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PhD candidate tries his luck for leadership of Chiayi’s ‘doctoral township’

PhD candidate tries his luck for leadership of Chiayi’s ‘doctoral township’

2022-07-19

We head now to a township with a special reputation. Yizhu in Chiayi is known as the "doctoral town", because so many of its kids have gone on to gain PhDs. More than 100 PhDs have emerged from this township of less than 20,000 people. With local elections coming up, one of the PhD owners of the township is running for office, for the first time. We spoke to some election candidates about the town’’s academic atmosphere and local politics.

Yizhu Township is the home of many eminent scholars, including former President of the Judicial Yuan, Weng Yueh-sheng. His old house is now a cram school. Yizhu is one of the townships that has cranked out the most PhDs in Taiwan. The little town just has 17,000 inhabitants, but it has more than 100 doctors to its name. Now Huang Cheng-chieh, photonics and optoelectrics expert and NTU grad, is vying for leadership of the town.

Huang Cheng-chieh
Yizhu Township chief candidate
I moved back to my hometown about 10 years ago. But I see the young people here constantly leaving. I don’t feel like because of my degrees I’m superior to anyone. I’ll always just be a simple kid.

Huang hopes his youthful candidacy will bring a doctoral leader to the “doctoral town.”

Huang Cheng-chieh
Yizhu Township chief candidate
In Yizhu, anyone you pass on the street might have a PhD. I think I’m quite an easygoing, amiable person. I will definitely greet each of my elders and ask them all if there’s anything they need.

Yizhu is also the birthplace of the current county commissioner Weng Chang-liang, as well as KMT lawmaker Wong Chung-chun. A string of the township’s leaders were all from the pan-blue side of politics, until a DPP leader got in in 2018.

Huang A-chia
Yizhu Township chief DPP candidate
I will keep managing the township well, following the rhythm that’s been established.

Hsiao Hui-hsun
Yizhu Township chief KMT candidate
Ever since Chief Shu-hui lost the last election, many residents have been very depressed and frustrated, seeing how much the leadership of the township has changed.

Huang is the first NTU graduate to go up for election in the town. But some residents say they think nothing of academic credentials when it comes to politics. Even in the “doctoral town,” a doctor doesn’t necessarily have the edge.

嘉義縣義竹"博士鄉" 台大光電博士參選鄉長

2022-07-19

嘉義縣義竹鄉雖然只是個人口只有一萬七千多人的小鄉鎮,卻出了一百多位的博士,因此又有博士鄉之稱。今年年底的鄉長選舉,首度有台大光電博士投入選戰,也讓小鄉鎮的選舉受到關注。

不少學者來自義竹鄉,像前司法院長翁岳生,他位在義竹的老家,現在變成鄉里學生的K書中心。不說你不知道,義竹鄉可是全台三大博士鄉,一萬七千多人口的小鄉鎮,竟然出了一百多位的博士,現在有一位頂著台大光電博士的年輕人,要投入年底鄉長選舉。

[[義竹鄉長參選人(無) 黃政傑]]
“已經回到故鄉大概十年左右了,但是看到故鄉的年輕人,真的不斷的在流失,不會因為學歷,政傑感覺高高在上,政傑絕對是一個很樸實的小孩”

黃政傑希望透過青年參政服務鄉親,讓義竹不只是博士鄉,還有博士鄉長。

[[義竹鄉長參選人(無) 黃政傑]]
“其實義竹光是街上你一撞到的,可能就是博士,我覺得政傑算是一個和藹可親的人,一定會去跟各個長輩們去問好,問他們有什麼需要”

義竹鄉同時也是現任縣長翁章梁、國民黨立委翁重鈞的故鄉,前幾任鄉長都是屬於泛藍陣營,2018年才被民進黨拿下。

[[義竹鄉長(民) 黃阿家]]
“我會照既定的節奏,把鄉政做好”

[[義竹鄉長參選人(國) 蕭惠薰]]
“自從淑惠鄉長這次選舉失敗之後,沒連任之後,很多鄉親都很鬱卒,看到鄉政真的跟過去差很多”

鄉內首度出現台大博士要選鄉長,不過有鄉民直言學歷高並不會因此而加分,鄉長是不是博士也不是那麼重要。

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