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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 13th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2010> A Gem in the Educational Circle─Dr. Li Ming
Let love fly high ‧ Up to the sky
      Chairwoman Li Ming of Ling Tung University is a very outstanding female in education business. She is more like a tender but strong plum blossom. Wherever she goes, either from the Southeast Asia to China or from Hong Kong to Taiwan , she always roots on the land she stays giving out hope and fragrant flavor.
      Li Ming, a Hakka woman from Mei County of Guangdong Province, has poured her enthusiasm into her passion for life in most of her lifetime. After having gone through tons of ordeals in life, she finally harvests the fruits in the garden of education business and has cultivated numerous talents for the country. She teaches young students to fulfill their value in life and she brings eternal hope to the society.
      Since 1964, she founded Ling Tung Accounting Junior College (the former school of current Ling Tung University ) and Ling Tung Senior Industrial and Commercial Vocational School (the former school of current Ling Tung Senior High School ). At the age of close to 90, today she is the respected “Granny Li” for 20,000 students from the two schools and more than 100,000 alumni.
 
Leading a wandering life with mother in early days, completing education after marriage and launching business with husband
      Dr. Li Ming, born in 1920 in Ipoh of Malaysia, returned to Mei County of Guangdong Province with her grandmother and mother in 1927 while her father continued to stay in Malaysia to work. Since she stayed with her mother all the time, they had a very close relationship. Therefore, no matter where she went, either after marriage, the civil war in mainland China , moving to Shantou , Hong Kong, or the final residence in Taiwan , she took her mother with her.
      After marriage, she encouraged her lawyer and former National Assembly representative husband, Dr. Tsai Ya-Ping, to engage in work like education, lawyer and newspaper publication. Particularly during the period of fighting against the Japanese, she always wanted to do something for the people and country to fulfill duties of an intellectual. She, on the other hand, engaged herself in the most humble role to take care of family chores, cooking, washing clothes, carrying water, and farming in the field. There hadn't been a thing that she didn't do. Even though the life in early days was harsh, Li Ming remained to keep the sweet part deep in her heart. During this period, she completed her study of high school and university.
 
Fulfilling lifelong career, educating poor students
      After the victory of fighting against the Japanese invasion, the country was in need of restoration in every aspect. The Constitution was about to put into practice, and it's very crucial at the time to train law talents to make up the shortage. Therefore, she encouraged her husband to found a “ Min Zhi Law School ” in Shantou in 1947. But the civil war broke out when the construction of classrooms was only half way through, and even the wall was yet to be painted. This sudden shock forced Li Ming and her husband to move to Hong Kong . Later, they planned to found a “Li Cheng Accounting Junior College” in Yuen Long. Unfortunately, even though they always kept their mind to set up a school to educate students, because of the unstable political situation and wars, their two schools established in Shantou and Hong Kong respectively were halted against their will.
      In 1961 as Taiwan was eager to initiate international trading business for heading toward an international social economic development, in order to cultivate talents, the government encouraged private sector to set up schools and approved a five-year junior college program. So the couple started to search for a land to build the school and wish to fulfill their long time ideal to educate students, cultivate talents and assist poor students to continue their study.
 
Ling Tung erected from nothing “to study to use” signifying school image
      Fifty years ago, Taichung Nantun District Chunshe Village was nothing but a barren land with scattered grasses and stones. It's like an unrealistic dream if someone said they would build a school over there. But she considered things could be done one day no matter how hard it was. Therefore, she and her husband had their teeth clenched and worked with their bare hands, one shovel one basket at a time, to break these three hectares of untilled land – the most difficultly built education site of the future Ling Tung.
      In 1963, the Ministry of Education approved their application to set up Ling Tung. Originally the school was named “ Private Ling Tung Accounting Junior College ”, and renamed “ Private Ling Tung Commercial Junior College ” in 1967. Finally they had their dream of an education career come true from this barren land. Why they named the school “Ling Tung”? This is to remember hometown Guangdong Province Mei County which is used to be called “Ling Tung” by the locals. Li Ming has a very profound affection for her hometown. Whenever she is capable, she always donates money and labor without any hesitation to help her fellow relatives, friends and the poor. In 2005 when her alma mater Meizhou High School celebrated its centennial anniversary, she donated one million RMB to help construct the school, buy teaching equipment, set up scholarship for poor students, etc. With her hardship enduring hands and a heart filled with determination, she has created immeasurable value of life. At the time when she was the president of the school, she spared no effort in taking care of poor but hard working students. For example, since the establishment of Ling Tung Commercial Junior College , she set up all kinds of scholarship, cut down tuition fees for them or provided free lodging. She would never let students give up their study because of economic reason.
      The most common words she said to her teachers are: “As long as needed by students, no matter what, teachers should go for it”. She is rather prudent in managing the school. Everything should stick to the principle of fairness and law abiding procedure. Things are done the way they should be.
 
