Fu Jen Catholic University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fu Jen Catholic University

天主教輔仁大學  (Chinese)
Former name	Catholic University of Peking (1925–1950)
Motto	真、善、美、聖 (Mandarin) Sanctitas, Bonitas, Pulchritudo, Veritas (Latin)
Motto in English	Sanctity, Beauty, Goodness, Truth
Type	Private, Catholic, Coeducational Higher education institution
Established	1925; 100 years ago (1925)
Founder	Barry O'Toole and Aurelius Stehle
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic (Jesuit and SVD)
Academic affiliations	AACSB AALAU ACUCA AJCU-AP ELECT EUTW IFCU Tsinghua Alliance UMAP United Board
Chairman	Peter Liu Cheng-chung
President	Francis Yi-Chen Lan
Academic staff	1,942
Undergraduates	22,395
Postgraduates	4,041
Location	New Taipei City , Taiwan
Colors	Vatican Yellow      Virgin Blue      Angel White
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	天主教輔仁大學
Simplified Chinese	天主教辅仁大学
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Tiānzhǔjiào fǔ rén dàxué Southern Min Hokkien POJ Thian-chú-kàu Hú-jîn Tāi-ha̍k

Fu Jen Catholic University (often called FJU or Fu Jen) is a private Catholic university in New Taipei City, Taiwan. It was first started in 1925 in Beijing, China, because Pope Pius XI wanted it. Later, in 1961, Pope John XXIII asked for it to be reopened in Taiwan.

Fu Jen has twelve different colleges and schools. Some of these were the first or only ones in Taiwan for subjects like Italian language, information management, and religious studies. The university campus even has its own metro station, called Fu Jen University Station, which was the first metro station in Taiwan named after a university!

This university is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit-linked school in the Chinese-speaking world. It is directly guided by the Holy See, which is the government of the Catholic Church. This special connection means Fu Jen has an important role internationally. It is known for its strong links with the Roman Curia, which is like the Pope's main helpers. Over almost 100 years, different Catholic groups from around the world have helped manage the university.

Fu Jen was the first university in Taiwan to have a business school approved by AACSB, a top international group. Its medical college was also one of the first to use a special teaching method called "problem-based learning" (PBL). Many famous people have studied at Fu Jen, including former Premier Lin Chuan and former First Lady of China Wang Guangmei.

University History

Starting in Beijing

Pope Pius XI helped fund the university's start.

Fu Jen's main entrance since 1963.

Fu Jen Catholic University first opened in Beijing in 1925. It was started by a group of Catholic monks called the Benedictines, at the request of the Holy See. At that time, it was often called the Catholic University of Peking.

The university was built on the ideas of Catholic scholars Ma Xiangbo and Ying Lianzhi. The first president was an American missionary named Barry O'Toole. Later, a famous Chinese historian, Chen Yuan, became president and stayed until the school was closed in 1952.

In 1933, the Benedictines in the United States faced tough times during the Great Depression. They could no longer support the university. So, another Catholic group from Germany, the Society of the Divine Word, took over. Because of its connection to Germany, which was an ally of Japan, the university staff were mostly safe during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).

After World War II

Graduates of Fu Jen Catholic University, 1947.

The university kept running during the war and became a top science school in China. Famous scientists like Chien Shih-Liang taught there. Many graduates, such as Lee C. Teng and Wang Guangmei, became well-known. In 1945, the university's chairman, Thomas Tien Ken-sin, became a Cardinal. The next year, they added a School of Agriculture and started planning a School of Medicine.

After the Chinese Communist Party took power in China in 1949, religious groups, including the Catholic Church, faced difficulties. In 1952, the government combined Fu Jen with other universities. The former president, Chen Yuan, was moved to a new role at another university.

Reopening in Taiwan

Even though there were plans to move Fu Jen to Taiwan in 1948, the university's activities were stopped for about ten years.

Fu Jen Catholic University finally reopened in Taiwan in 1961. Paul Yu Pin, a Catholic leader, was appointed as the new president by Pope John XXIII. The new school was supported by different Catholic groups.

