Recently, a "Team Learning and Outdoor Leadership" course at National Taiwan University (NTU) raised funds externally for a mountain-climbing trip, sparking skepticism. However, Shing-Tung Yau, a Harvard University chair professor and Academician of Academia Sinica, frankly stated that he found it very strange and surprising, and did not understand why the public in Taiwan was making such a fuss.
Shing-Tung Yau, the namesake of the Yau Mathematics Awards, attended the award ceremony today. He voluntarily brought up the recent controversy over NTU students raising funds for mountain climbing. He said that mountain climbing can train students in group interaction, and he does not believe it is simply about having fun, but rather a process of growth and learning.
Shing-Tung Yau pointed out that NTU only raised 500,000 New Taiwan dollars, and if Harvard students were to raise 50 million, no one would object. Letting Harvard students travel to South America, go diving, or go boating would all be fine — it’s very common for students to fundraise externally.
(China Times)