Chen Wen-chang

Chen Wen-chang is a Taiwanese chemical engineer and academic administrator who is the current president of the National Taiwan University. Succeeding Kuan Chung-ming, he took his position as president of the university on 8 January 2023.

Early life and education

Chen was born in Taichung on April 10, 1963. He studied chemical engineering at National Taiwan University, where he was one of the highest-ranked students of his class and was twice awarded a dean's list scholarship. After graduating from NTU with a Bachelor of Science in 1985, he completed two years of mandatory military service in the Republic of China Armed Forces.
In the fall of 1987, Chen went to the United States to complete graduate studies at the University of Rochester, where he earned a Master of Science in 1991 and his Ph.D. in 1993, both in chemical engineering. His doctoral dissertation was titled, "Small bandgap conducting polymers based on conjugated poly," and was completed under professor Samson A. Jenekhe. As a graduate student, he won the university's Elon Huntington Hooker Fellowship.

Career

Chen returned to teach in Taiwan as a professor at NTU and later became dean of the College of Engineering. In 2021, he was awarded a National Chair Professorship in engineering and applied science. Chen was one of nine candidates certified by NTU's Presidential Election Committee in July 2022 to contest the office. A subsequent vote reduced the number of candidates to six, and Chen won another round of voting in October 2022.