Shen Chun-shan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shen Chun-shan
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Dr. Chun-Shan Shen in Tsing Hua campus, June 1987
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| Born | 29 August 1932 |
| Died | 12 September 2018 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Alma mater | |
| Employer | National Tsing Hua University |
| Chinese name | |
| Chinese | 沈君山 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Shěn Jūnshān |
| Wade–Giles | Shen3 Chün1 -shan1 |
| Hokkien POJ | Sím Kun-san |
Shen Chun-shan (born August 29, 1932 – died September 12, 2018) was a Taiwanese physicist. He was the president of National Tsing Hua University from 1994 to 1997. He was known as one of the "four princes of Taiwan." This was because his father, like the fathers of Chen Li-an, Fredrick Chien, and Lien Chan, was also a very important person in politics before their sons became famous.
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Early Life and Education
Shen Chun-shan was born in Nanjing, China. His family came from Yuyao, a city in Zhejiang province. His father, Shen Tsung-han, was an expert in farming. Both of Shen's parents were well-educated and had studied in the United States. His mother's father even studied in France as an exchange student.
In 1949, Shen moved to Taiwan with his father. His father became even more important in Taiwan's government, eventually leading the Council of Agriculture.
Shen graduated from National Taiwan University in 1955, where he studied physics. In 1957, he went to the United States to study for his PhD in physics at the University of Maryland. He finished his studies in 1961. His main research was about how electrons affect light.
Career Highlights
After finishing his studies, Shen Chun-shan taught at famous universities like Princeton University and Purdue University. He also worked at NASA, the American space agency.
Returning to Taiwan
In 1973, Shen decided to return to Taiwan. He took a job as the head of the science department at National Tsing Hua University. Even though his salary was much lower than what he earned in the United States, he was praised for his "patriotism." This meant people admired him for loving his country and coming back to help.
While teaching, he also led different research groups until 1984. In 1988, Shen officially joined the government as a Minister without Portfolio. This was surprising because he was not part of the ruling Kuomintang party at the time.
He also served on the Central Election Commission, which helps manage elections. He was also a member of the Council of the Academia Sinica, a top research institution. Most notably, he was part of the National Unification Council. As a member, he visited Zhongnanhai (a government area in China) three times to meet with leaders from the People's Republic of China. During these meetings, Shen, who wanted Taiwan and mainland China to be united, told Jiang Zemin, the leader of the Communist Party, that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait needed to be respected.
Shen became the president of National Tsing Hua University in 1993. He retired from this position and from teaching in 1997.
Other Interests
Outside of his work, Shen Chun-shan loved playing games. He was very good at Go, a strategic board game, and contract bridge, a card game. He was part of the Taiwan team that came in second place at the 1969 Bermuda Bowl, which is a world championship for bridge teams. This was amazing because he and his teammate, Frank Huang, had never played together before! He was also a highly skilled Go player, ranked as a 6th-dan.
In 1978, he used a game of Go to learn important information from Harvey Feldman, an American official. He found out when the United States would end its official relations with Taiwan.
In 1984, a famous novelist named Jin Yong introduced Shen to Nie Weiping, a world champion Go player from mainland China. They became good friends because they both loved Go and bridge. In 1991, they even played bridge together in a competition in Guangzhou. This helped improve relations between Taiwan and mainland China. Another famous Go player, Cho U, also said that Shen taught him Go when he was seven years old.
Shen also started the first overseas group for alumni (former students) of the University of Maryland. He was one of the first people chosen for their Alumni Hall of Fame in 1995.
Later Life and Health
After he retired, Shen's health got worse. He had his first stroke in June 1999. In September 2005, he had his second stroke. Even after this, he kept writing. He published a series of biographies about five famous Go masters in June 2006.
On July 6, 2007, he had his third stroke, which caused bleeding in his brain. He was taken to Mackay Memorial Hospital in Hsinchu. After surgery, his condition became stable, but he was in a coma. Doctors thought there was a chance he might wake up. In early 2008, he showed some signs of responding to voices. However, from 2012 until he passed away, he remained in a coma.
Many famous people visited Shen while he was in his coma. In October 2009, his friend Nie Weiping traveled to Taiwan to see him. Chi Cheng, a famous athlete, would often sing to him. Ma Ying-jeou, who was the president of Taiwan at the time, visited him in February 2011 and read poetry to him. Shen reportedly showed some reaction to this.
Shen was taken to Mackay Memorial Hospital again on September 5, 2018, because he had a fever and a swollen stomach. Doctors found a twisted and damaged part of his intestine. He passed away on September 12, 2018, at the age of 86, from a ruptured intestine.
Minor Planet Named After Him
In May 2009, the International Astronomical Union announced that a minor planet discovered in April 2006 was named after Shen Chun-shan. Its official name is 202605 Shenchunshan.