The new Fu Jen focused on subjects like Western history, philosophy, and European languages. It became the only university in Taiwan that fully combined Western ideas, history, language, religion, and art. During the Cold War, many priests and nuns from Western countries came to teach, bringing new knowledge to Taiwan.

Modern Times

Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, north of the campus (2018).

In 1997, the 14th Dalai Lama, a Nobel Prize winner, visited Fu Jen to give a lecture.

Fu Jen has grown a lot since the 1990s. It has become one of the top five universities in Taiwan for student numbers and influence. It now has twelve colleges and schools, plus a hospital. In 2001, Fu Jen was the first college in Taiwan to actively lower its tuition fees.

The Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital opened in September 2017. This hospital helps the College of Medicine work with other subjects like biotechnology, chemistry, and engineering. It also helps train students in hospital management and medical translation.

University Ideals

The university's motto is Truth, Goodness, Beauty, and Sanctity. These four ideals guide everything at Fu Jen.

The university's symbol, or emblem, has a laurel wreath, which means honor and peace. The twelve stars represent the Virgin Mary. The cross stands for the Christian faith. The shield's colors and shape remind people of Christ and the Sacred Heart. The Latin words on the banner beneath the emblem are the university's motto, and the three folds of the banner represent the Trinity.

Based on its Christian beliefs, the university supports important ideas like ending the death penalty and protecting human life. It also believes that higher education should not just be about making money.

Global Connections

The flags of Vatican City, Republic of China (Taiwan), and the University flag.

Fu Jen has a special international role because of its connection to the Vatican. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, it was the only university in Beijing not taken over by Japan. Later, during a time of strict rules in Taiwan called the white terror period, Fu Jen was able to protect students' freedom of speech.

Fu Jen Catholic University is part of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU), which is linked to UNESCO. Even after Taiwan left the United Nations in 1971, Fu Jen has continued to be part of UNESCO activities. The university often helps with important exchanges between the Holy See and Taiwan. For example, Taiwanese ambassadors to the Holy See often receive an honorary degree from Fu Jen after their service.

The university's leaders often travel with the President of Taiwan to visit the Holy See. In 2005, Fu Jen helped arrange for the Taiwanese president to sit in the front row at an event, even ahead of leaders from other countries. In 2013, products made by Fu Jen alumni were chosen as official gifts for Pope Francis and former Pope Benedict XVI.

What Students Learn

Fu Jen University has 12 colleges and more than 25,000 students. Here are some of the main areas of study:

Teaching Methods

Divine Word Academic Highrise, one of Fu Jen's buildings.

A corner of Fu Jen College of Medicine's new building.

Fu Jen University started Taiwan's first program for training conference interpreters. It also has a Mandarin Language Center, which began in 1964 to help foreign missionaries learn Chinese. This center teaches hundreds of students from around the world and offers cultural classes like Chinese Poetry and Taijiquan.

The School of Medicine uses a teaching method called "problem-based learning" (PBL). This method, first used in Canada, helps students learn medical knowledge through small group discussions and real-life case studies. Fu Jen's medical school is the only one in Taiwan that uses PBL for its third and fourth-year students.

Research and Global Partnerships

Fu Jen Catholic University has a long history of publishing academic journals. Some of its main journals include Monumenta Serica and Universitas: Monthly Review of Philosophy and Culture.

In 2008, Fu Jen Academia Catholica was opened to support studies in Catholic topics across different subjects.

Fu Jen also works with famous universities around the world:

• Fu Jen - Stanford: Since 2015, Fu Jen has worked with Stanford University to research human wellness globally.
• Fu Jen - Oxford: In 2012, Fu Jen teamed up with the University of Oxford in the UK to offer a new degree in philosophy and finance. This program teaches students about money while also focusing on good values.
• Fu Jen - IQS - USF: The Master in Global Entrepreneurial Management (MGEM) is a program offered with Ramon Llull University (IQS) in Spain and the University of San Francisco (USF) in the US. It has been ranked among the top programs worldwide.
• Fu Jen - UC Berkeley: Professors from the University of California, Berkeley, often visit Fu Jen to give lectures.
• Global Leadership Program: Since 2008, Fu Jen has been part of a leadership program with Jesuit universities in Japan, Korea, and the Philippines.

