NTHU president donates salary, renews apology over U.S. job interview

Taipei, Sept. 10 (CNA) National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) President John Kao (高為元) said Thursday he has donated his May salary to the university and will do so every year in office, apologizing again for pursuing a chancellorship at an American university.

Kao hosted a briefing seeking to quell months-long criticism over revelations that he interviewed for the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa chancellorship on May 4-5, just three days after starting his second four-year term leading the Hsinchu-based university.

The 57-year-old biomedical engineering professor said that he overlooked the unique nature of the presidency by exploring personal career options so early in his second term, failing to live up to the expectations of the Tsing Hua community.

According to University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa records, Kao was one of three finalists for the chancellorship and visited the campus on May 4-5. He was ultimately not chosen.

After the news broke on July 31, Kao apologized via an email to faculty and students on Aug. 9, stating that he applied for the Hawaiʻi position out of curiosity when the opportunity arose.

At the time, he also attributed his decision to seek the role to his "insufficient understanding of the cultural differences between Western and Eastern workplaces," having lived and worked overseas for many years.

However, the initial apology failed to quiet criticism. On Sept. 2, the university's oversight committee passed motions to look into the matter -- including reviewing Kao's leave records and clarifying when senior executives became aware of his job search.

Kao began his speech Thursday by announcing the donation of his May salary, adding that he will do the same every year throughout his tenure to remind himself how his lack of foresight in that month hurt the feelings of the Tsing Hua community.

He also said that his previous response was "too brief and disappointing," noting that citing curiosity and cultural differences was not enough for many to understand or forgive his actions.

Kao secured his second term in March 2025 after gaining 84 percent of the vote among full-time professors and associate professors.

"When you voted to grant me a second term, you did not expect me to accept an invitation from another university. I can fully understand your dissatisfaction and anger," Kao said.

Kao added that he accepts all criticism and will fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.