kaohsiung City.
Tai Hsia-ling, 46, Minister of the Sports Affairs Council. Doctorate of Leadership Education from Spalding University. She has been a track and field athlete for the ROC National Team, high school teacher, professor and dean of student affairs at Taipei Municipal University of Education and vice chairperson of the Chinese Taipei Triathlon Association.
Wang Ginn-wang, 61, Minister of the Coast Guard Administration (retained). MA in criminology from National Taipei University. He has been commissioner of the Kaohsiung Police Bureau and Taipei Municipal Police Headquarters, director of the National Police Agency and deputy director of the National Security Bureau.
Huang Yu-cheng, 56, Minister of the Council for Hakka Affairs. BA in journalism from Chinese Culture University. He has been vice executive officer of the Kuomingtang’s Central Policy Committee, director of the party’s Office of the Chairman, head of the Culture and Communications Committee and head of the press division and spokesman for Ma Ying-jeou’s campaign office.
Masa J.S. Chang, 67, Chairman, Central Election Commission (retained). LL.M., National Chung Hsing University. He has been an adviser to the Executive Yuan, a member of the Taipei County Election Commission and an attorney.
Chang Jen-hsiang, 55, Minister of the Council of Indigenous Peoples. MA in enterprise planning from Chinese Culture University. She has taught at Chinese Culture University, National Taitung University and National Taipei University of Education, served in various posts at Academia Sinica, the Ministry of Education, Hualien County Government and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and has been a member of the Legislative Yuan and Kuomingtang vice chairwoman.
Gordon Shuh Chen, 54, Minister of the Financial Supervisory Commission. Ph.D. in business administration from National Taiwan University. He has been deputy minister of finance, board chairman of the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corp. and chairman of Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance.
Chang Jen-hsiang, 55, Minister of the Council of Indigenous Peoples. MA in enterprise planning from Chinese Culture University. She has taught at Chinese Culture University, National Taitung University and National Taipei University of Education, served in various posts at Academia Sinica, the Ministry of Education, Hualien County Government and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and has been a member of the Legislative Yuan and Kuomingtang vice chairwoman.
Gordon Shuh Chen, 54, Minister of the Financial Supervisory Commission. Ph.D. in business administration from National Taiwan University. He has been deputy minister of finance, board chairman of the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corp. and chairman of Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance.
Su Yeong-chin , 57, Minister of the National Communications Commission (retained). Ph.D. in law from the University of Munich. He has been a professor and dean of the College of Law at National Chengchi University and deputy minister of the Fair Trade Commission.
Wu Jingshown, 65, Chairman of the Aviation Safety Council (retained). Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Cornell University. He has been director of the National Science Council’s Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences and vice president of National Taiwan University.