Tokyo

Frank Shu sees scope for growth at Tsinghua in Taiwan.

Taiwan has enticed Frank Shu, a leading astronomer in the United States, to take up the post of president at the National Tsinghua University in Hsinchu.

Shu, who is based at the University of California, Berkeley, is a prominent theorist and former president of the American Astronomical Society.

Taiwanese government officials see Shu's appointment as a significant coup for its university system. Shu says that his move is motivated by one basic assessment: “I thought I could make a bigger difference in Taiwan.”

Working with C. C. Lin at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Shu in 1964 proposed the spiral density wave theory, which provided the first quantitative model for understanding how spiral galaxies form. He went on to examine the interstellar medium, planetary rings and, more recently, star formation and meteorites.

“The proper role of the university president is to serve faculty and students,” Shu says, pledging to continue his research at Tsinghua, “and you can only have the necessary understanding if you are down in the trenches yourself.” He aims to make the university bilingual, with courses offered in Chinese and English.

Shu's move “will help to recruit better talent to Taiwan and Asia”, says Fred Lo, director of the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taipei. The appointment “will also have influence beyond the university campus and beyond astronomy”, he adds.

Born in China, but raised in the United States, Shu is following a precedent. At 58, Shu's current age, his father took over the presidency of Tsinghua university and helped to develop the neighbouring Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park that gave rise to Taiwan's electronics industry.