Rankings and Reputation

Schutte Memorial Building, once a Natural Science Library.

Fu Jen College of Management is a top business school in Taiwan.

Fu Jen is known as one of Taiwan's top private universities. It often appears in major world university rankings like the QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education World University Rankings. This places it among the top 10% of universities in Taiwan.

The Fu Jen College of Management is considered one of the best business schools in Taiwan. It is known for its international focus and strong computing resources.

In 2014, Japan's representative in Taiwan listed Fu Jen as one of the seven well-known Taiwanese universities.

• Taiwan's Most Popular University: A 2018 survey ranked Fu Jen 4th among 141 universities in Taiwan, and 1st among private universities. It is also the third-largest university in the country by student numbers.
• World's Top Catholic Universities: In 2021, uniRank ranked Fu Jen 1st in Taiwan, 3rd in Asia, and 54th worldwide among 610 Catholic universities.
• Times Higher Education Impact Ranking: In 2020, Fu Jen was ranked 201st-300th globally by Times Higher Education Impact Ranking, placing it 5th nationally.
• Times Higher Education Ranking: In 2020, Fu Jen was ranked among the top 1000 universities worldwide (10th nationally) by Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In 2021, it was ranked 168th in the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings.
• Global Entrepreneurial Management: In 2020, the "Master of Global Entrepreneurial Management" program, a partnership with universities in Spain and the US, was ranked 19th globally by the Financial Times in the UK.
• AACSB Global Business Accreditation: In 2005, Fu Jen's business school received the important AACSB certification. Only five universities in Taiwan have this.

Campus Life

Fahy Memorial Library

Kungpo Memorial Library

Cardinal Shan Library

The Fu Jen Catholic University campus, including its hospital, is about 348,360 square meters. This is similar in size to the Vatican City State.

Fu Jen's Xinzhuang campus is known as the "tree house campus."

• Main campus: Xinzhuang District, New Taipei (since 1963)

Libraries

• Kungpo Memorial Library (for Literature)
• Fahy Memorial Library (General Library)
• Paul Cardinal Shan Library (for Medicine)
• Theology Library

Getting Around

A special path from the metro station to the university's main entrance.

The campus is served by the Fu Jen University metro station. There's a special walkway from the metro station directly to the university's main entrance.

Student Activities

The Ceremony of Venerating the Heavens and Ancestors is a special event held at Fu Jen. It celebrates being thankful to nature and remembering ancestors.

Fu Jen Catholic University has over 100 student clubs. These include academic clubs, art clubs, service groups, and sports teams.

The Cyan Rhyme Award is an annual singing and songwriting competition that started in 1977. Many famous singers and artists, like Jolin Tsai, took part in this competition when they were students at Fu Jen.

Religious Traditions

Decorations for Religious Life Week.

Every year during the Catholic Lent season, the university holds a two-week Religious Life Week. This celebrates Catholic Holy Week and Easter. In October, university priests hold a special Mass to pray for the country, its leaders, and world peace.

During a time of strict rules in Taiwan called the martial law period, only Fu Jen and Tunghai University held College Christmas Balls. This made them famous for their Christmas celebrations.

Student Voice

Fu Jen professors and students have been involved in many important student movements in Taiwan and China's history. These include movements for democracy and social change.

Every May, students at Fu Jen vote for their student leaders and representatives. This helps students learn about democracy and have a say in school matters. In 2013, they started using electronic voting to make it easier for students to participate.

Sports at Fu Jen

Fu Jen Catholic University has at least 31 school sports teams. The Fu Jen baseball team is very famous in Taiwan.

The Fu Jen Dragon Boat Team is the first international university dragon boat team in Taiwan. It plays an important role in sports diplomacy for the country.

Fu Jen is also the only university in Taiwan with both a men's and women's football team. These teams play in top leagues in Taiwan. Many students have even played for Taiwan's national teams.

Fu Jen has helped many professional baseball and basketball stars get their start. Famous athletes who are alumni or students include:

• Lee Fu-an (Asian Athletics Championships winner)
• Cheng Chao-tsun (gold medal in javelin at the 2017 Summer Universiade, breaking an Asian record)
• Kuo Hsing-chun (gold medal in weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2017 Summer Universiade)
• Lin Yun-Ju (bronze medal in table tennis at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Taiwan's youngest player in the World Table Tennis Championships)

In recent years, Fu Jen has consistently ranked first among private schools in the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games.

2020 Summer Olympics Success

Fu Jen sent 8 athletes to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Four of them won 3 medals for the Taiwanese team, including Taiwan's sixth gold medal in Olympic history.

Medal	Athletes	Sports	Subjects	Dates
1 Gold	Kuo Hsing-chun	Weightlifting	Women's 59 kg	July 27, 2021
3 Bronze	Lin Yun-Ju, Cheng I-ching	Table tennis	Mixed doubles	July 26, 2021
3 Bronze	Huang Hsiao-wen	Boxing	Women's flyweight	August 4, 2021

Famous Alumni

Former Chinese First Lady, Wang Guangmei.

Professor at Harvard School of Public Health, Lee-Jen Wei.

IPCC climate scientist, Wei-min Hao.

Co-founder of Trend Micro, Steve Chang.

Economist and 48th Premier, Lin Chuan.

Novelist, Wu Ming-yi.

Playwright and theater director, Stan Lai.

Screenwriter and Golden Horse Award winner, Neil Peng.

Singer and actor, Nicky Wu.

Actress, Vivian Sung.

Weightlifter and Olympian, Kuo Hsing-chun.

Nearly 200,000 people have graduated from Fu Jen. They work in many different areas.

In politics, Fu Jen alumni include at least 25 members of the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's parliament), 3 Taiwanese Justices of the Constitutional Court, and 3 Taiwanese Premiers or Vice-Premiers. Many diplomats, mayors, and the former Chinese First Lady Wang Guangmei also studied here.

In science and academia, notable alumni include Wei-min Hao, a climate scientist who shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and Harvard professor Lee-Jen Wei. Many alumni also work as professors or university presidents at top schools around the world.

In business, Fu Jen alumni include leaders from major companies like Taishin International Bank, Shin Kong Group, Trend Micro, Acer Inc., and Franz-porcelains. For example, Steve Chang co-founded Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity company.

The university has also produced many writers, artists, and media figures. These include novelist Wu Mingyi, journalist Hsiao-Hung Pai, and famous actors and singers like Jolin Tsai, Nicky Wu, and Vivian Sung.

Honorary Doctorates

Fu Jen Catholic University often gives special honorary doctorates to important people. These include Cardinals, national leaders, and Nobel Prize winners.

It is a tradition that the Ambassador of Taiwan to the Holy See can receive an honorary doctorate from Fu Jen after they finish their work.

Related Schools and Partners

Affiliated Schools

• Keelung Fu Jen Sacred Heart Senior High School, Keelung City, Taiwan
• Keelung Fu Jen Sacred Heart Elementary School, Keelung City, Taiwan

Founders and Church Connections

• Order of Saint Benedict (during the Beijing period)
• Roman Catholicism in Taiwan
• Republic of China–Holy See relations

University Alliances

• Alliance of Asian Liberal Arts Universities
• Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia
• EUTW university alliance
• Excellent Long-Established University Consortium of Taiwan
• International Federation of Catholic Universities
• Tsinghua Big Five Alliance
• University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific
• United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia

See also

In Spanish: Universidad Católica Fu Jen para niños

• List of Jesuit educational institutions
• List of schools of landscape architecture
• List of university and college schools of music