Ying-shih Yü (1930-2021), emeritus professor of Princeton University, passed away on August 1, 2021. He was an eminent historian and recipient of the Kluge Prize, one of the highest honors in the humanities worldwide. Professor Yü’s research field is Chinese history, especially Chinese intellectual history. With deep knowledge in diverse disciplines and broad comparative perspectives, he produced outstanding and original works on various subjects. He was also a public intellectual, reflecting and commenting on issues of contemporary importance throughout his life. 

Since the 1970s, Professor Yü had had a close relationship with Taiwan. National Taiwan University has established this center to commemorate this exemplary scholar, promote international exchanges in China-related fields, and advance humanistic research in Taiwan. The project was approved on August 29, 2023.

Our center's core function will be providing a platform for international cooperation and dialogue among humanities scholars in China-related fields. For this aim, we will offer a program of international visiting fellows, scholarships for visiting Ph.D. students, and an international lectureship in honor of Professor Ying-shih Yü. We will also hold international conferences, workshops, and lectures, and as this center develops, support research projects, including those related to Professor Yü. 

The founding funds of this center were donated by Mr. Chual-Hsin Teng (鄧傳馨), Chairman and Executive Director of Thin Chan Corporation. With the support of Mr. Teng’s generous donation, our center will pursue long-term developments to make important contributions to the humanities community in Taiwan and internationally.