Jiang Yi-huah
Jiang Yi-huah is a Taiwanese political scientist and politician who served as the premier of the Republic of China from 2013 to 2014.
After graduating from National Taiwan University, Jiang earned his doctorate from Yale University and became a professor of political science and political philosophy. He served as Minister of the Interior from 2009 to 2012 and Minister of Research, Development and Evaluation Commission of the Executive Yuan from 2008 to 2009. In 2012, he became the Premier of the Republic of China before being appointed as premier under President Ma Ying-jeou.
Early life and education
Jiang was born to a Hakka Chinese family in Keelung in 1960. His father was Mu-Chi Jiang and his mother was Chen-Chin Jiang. Mu-Chi was born in Zhangzhou, Fujian, and moved during the [Retreat of the Government of the Republic of China|government of the Republic of China to Taiwan|Great Retreat] to Taiwan, where he became a police captain.During junior high school, at age 13, Jiang wrote an essay saying that his dream career was to be the president of the Republic of China once he grew up. He attended Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School, where he was classmates with Eric Chu, Chen Chung-wei, and future president Lai Ching-te. After graduating from CKHS in 1979, he enrolled in National Taiwan University and graduated with a bachelor's degree and master's degree in political science in 1983 and 1987, respectively. Jiang wrote his master's thesis, "Politics, Action, and Judgment: A Study of Hannah Arendt's Political Thought", on German philosopher Hannah Arendt.
After receiving his master's degree, Jiang began doctoral studies in political science at NTU in 1998. He then was awarded a scholarship by the Fulbright Program and the Earhart Foundation to complete graduate studies in the United States at Yale University, where he earned his Ph.D. in political science in 1993. As a graduate student at Yale, he read the works of Ian Shapiro. His doctoral dissertation, completed under professor Steven B. Smith and historian Joseph Hamburger, was titled, "Thinking Without a Bannister: An Interpretation of Hannah Arendt's Aesthetic Politics".
Academic career
After returning to Taiwan, Jiang worked as an assistant researcher and fellow at the Sun Yat-sen Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences of Academia Sinica. From 1995 to 1999, he worked as an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at National Taiwan University, and was promoted to a full professor in 1999.In 2000, Jiang was a visiting scholar in England at the University of Cambridge in Darwin College. In 2001, he was a visiting professor at the East Asian Institute of Columbia University. From 2003 to 2005, he served as the vice dean of the College of Social Sciences at National Taiwan University. In July 2005, Jiang served as the executive director of the Shih Ming-teh Chair of Political Science at National Taiwan University.
Research, Development and Evaluation Commission
Jiang entered politics for the first time in 2008 when he was appointed as the Minister of Research, Development and Evaluation Commission of the Executive Yuan on 20 May 2008.Taiwan sex workers decriminalization
During a press conference in June 2009, Jiang said that the Human Rights Protection and Promotion Committee of the Executive Yuan has decided to abolish Article 80 of the Social Order Maintenance Act which regulates sexual transaction that can cause detention or fining of the sex workers. However, the final decision will be left to the local governments.Interior Ministry
On 10 September 2009, Jiang was appointed as Minister of the Interior. At the age of 49, he was the youngest person to ever hold the office. The handing over ceremony from the outgoing Minister Liao Liou-yi was presided by Premier Wu Den-yih in Taipei.Uyghur activist ban on visiting Taiwan
Speaking at Legislative Yuan in October 2009, Jiang, accompanied by Premier Wu Den-yih, said that Uyghur activist Rebiya Kadeer should not be permitted to enter Taiwan because her World Uyghur Congress is closely associated with terrorist group. His remark was supported by the Premier.Electoral system
In December 2009, Jiang said that officials from Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Justice should ensure justice and fairness in administrative electoral process by avoiding stumping on the candidates. In March 2010, Jiang said that Taiwan will have seven kinds of local elections being held all in one day starting in 2014.1996 Hotline for Interior Affairs
MOI officially launched the "1996 Hotline of Interior Affairs" in November 2011 after three months operation trial. Speaking at the press conference, Jiang said that the MOI is in charge of almost everything in people's daily life, ranging from marriage and birth registration, various social welfare and subsidies provider, petition service, corruption reporting, housing transfer registration and emergency reporting. In order to make their service more efficient and more convenient to people, MOI has merged some of their service hotline into one single number.Vice Premiership
Jiang was appointed to become Vice Premier on 6 February 2012. With this, he had to resign from his professorship at NTU.Immigration policy
In July 2012, Jiang said that the Executive Yuan is mulling immigration and population policy in order to attract foreign talents, boost human capital and improve Taiwan's competitiveness. He added that policies from various ministries will be integrated so that this regulation change won't affect much to the current local employment.Premiership
Jiang was sworn in as the President of the Executive Yuan on 18 February 2013 at the Presidential Office in the ceremony presided over by Vice President Wu Den-yih, thus making him the Premier of the Republic of China. He was the youngest premier since Chen Cheng to take office. After the inauguration, Jiang pledged to push for government reform.He was succeeded as premier by Mao Chi-kuo on 8 December 2014.