Yao Jen-to

Yao Jen-to is a Taiwanese sociologist and politician who previously served as the vice chairperson and secretary-general of Straits Exchange Foundation from 21 June 2018 to 19 May 2020. He is currently a professor of sociology at National Tsing Hua University.

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Education

Yao graduated from National Taiwan University with a bachelor's degree in sociology. He then completed doctoral studies in the United Kingdom, where he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Essex in 2002. His doctoral dissertation was titled, "Governing the colonised: Governmentality in the Japanese colonisation of Taiwan, 1895-1945".

Political career

Yao had been working as a security adviser to President Tsai Ing-wen when, on 10 August 2016, he was appointed deputy secretary-general of the presidential office. On 20 June 2018 he resigned from the presidential office position and took the role of vice chairperson and secretary-general of Straits Exchange Foundation the following day as confirmed by SEF spokesperson.