On February 22, the director of the Smart Mechatronics Program at the NPUST College of Professional Studies, Professor Uzu-Kuei Hsu was invited to Taiwan’s Presidential Office to attend the “17th Taiwan International Invention Awards” ceremony. This was the fourth occasion on which Professor Hsu has met with the president to receive honors. At the ceremony, Taiwan’s President, Tsai Ing-wen, affirmed the contributions Hsu made to the country in the field of “defense and strategic industries”, and personally presented him with the “Outstanding International Inventor Award”.
During the gathering, President Tsai commented on the way in which Professor Hsu has applied his professional knowledge in the field of aerospace, helping to improve the engine of the IDF Ching-kuo fighter jet and inventing a patented technology used in the F-16 computer monitoring and diagnosis system. During his military service, he was called “the National Army’s king of inventions and the ‘Edison’ of the Air Force”. Devoted to national defense research and development, Hsu has made many contributions to Taiwan’s defense operations and he was warmly applauded by all the other winners at the ceremony. After retiring from the army, Hsu went on to teach at NPUST, and is currently serving as the director of the Smart Mechatronics Program at College of Professional Studies where he has been guiding young students in research.
During the ceremony, Professor Hsu said “my heart is full of gratitude for the honor of receiving this affirmation from the president and from the field. For every inventor, the Outstanding International Inventor award is like an “Oscar”. To be able to win it really is the greatest honor.” In the future, Hsu will continue to apply his talent, invest himself in innovative research and give back to the country. This year, Professor Hsu was also named an International Fellow by the International Alliance of Innovation and Invention Association, a distinction given to select individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the industry and academia. Since 1997, when Hsu was studying for a master’s degree at the National Chung Cheng University College of Science, he has been working closely with the NCSIST Institute of Aeronautics and the Air Force. He has also participated in major national defense research and development projects for fighter jets, missiles and meteorology. In addition to the work he has done on IDF fighter performance, Hsiung Feng III missile design and development, and other long-term commitments to Taiwan’s defense and combat capabilities, Hsu’s enthusiasm for R&D has won him more than 40 domestic and foreign invention patents and resulted in the publishing of 400 papers.
Professor Hsu encourages his students saying if you “face your work, take joy in your work and develop professionalism, you are an expert.” Not only has he made great achievements in the professional field, but he is also enthusiastic about public welfare. Once a recipient of support from the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families, Hsu was determined that after making his own way, he would definitely give back to society. Now he works with the foundation on a talent training program at NPUST designed to give disadvantaged students the opportunity to take part in professional studies. He also organizes science camps during the winter and summer breaks for primary and secondary school children in remote rural areas. Hsu’s tireless pursuit of learning, professional development of academic knowledge, and enthusiasm for the public welfare society set an example for the students, and expectations are that he will help them to become NPUST’s inventors of the future.
