Kuan Chung-ming

Kuan Chung-ming (Chinese: 管中閔; pinyin: Guǎn Zhōngmǐn; born 15 August 1956) is a Taiwanese politician and academic. He was the last minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development from 2013 to 2014 and served as the first minister of the succeeding government agency, the National Development Council (NDC), from 2014 to 2015. He is currently the President of National Taiwan University and a Chair Professor in the Department of Finance of National Taiwan University.[1]

Kuan Chung-ming
管中閔
President of National Taiwan University
Assumed office
8 January 2019
Preceded byTei-Wei Kuo (interim)
Yang Pan-chyr
Minister of the National Development Council
In office
22 January 2014 – 4 February 2015
DeputyHwang Wang-hsiang, Chen Chien-liang, Sung Yu-hsieh
Preceded byHimself as the Minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development
Succeeded byWoody Duh
Minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development
In office
18 February 2013 – 21 January 2014
DeputyHwang Wang-hsiang, Chen Chien-liang, Hsiao-hung Nancy Chen
Preceded byYiin Chii-ming
Succeeded byHimself as the Minister of the National Development Council
Personal details
Born (1956-08-15) 15 August 1956
Taipei, Taiwan
NationalityRepublic of China
Alma materChinese Culture University (BA)
University of California, Davis (MA)
University of California, San Diego (PhD)

ROC Council for Economic Planning and Development Ministry

Taiwan's Q1 2013 economic growth

Kuan said in May 2013 that he was surprised at Taiwan's Q1 2013 economic growth rate of 1.54%, much lower than the forecast value of 3.26%. This was due to the low consumption by private sectors in Taiwan. Before the numbers were released, the CEPD aimed for Taiwan to show 4% overall economic growth that year, and to reach the original goal would require 5% economic growth for the remaining quarters of the year. However, investments in private sectors were rising at the time, an indication of a positive economic outlook.[2]

Taiwan's 2013 global competitiveness ranking decline

Commenting on Taiwan's declining ranking as measured by the International Institute for Management Development in the Global Competitiveness Report released at the end of May 2013, Kuan said that it is not that Taiwan did not improve, but that other nations improved at a faster rate than Taiwan. He added that the business regulations have been relaxed in Taiwan but not as much as what have been done in other countries.[3]

He resigned his post as National Development Council head in January 2015. Kuan had attempted to resign in a month prior but was persuaded to stay at the time.[4][5]

National Taiwan University presidential selection

On 5 January 2018, Kuan was elected to succeed Yang Pan-chyr as president of National Taiwan University.[6] Shortly after his election, Kuan stated that he would work to help NTU establish international partnerships with other institutions and attract more international students by offering more dual-degree programs.[7][8] Before taking office, Kuan was accused of an unresolved conflict of interest regarding Richard Tsai.[9] Tsai was a member of the NTU presidential search committee, but neither he or Kuan had publicly declared that they both served on the board of Taiwan Mobile.[10] Additionally, Chang Liao Wan-chien accused Kuan of plagiarism in a paper presented in May 2017.[11] Upon further investigation, NTU cleared Kuan of plagiarism.[12][13] Subsequently, the government looked into possible violations of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act.[14] In March 2018, a group of NTU academics and alumni filed a complaint with the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office against Kuan's appointment as university president.[15] The controversy resulted in the resignation of education minister Pan Wen-chung in April.[16] Soon after Wu Maw-kuen took office, the education ministry chose not to approve Kuan's selection.[17] Wu's successor Yeh Jiunn-rong announced on 24 December 2018 that Kuan's appointment had been approved.[18] Yeh resigned from his post the next day.[19] Kuan was inaugurated as president of National Taiwan University on 8 January 2019.[20]

Impeachment

The Control Yuan started an investigation into Kuan's work with Next Magazine in April 2018. The probe found that Kuan wrote for the publication from 2010 to 2016, which overlapped with his tenure as a government minister between February 2012 and February 2015. Kuan's writings for Next Magazine while serving on the Executive Yuan constituted a violation of Article 14 of the Civil Servant Work Act, which barred civil servants from taking on outside work. The inquiry was led by Control Yuan members Wang Yu-ling and Tsai Chung-yi. Upon its conclusion in January 2019, the Control Yuan voted 7–4 to impeach Kuan.[21][22][23] The Judicial Yuan's Public Functionary Disciplinary Sanction Commission then issued Kuan a reprimand in September 2019.[24][25]

References
  1. "Chung-Ming Kuan". National Taiwan University. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  2. Su, Amy (1 May 2013). "Economy rises a lackluster 1.54 percent". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  3. Kao, Camaron (30 May 2013). "Taiwan's global competitiveness ranking declines by four notches". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  4. Tang, Pei-chun; Low, Y.F. (5 December 2014). "Taiwan retains most Cabinet members in reshuffle". Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  5. Katherine, Wei (30 January 2015). "NDC chief resigns, to be replaced by Duh". China Post. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  6. Phoenix Hsu; Ko Lin (5 January 2018). "Former development minister elected as head of Taiwan's top school". Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  7. Hsu, Phoenix; Yen, Wiliam (7 January 2018). "NTU planning set up international campus". Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  8. Hsu Chen, Chi-chung; Liu, Kuan-lin (17 January 2018). "NTU president-elect discusses plans to internationalize the university". Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  9. "Ministry orders NTU to clarify election scandal". Taipei Times. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  10. Maxon, Ann (12 January 2018). "NTU denies any scandal in Kuan's appointment". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  11. Maxon, Ann (26 January 2018). "NTU president-elect accused of fraud". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  12. Hsu, Phoenix; Yen, William (26 January 2018). "NTU clears Kuan, asks Education Ministry to certify him". Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  13. Maxon, Ann (28 January 2018). "NTU rejects allegations that its future president plagiarized student's thesis". Taipei Times. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  14. Wu, Po-hsuan; Hsiao, Sherry (23 March 2018). "NTU president-elect gives ultimatum". Taipei Times. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  15. Pan, Jason (24 March 2018). "Kuan faces an official complaint". Taipei Times. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  16. "Physicist named new education minister". Taipei Times. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  17. Chen, Chih-chung; Liu, Kuan-lin (27 April 2018). "MOE rejects NTU's presidential appointment, calls for do-over". Central News Agency. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  18. Maxon, Ann (25 December 2018). "Ministry approves Kuan's appointment". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  19. Hsieh, Chia-chen; Ku, Chuan; Chen, Chun-hua; Hsu, Elizabeth (25 December 2018). "Education minister tenders resignation over NTU president case". Central News. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  20. Maxon, Ann (9 January 2019). "Kuan takes office as NTU president amid concerns". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  21. Strong, Matthew (15 January 2019). "Control Yuan impeaches National Taiwan University president". Taiwan News.
  22. Yu, Hsiang; Ku, Chuan; Chen, Chih-chung; Wang, Yang-yu; Fan, Cheng-hsiang; Chen, Chun-hua; Hsu, Elizabeth (15 January 2019). "Control Yuan passes motion to impeach new NTU president". Central News Agency. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  23. Hsiao, Sherry (16 January 2019). "Control Yuan votes to impeach Kuan". Taipei Times. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  24. "NTU head given official reprimand for taking side jobs". Central News Agency. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  25. Maxon, Ann (3 September 2019). "Commission reprimands NTU's Kuan". Taipei Times. Taipei Times. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
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