Rutgers Global hosted a reception on March 2nd in Taiwan to connect and engage with alumni around the country.
The alumni dinner, held at the Caesar Hotel in Taipei, was hosted by Steven Henin, Assistant Dean for Global Initiatives at Rutgers Global, and co-hosted by Dr. Karen WeiRu Lin, Associate Dean of for Global Health at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The event was attended by thirty alumni who travelled from cities across Taiwan for the evening. Alumni had the opportunity to learn about Rutgers' current leadership and vision, updates regarding Rutgers impact around the world, and potential collaboration and research opportunities. They also learned about ways in which they can continue to engage with the Rutgers University and with each other.
Most of the alumni who attended the dinner were from Taipei but several travelled from afar, including two alumni who travelled more than three hours from Chiayi City to attend the event, highlighting the commitment and dedication that Rutgers alumni have toward their alma mater.
Henin reported, “For some alumni, the event was a chance to reconnect with friends and colleagues they hadn't seen in years, which provided a bit of nostalgia.” For instance Amy Huang, who graduated in 1990, hadn’t seen many of her Rutgers friends in 30+ years but attending the alumni dinner brought back many wonderful memories she had while in New Jersey. Most of the alumni at the reception attended Rutgers in the 1990's to early 2000's, but there was a range, with some alums who attended the reception who graduated in the 1980s. For Chin-fan Tai, a 1982 graduate who obtained his degree in Business Administration (featured in photo above at left at his graduation), though there were no other alumni from his time at Rutgers at the event, he was nonetheless thrilled to be able to connect with so many Rutgers alums for the first time in more than 40 years.
Other alumni guests at the reception included Yili Lee, who obtained her MBA in 2000, and is now the Deputy Chairman of Maywufa Co. Ltd. and Chairman of Phytohealth Ltd. Shin-Ru Shih got her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Rutgers University in 1996, and established the Research Center for Emerging Viral Infections at Chang Gung University in 2009. Dr. Lin reported, “As center director, she was often quoted during COVID pandemic. Her team has been studying various aspects of emerging RNA viruses, identification of viral pathogens during outbreaks, and development of vaccines and antiviral agents. She hopes to develop research collaboration and student exchange experiences.” Ming-Hsun Lee, obtained his PhD of Rutgers Food Sciences in 1980 and is now retired from Agricultural Chemistry of National Taiwan University, but he and Dr. Lin had the opportunity to reconnect and reminisce about their time co-hosting “Chinese Hour” at WRSU 88.7 (Rutgers University AM radio station) on Sunday afternoons when both were Rutgers students.
Many of the alumni who attended graduated from the University of Medicine and Dentistry (UMDNJ), which merged with Rutgers in 2013 and is now part of Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences (RBHS). “It was notable how our alums were fascinated by the growth of the University, which now boasts over 71,000 students and 570,000 alumni worldwide, providing lots of opportunity for networking,” said Henin. Tsai-Kun Li, who graduated in 1992 and is currently Vice President for Research & Development at Development Center for Biotechnology and a professor at National Taiwan University College of Medicine, remarked how the reception offered an opportunity to connect with alumni he did not previously know who were in the same field.
The event was also attended by several retired faculty members, who found it inspiring to see many of their former students have become accomplished deans, professors, doctors, and CEOs at universities and companies across Taiwan and around the world.
Dr. Lin said, “The Rutgers alumni dinner proved to be a heartwarming experience for our alumni community in Taiwan. We saw them reconnect with old friends and make new ones. We saw them share fond memories of their time at Rutgers, while also catching up on each other's lives and careers. And the presence of the retired faculty members added to the nostalgic atmosphere of the event, reminding the alumni of the strong bonds they formed with their mentors during their time at the university.” She added: “There are about 300 Rutgers alumni in Taiwan, and it is time to strengthen our connection and explore opportunities for global collaboration.”
Rutgers Global is planning several events in key international cities to continue to engage with alumni around the world, with the goal of fostering relationships that will benefit the University and its graduates for years to come.