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Hsieh Chih Mou is the first non-American that received the AEE Michael Stratton Practitioner’s Award in 30 years. Prof. Hsieh shared with us his stories of leading the students to raise funds to build schools in Nepal, India and northern Thailand and the audience was so touched that they clapped for 2 minutes after his speech. 

Associate Professor Hsieh from the Department of Civic Education and Leadership once got the excellent educator award by the Minister of Education. He was really surprised when receiving the call that told him winning the award and he still doesn’t know who nominated him. At the beginning, he didn’t want to show up, but after knowing that this is a really rare opportunity to become the first non-American that receives this award, he went to the ceremony. He was give 40 minutes on stage, and everyone was impressed by his stories and stood up clapping! 

For 18 years, he led students to the mountains and oceans. They have visited elders who live alone, went to Nepal, India and Thailand to build washrooms and water storage tank, schools. Through these activates, the students learned the value of life and self-affirmation. They joined the rebuild after Sichuan earthquake in 2008, went accompanying drop out teenagers and many other events to fulfill experimental education in life. 

Professor Hsieh said that all these activates are still running, to empower those who were seen as vulnerable and be able to work on their own. Those plans are run by students. The cost for the plans to keep running is 18 million each year. If there’s not enough money, they will raise funds. He emphasized the importance of greet other and the ability to raise money in his classes. 

He once accompanied with a person that tried to suicide on the balcony for two hours. Prof. Hsieh tried to talk to the person to have the courage to face the fear. In the end, the person chose to step down. He said that he was impressed that he was willing to give because it’s more brave to come down than to jump off. “When the outside world hope you to jump, you listen to your own heart and be loyal to yourself” There’s no standard answer but to love and acceptance to the achievements of each life!

"The world is expecting praise," he says that modern society keeps telling children that a glorious life is filled with applause and success, so the children become selfish and even rude. Therefore, in his class, especially the Leadership Program or the Training of Young Leaders course, the core value of a "servant leader" is highly emphasized. He is convinced that, to become the ideal leadership, you need to know how to serve. He believes that when a person will do more after knowing that they are loving the world and contributing themselves.