National Parks of Taiwan

The Eternal Mentor

Remembering Shin Wang

Article/ Jiun-Chuan Lin, Distinguished Professor, Department of Geography,National Taiwan University

I felt a great sense of sadness upon receiving the sad news of Prof. Shin Wang's passing. After all,we have known each other for almost 46 years since 1977. He was 32 years old at the time. I hope he is no longer suffering from illness and worry.

Prof. Wang can be described as an eternal mentor.He received his Ph.D. in geology from Columbia University at the age of 27. This marked the beginning of a wonderful academic career. In 1977,when I entered the Department of Geography at National Taiwan University, Prof. Wang was my class instructor. That was the era when the national park industry in Taiwan first started developing (Kenting National Park was established in 1984),and when the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act was enacted (1982). Along with the Environmental Education Act, three decades later, he experienced many important pioneering times.

In the eyes of us, his students, Prof. Wang's contributions were equally significant. He was a very dedicated and collaborative teacher who continued to guide his students forward, and his publication of textbooks "Geomorphology" was a source of knowledge for contemporary students in geomorphology. Importantly, before and after his retirement, he delved deeply into the studying of landscape aesthetics, offering a wide range of courses and leading students to explore new areas. These are just a few examples of his many contributions. To say that Prof. Wang was an eternal mentor is no exaggeration.

Prof. Wang's far-reaching influence on me can be broadly divided into four areas:

First was the connection with the National Parks.He could be called part of the first generation to promote the National Parks. I remember that thethen Director of the Construction and Planning Agency, Prof. Lung-sheng Chang relied heavily on his advice, and in so doing instilled a sense of honor and mission in the National Parks staff.

Second was his promotion of environmental education. From the time he was appointed as the executive secretary of the Environmental Protection Group under the Ministry of Education,he promoted environmental education based on the conservation work in national parks, and also promoted the establishment of the Environmental Education Act. Prof. Wang's contributions were essential to making the smooth implementation of environmental education today possible.

Third was his advocacy for landscape conservation.After the passage of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, Prof. Wang's active participation was evident in action to conserve landscapes, such as the designation of nature reserves. I remember when I had just returned to Taiwan in 1991, with the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act newly passed,Prof. Wang gave me the task of implementing the Council of Agriculture landscape conservation promotion project that he was chair of. Within the project, the landscape conservation newsletter that was published twice per year became an important reference for education on and promotion of landscape conservation. This project, started by Prof. Wang, has as of the end of 2022 kept on for a full 28 years.

Fourth was his promotion of the geological parks.From 1997, when Prof. Wang first introduced the concept of geological parks to Taiwan; to 2005, when the first International Conference on World Heritage and Geological Parks was held in Penghu; to 2016, when the President announced the amendment adding geological parks into the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act; to the end of 2022, when ten geological parks had been formally established in Taiwan – this bottom-up social movement, led by Prof. Wang, has continued to flourish and is still rapidly gaining momentum.

I am grateful to Prof. Wang for starting this new era.He was a paragon in virtue, achievement, words,dedication, and contributions. I hope that his efforts will be further developed and expanded by those who come after him, so that society as a whole can be advanced even further.