The government is committed to fostering a supportive education environment for outstanding talents such as Chiang Ching-liang—the youngest person ever to enroll in New York University—so as to ensure the nation’s future development and prosperity, Premier Lai Ching-te said Jan. 31.
Chiang, who was raised in a low-income family, gained admission to NYU and University of California, Santa Cruz last year at the age of 13. After he opted to attend the former, the Ministry of Education contacted local charitable organizations to help secure financial assistance totaling NT$13.2 million (US$451,100) so the prodigy and his mother can relocate to New York.
Congratulating the youngster at the Cabinet in Taipei City, Lai said that Chiang’s courage and determination in overcoming obstacles and achieving high levels of academic excellence have inspired students around the country. The premier also expressed gratitude to Taipei-based Chang Yung-fa Foundation, CTBC Charity Foundation and Wu Tsun-hsieng Foundation as well as New Taipei City-headquartered Yonglin Education Foundation for sponsoring the young scholar’s tertiary education.
Strong support from nongovernmental groups is crucial to the formation of a comprehensive education sector, Lai said, adding that he hopes such organizations can work with government agencies in cultivating talents who can contribute to national and international development.
Chiang offered his appreciation for the financial and educational assistance he has received, stating that his academic accomplishments would not have been possible without the help of his teachers. Citing his recent top marks in a calculus advanced placement course, he said that his performance was due in part to stellar tutoring from Wu Chung-kai, a researcher in the Cloud and Aerosol Research Laboratory at Taipei-based National Taiwan University.
The prodigy, who is set to move to the U.S. in May, said that he chose NYU since it has an excellent medical school and music department. According to Chiang, he one day hopes to use his education to make major contributions to research on rare diseases. (CPY-E)
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