A Great Scientist Dedicated to the Pursuit of Truth

Academician Liu is world-renowned for his scientific achievements. He made major contributions to fields such as real-time systems, computer-aided design, VLSI layout, combinatorial optimization, and discrete mathematics that still wield a profound impact on modern electronic and electrical science. Upon his death, NCKU president Dr. Huey-Jen Su praised Liu for setting extremely high scientific standards, while NCKU vice president Dr. Cheng-Wen Wu affirmed, “He is a true AI master.”

A former president of National Tsinghua University, Liu has often been referred to as President Liu by his colleagues and acquaintances. Born in Guangzhou, Guangdong, he and his family moved to Taiwan when his father served in the air force, and he gained admission to the Taiwan Provincial Tainan Junior College of Technology. In 1956, when he was a graduating student, the school was scheduled to be renamed as Taiwan Provincial Cheng Kung University in August. At that time, the college decided to postpone the graduation ceremony. Speaking of this episode, Chung-Laung Liu laughed, “So we may claim ourselves as the first graduating class of Cheng Kung University!”

After completing his reserved military officer service, Chung-Laung Liu went on to obtain his master’s degree and doctorate in computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and then served as associate provost, first at MIT and later at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In recollection, he once said, “At the time, I felt that research was fun and full of delight; there were always new discoveries, so I just kept following that path.” In a blink of an eye, he had worked in the field of electrical engineering for six decades. In 1998, he came back to Taiwan and served as the president of National Tsinghua University. Later, he was also a director of the board at Macronix International Co., Ltd., and chairman of the board at TrendForce Corporation. He worked to promote the visibility of business think tanks and intellectual property in the Taiwanese and international markets.

Chung-Laung Liu attributed his smooth progress at MIT to his four years of academic studies at NCKU. He said in appreciation, “I received the best education in the world at Cheng Kung University, and it provided me with a sound foundation.” He picked up good learning methods, formed good study habits, and developed a passion for learning. As a result, his first experience with computers when he studied in the United States was not difficult.

Chung-Laung Liu recalled, “I benefited from many good teachers during my time at Cheng Kung University.” His calculus professor Ping-Chang Fan left a deep impression on him, requiring students to present various ways to solve each problem. This had a major influence on Chung-Laung Liu. He said, “You must know different ways to solve the same problem.” He realized that this was a learning technique as well as a way of life.