The nation’s oldest graduate student, Chao Mu-he (趙慕鶴), 98, was awarded a master’s degree in philosophy yesterday.
He also received a special award at the graduation ceremony in recognition of his diligence.
Born on July 4, 1912, Chao, who has mastered the “bird-worm” style of calligraphy, used this as the basis for his research for his degree from Nanhua University’s Graduate Institute of Philosophy in Chiayi County.
Chao said he learned the bird-worm script as a child in China.
“It is a difficult form of calligraphy because each stroke in the script has to be shaped like a bird or worm,” he said.
As he had spent several decades learning the style, which is now almost obsolete, he knew it would be the best subject for his thesis, Chao said.
Chao, a graduate of a teachers’ college in China’s Shandong Province, moved to Taiwan in 1951. He taught at Kaohsiung Girls’ Normal College, which later became National Kaohsiung Normal University. He was the university’s director of general affairs before he retired in 1978.
Asked why he decided to pursue a graduate degree so late in life, Chao said he wanted to encourage one of his friend’s sons, who was reluctant to go back to school. Chao said he invited the young man to study with him in graduate school.
As Chao was living in Kaohsiung, he had to commute to Chiayi by bus to attend classes, but he was proud to say that in his two years of study, he had never missed a class.
Physically, Chao appears to be in good shape and moves around unassisted. Asked about the secret to his health, he said there was none, but added that he never quarrels with anyone.
Chen Teh-ho (陳德和), Chao’s thesis adviser, described his student as diligent with a sense of humor.
Chen said he was impressed by Chao’s desire to acquire knowledge.
Chao is the best example of the saying a person is “never too old to learn,” Chen said.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS