Geng Tan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Geng Tan
谭耕
Tan in 2019
Member of Parliament for Don Valley North
In office October 19, 2015 – September 11, 2019
Preceded by	Riding established
Succeeded by	Han Dong
Personal details
Born	1963 (age 61–62) Hunan, China
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Xinglai Laura Huang
Residences	Toronto, Ontario
Education	Hunan University (BEng), University of Toronto (MASc, PhD)
Profession	Engineer

Geng Tan (simplified Chinese: 谭耕; traditional Chinese: 譚耕; pinyin: Tán Gēng) was born in 1963. He is a Canadian engineer and a former politician. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Don Valley North. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the Canadian Parliament. Geng Tan was an MP from 2015 to 2019. He was a member of the Liberal Party. He was the first MP who spoke Mandarin to be elected to the House of Commons.

Early Life and Education

Geng Tan was born in 1963 in Hunan, China. He went to Hunan University in China. There, he earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree. His main subject was organic chemical engineering. This field combines chemistry and engineering to create new products.

After university, Tan became a senior engineer. He held many management jobs. In 1998, he moved to Canada on a student visa. He studied at the University of Toronto. He earned a Master of Applied Science and a doctorate degree. These degrees were in chemical engineering and applied chemistry.

Professional Career

After his studies, Geng Tan worked as a nuclear scientist. He worked for Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). He also worked for Ontario Power Generation (OPG). These companies are involved in nuclear energy.

Tan also helped start the Council of Newcomer Organizations. This group helps new immigrants settle in Canada. He was also a vice-chair for the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations. This group supports Chinese Canadians in Toronto.

For his service to Canada, Tan received two special awards. He got the Ontario Service Award. He also received the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal. These awards recognize people who have made a difference in their communities.

Political Journey

In the 2015 Canadian federal election, Geng Tan was elected as an MP. He represented the area called Don Valley North. An electoral district, or "riding," is a specific area that an MP represents. He was the first MP born in Mainland China to be elected. He was also the first to speak Mandarin.

In December 2018, Tan said he wanted to run for re-election. This meant he hoped to be an MP again in the 2019 Canadian federal election. However, on June 16, 2019, he announced he would not run.

His wife, Xinglai Laura Huang, is a scientist. She tried to become the Liberal candidate to replace him. But the party did not allow her to run. Instead, Han Dong became the new MP for Don Valley North. There were some discussions about who would represent the party in the next election.