Chou Yuan-chinChou Yuan-chin is a Taiwanese nuclear scientist. He was the Minister of the Atomic Energy Council in the Executive Yuan from 1 February to 20 May 2016.Early life and educationChou was born in Taichung, Taiwan, on August 22, 1954. He graduated from National Tsing Hua University with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in nuclear engineering in 1977 and 1979, respectively. He then completed doctoral studies in the United States, earning his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1988.Early careerChou had been an adjunct lecturer at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Chung Cheng Institute of Technology in 1979–1981. In 1984–1985, he was the adjunct lecturer at the Department of Aerospace of Tamkang University and in 1991-1992 he was the adjunct associate professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Chung Yuan Christian University.