Edwin Lun Awarded Honorary Doctorate for Contributions to Overseas Chinese Education
On January 8, NTNU conferred an Honorary Doctor of Social Sciences degree on Chairman Edwin Lun of the Dragon Gate Education Fund, recognizing his decades of support for overseas Chinese education and humanitarian initiatives. Through scholarships established for the Academy of Preparatory Programs for Overseas Compatriot Students, Lun has assisted more than a thousand Myanmar overseas Chinese students in pursuing their studies in Taiwan. During periods of conflict in Myanmar, he also launched the “Dragon Gate Charter Flights” program to help stranded students travel safely to Taiwan and continue their education.
President Cheng-Chih Wu presented the honorary degree at a ceremony attended by representatives from academia, industry, and overseas Chinese affairs. Dean Chih-Chien Steven Lai of the College of International Studies and Social Sciences read the citation, outlining Lun’s contributions to the technology sector, philanthropy, and international education.
Born in 1937 in Guangdong Province, China, Lun came to Taiwan from Hong Kong in 1956 as an overseas Chinese student and graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering at National Taiwan University in 1962. He later founded Eastar Electronics Ltd. in Hong Kong. After establishing his business career, he created the Dragon Gate Education Fund with family and friends to support scholarships, school construction, and educational assistance in Taiwan, mainland China, northern Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
His ties to NTNU are longstanding. His wife, Ms. Chieh-Ju Wu, is an alumna of the Department of Home Economics Education, now the Department of Human Development & Family Studies. Beginning in the 2018 academic year, Lun established scholarships specifically for Myanmar students in the Academy of Preparatory Programs for Overseas Compatriot Students, supporting several thousand students in completing preparatory studies and progressing to universities across Taiwan.
In his remarks, President Cheng-Chih Wu cited Lun’s oft-repeated statement: “When we help one student, we are saving a family,” noting that his long-term support for overseas Chinese and disadvantaged students reflects NTNU’s commitment to educational access and international engagement.
In his acceptance speech, Edwin Lun said he was simply following his mother’s teaching: “Whenever one is in a position to do so, one should extend help to others.” He emphasized that assistance should continue through the completion of a student’s education and described a scholarship model that combines work-study with financial support.
Among the guests were Rock Hsu, Honorary Chairman of the NTNU Alumni Association and Chairman of the Kinpo Group, and OCAC Vice Minister Liang-Ming Chang. Vice Minister Chang noted that since founding the Dragon Gate Education Fund in 1998, Lun has supported overseas Chinese education, particularly for students from Myanmar, and played a key role in coordinating charter flights during the pandemic to ensure students could continue their studies in Taiwan.