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Kung-Pei Chen

About

Chen Kung-Pei (陳拱北, also known as KP Chen, 1917/12/27~1978/02/23) was a Taiwanese public health scholar and educator. With a highly devoted passion for public health, an outgoing personality, and unique charisma, KP Chen attracted many young people to public health research and practices, laying the foundation for developing public health education and administrative systems in Taiwan. He has been widely applauded as the "Father of Public Health" of Taiwan.

Early life

KP Chen was born into a Presbyterian family in the Song-Shan District of Taipei in 1917. His grandfather, Chen Neng, owned a Coal Mine company, and his father, Chen Fuli, had been the District Chief. The family was among the wealthy Taiwanese families and social elites during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945).

Education

KP Chen began his formal education in Japanese at the Song-Shan Elementary School. In 1930, he entered the Tamsui Middle School to receive a Western liberal arts education, where he also acquired English proficiency. After two years at the Tamsui Middle School, KP Chen transferred to Tokyo Meiji Junior High School. In 1938, he was admitted to the Keio University in Tokyo and began to study medicine. In 1942, at 25, KP Chen received his medical degree from Keio University. With an outstanding academic performance, KP Chen was immediately hired as an assistant in the otolaryngology department of the affiliated hospital of his alma mater. However, he decided to leave this promising position in Tokyo and returned to Taiwan to pursue a public health career at home.

In 1943, he joined the faculty of the public health department of the Taihoku Imperial University, which was later renamed the National Taiwan University after Japan lost the war and left Taiwan in 1945.

In 1951, KP Chen was enrolled in the University of Minnesota and received a master's degree in public health in 1952. In the same year, he also received his doctorate in medicine from Keio University.

Public Health Career

In 1955, KP Chen became the chair of the Institute of Public Health in the College of Medicine of National Taiwan University. He held this position for 17 years (1955-1972). KP Chen was active in research, education, and public services. He also served as a consultant at the United Nations World Health Organization. In 1970, he was invited to give a speech at the prestigious Cutter Lecture on Preventative Medicine at Harvard University.

After his death, Taiwan University established the Chen Kung-Pei Preventive Medical Foundation to recognize his outstanding achievements. The foundation has established a scholarship to support public health students at Taiwan University.

In 1972, Chen received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota, the highest honor for alums.

References: 陳拱北 (1917年): https://w.wiki/7rGQ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj2zjPdMuuQ