Ou Chin-der
Encyclopedia
Ou Chin-der is a Taiwan
ese civil engineer
. Ou was an immigrant who moved from the mainland China
to the Taitung County
of eastern Taiwan
with his parents. He graduated and received his master's degree of civil engineering
from National Cheng Kung University
, and took the doctoral degree in Soil Mechanics
at Case Western Reserve University
.
Ou became an official of the government of Republic of China
, Taiwan
in the late 1980s. He served as the director of Taiwan's National Expressway Engineering Bureau from 1990–1995, and the chairman of Public Construction Commission of Executive Yuan
, the central government of Taiwan, from 1996 to 1998. Ou took part in several key public projects, such as the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, the No. 2 Northern Freeway and the Taipei-Yilan Freeway.
Later Ou transited to act as the political deputy mayor of Taipei City between 1998 and 2004. He gained public recognition and wide popularity for his effort during the 1999 Chichi earthquake and SARS outbreak, and has since became the leading expert of crisis management
in Taiwan.
Ou left his post as the deputy mayor of Taipei on August, 2004 and became the chairman of Taipei City Government owned Taipei Smart Card Corporation, a company which operates the EasyCard
contactless smartcard system for use on the Taipei MRT. During his term, Ou successfully pushed the sales of EasyCard over 6 million in just a few years.
Due to his civil engineering background and political prestige, Ou became chief executive officer of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, (THSRC), a private company which holds and manages the Taiwan High Speed Rail
, the high-speed rail
system of Taiwan, and its related services, on October 1, 2006, just a few months before operation began on January 5, 2007.
Although Ou left public post to work in private sector since 2004, he was still been widely anticipated as key candidate in several key elections and official posts, including the 2006 Taipei Mayoral Elections and the ROC presidential election of 2008. Ou has expressed his interests in the development of Taiwan High Speed Rail instead of returning to politics.
Ou became the chairman of the board of THSRC on September 22, 2009 while still holds the position as chief executive officer, following the takeover of the company's board by the Taiwanese government. Taiwan High Speed Rail is expected to achieved break-even cash flows for the first time in 2011.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
. Ou was an immigrant who moved from the mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
to the Taitung County
Taitung County
Taitung County is a county in eastern Taiwan. The name means "Eastern Taiwan". Taitung County is also known as 後山 by many of the locals, meaning behind the mountains or the back mountains. Taitung is officially administered as a county of Taiwan, Republic of China.Taitung runs along the south east...
of eastern Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
with his parents. He graduated and received his master's degree of civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
from National Cheng Kung University
National Cheng Kung University
National Cheng Kung University is a national university in Tainan City, Taiwan. Its abbreviation is NCKU. In Chinese, its name is shortened to 成大...
, and took the doctoral degree in Soil Mechanics
Soil mechanics
Soil mechanics is a branch of engineering mechanics that describes the behavior of soils. It differs from fluid mechanics and solid mechanics in the sense that soils consist of a heterogeneous mixture of fluids and particles but soil may also contain organic solids, liquids, and gasses and other...
at Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
.
Ou became an official of the government of Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in the late 1980s. He served as the director of Taiwan's National Expressway Engineering Bureau from 1990–1995, and the chairman of Public Construction Commission of Executive Yuan
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...
, the central government of Taiwan, from 1996 to 1998. Ou took part in several key public projects, such as the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, the No. 2 Northern Freeway and the Taipei-Yilan Freeway.
Later Ou transited to act as the political deputy mayor of Taipei City between 1998 and 2004. He gained public recognition and wide popularity for his effort during the 1999 Chichi earthquake and SARS outbreak, and has since became the leading expert of crisis management
Crisis management
Crisis management is the process by which an organization deals with a major event that threatens to harm the organization, its stakeholders, or the general public. The study of crisis management originated with the large scale industrial and environmental disasters in the 1980's.Shrivastava, P....
in Taiwan.
Ou left his post as the deputy mayor of Taipei on August, 2004 and became the chairman of Taipei City Government owned Taipei Smart Card Corporation, a company which operates the EasyCard
EasyCard
The EasyCard is a contactless smartcard system operated by the Taipei Smart Card Corporation for payment on the Taipei MRT, buses, and other public transport services in Taipei since June 2002. Its use has since been expanded to include convenience stores, department stores, supermarkets, and...
contactless smartcard system for use on the Taipei MRT. During his term, Ou successfully pushed the sales of EasyCard over 6 million in just a few years.
Due to his civil engineering background and political prestige, Ou became chief executive officer of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, (THSRC), a private company which holds and manages the Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...
, the high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
system of Taiwan, and its related services, on October 1, 2006, just a few months before operation began on January 5, 2007.
Although Ou left public post to work in private sector since 2004, he was still been widely anticipated as key candidate in several key elections and official posts, including the 2006 Taipei Mayoral Elections and the ROC presidential election of 2008. Ou has expressed his interests in the development of Taiwan High Speed Rail instead of returning to politics.
Ou became the chairman of the board of THSRC on September 22, 2009 while still holds the position as chief executive officer, following the takeover of the company's board by the Taiwanese government. Taiwan High Speed Rail is expected to achieved break-even cash flows for the first time in 2011.