Gentle and kind Granny Li Forever the role model
      Li Ming left her position as the president of Ling Tung Commercial Junior College in 1996. After retirement, the only thing she thinks about is how to take care of teachers, students, alumni of the school, and how to recommend the goodness and beauty of Ling Tung to others. Actually she herself is the symbol of Ling Tung, the best spokesperson. Although she stays behind the curtain now, she always maintains her best presence and the most elegant temperament. Every Wednesday afternoon she will come on time to the “Granny Li's Time”, established by the Student Consultation and Potential Development Center , to talk to students face to face to pass on her advice.
      In recent years she has been actively pouring support to poor children in Northern Thailand . Before the departure of each Northern Thailand Volunteer Group, she will meet with members and ask about details hoping to give the most support to poor children in Northern Thailand . For the 921 earthquake tragedy happened 10 years ago and this year's 88 flood disaster, with the spirit of helping others as helping oneself, Granny Li led Ling Tung people as a leading parent to visit deep into the affected areas, talk to people and generously donate money and effort.
 
Planning for Ling Tung Learning Garden A sustainable vision
      Li Ming and Tsai Ya-Ping expect that Ling Tung is not just a good school, but should be a top school with its featured specialization. In 2000 she proposed something meaningful which was to functionally integrate the then Ling Tung Institute of Technology (Renamed to Ling Tung University in 2005) and Ling Tung Senior High School, and went further downward to establish basic educational units of elementary school and kindergarten and upward to establish graduate study for master's and doctoral degrees. In addition, to found a Li-Tou Dian Community University to establish a community united framework of “ Ling Tung Learning Garden ”. After this plan is completed, the Learning Garden will contain a “multiple curriculum” system, a complete and advanced vocational education system that includes graduate study for master's and doctoral degrees, undergraduate study of four-year program, continuing education college, continuing education junior college, high school, higher vocational education, junior middle school, elementary school and kindergarten. In order to fulfill this grand vision sooner, Li Ming donated one hectare of her private land with a market value for about 0.4 billion NTD, and also fully supported the school to obtain almost 15 hectares of Taisugar's land which is only within 400 meters of distance from the school for the development of the school's second campus once the procedure is completed. She hopes to provide the best teaching and academic study environment for teachers and students. Within the three-year period between 2006 and 2009, the College of Finance and College of Management completed their construction in the second campus of Ling Tung University . This is a giant step for the future development of Ling Tung Learning Garden .
 
Long fighting the pain from illness Spreading the divine value of life
      Li Ming, as slender, gentle and elegant as she appears from the outside, did went through a war-torn times in her younger age and strived for education career with her husband in her middle age that makes her life such an amazing and inspiring one. Close to 90 years of age, she still has high spirit every day, but no one knows that behind this calm appearance, she has been through many years of fight against pain from illness. Many years ago, she was examined by doctor to have uterine cancer, and she decided to follow the doctor's advice to have the uterus removed. Then she suffered from very severe mental disorder. She had to rely on taking high dose of sleeping pills to sleep. These physical and mental tortures are unbearable sufferings to anyone, but there is no sign shown on her face or her behavior that most of her colleagues, teachers or students could have observed. Just like what she often puts it, “No matter how prosperous we are, no matter how successful we are, in everyone's life, there is always the “self” that needs to be overcome”. Maybe it's because of such determined spirit that she is able to face the sufferings bravely and show her hope and passion of life to everyone in her surroundings.