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Ko Chih-en

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Ko.
Ko Chih-en
MLY
柯志恩
Member of the Legislative Yuan
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 February 2024
ConstituencyParty-list (KMT)
In office
1 February 2016 – 31 January 2020
ConstituencyParty-list (KMT)
Deputy Secretary-General of the Kuomintang
In office
18 March 2020 – 5 October 2021
Serving with Lee Yen-hsiu, Hsieh Long-chieh, Huang Kun-po
Secretary GeneralLee Chien-lung
President of National Policy Foundation
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 October 2021
ChairmanEric Chu
DeputyWan Mei-ling
Preceded byJustin Chou
Personal details
Born (1962-04-29) 29 April 1962 (age 62)
Pingtung County, Taiwan
NationalityTaiwan
Political partyKuomintang
SpouseHung De-cheng
ChildrenHung Fu (son)
Hung Chun (daughter)
ParentKo Wen-fu [zh] (father)
EducationDoctorate
Alma materNational Chengchi University
Michigan State University
University of Southern California
Occupationpolitician, professor
Professioneducator

Ko Chih-en (Chinese: 柯志恩; pinyin: Kē Zhì'ēn; born 29 April 1962) is a Taiwanese educator and politician who has served on the Legislative Yuan from 2016 to 2020, and was reelected in 2024.

Early life and career

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Ko's father Ko Wen-fu [zh] served as magistrate of Pingtung County between 1973 and 1981.[1] Ko Chih-en was born in 1962, and attended National Chengchi University, earning a bachelor's degree in education. She then obtained a master of education degree from Michigan State University and a doctorate in educational psychology at University of Southern California, both in the United States. Subsequently, Ko joined the faculty of Tamkang University.[2] In 2008, she was named dean of student affairs at Tamkang.[3]

Political career

[edit]

In November 2015, Ko was placed second on the Kuomintang party list, immediately following longtime legislator Wang Jin-pyng,[4] regarded as part of the safe list, ensuring electoral victory.[5][6] She arrived at the Legislative Yuan to take office on 1 February 2016, with a group of Tamkang students.[7] Shortly after Ko was seated, the Kuomintang asked her to open an office in Pingtung County.[8] She served as convener of the legislative education committee between February 2017 and March 2018,[9][10] later leading the KMT's women's department.[11] In May 2017, Ko joined the Renewable Power Promotion Alliance founded by Mary Chen.[12]

As a legislator, Ko took an interest in education,[13] LGBT rights,[14][15] women's rights, pension reform, and energy.[16][17] She was supportive of many cultural exchanges between Taiwan and other countries,[18] namely China.[19][20][21] Soon after taking office, she co-signed a bill proposed by Karen Yu to allow young children into the legislative chamber.[22] In March 2018, Ko remarked that customs deemed discriminatory toward women should be phased out.[23] She approached pension reform from a schoolteacher's perspective,[24][25] proposing that the monthly pension be capped at NT$32,160,[26] and suggested that pensions be withheld from retired public servants that took positions at government funded agencies willing to pay half of their former salary.[27]

Ko drew attention to corruption on private school boards,[28] the labor rights of graduate students,[29] funding for internships,[30] and policies affecting foreign students.[31][32] She took an interest in student safety,[33][34] and to this end, helped pass stricter restrictions on cram school instructors.[35][36] In November 2017, Ko advised James C. Liao and others affiliated with Academia Sinica to resign from National Taiwan University's presidential selection committee to avoid a conflict of interest, as two candidates under consideration were Academia Sinica's then- and former vice president.[37] When Kuan Chung-ming was named NTU president, Ko pushed the Ministry of Education to confirm his election,[38][39] though Kuan was also suspected of a conflict of interest.[40]

Upon completing her term in the Legislative Yuan, Ko returned to her professorship within Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of Educational Psychology and Counseling and concurrently headed the National Policy Foundation, a Kuomintang think tank. She was nominated as the KMT candidate for the Kaohsiung mayoralty in June 2022.[1] In November 2023, Ko was ranked second on the Kuomintang proportional representation party list for the 2024 legislative election.[41]

References

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  1. ^ a b Teng, Pei-ju (29 June 2022). "KMT picks ex-Legislator Ko Chih-en for Kaohsiung mayoral race". Central News Agency. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Ko Chih-en (9)". Legislative Yuan. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  3. ^ Hsu, Stacy (8 April 2018). "FEATURE: Hoodie symbolizes revival of KMT morale". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  4. ^ Hsu, Stacy (21 November 2015). "KMT legislator-at-large list released". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  5. ^ Chung, Jake (22 November 2015). "KMT confirms all legislators-at-large". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  6. ^ Hsu, Stacy (23 November 2015). "Candidates specialists in diverse fields: KMT's Chu". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  7. ^ Su, Fang-ho; Chuang, Meng-hsuan; Lin, Liang-sheng (2 February 2016). "New lawmakers walk red carpet for new session". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  8. ^ Lin, Liang-sheng; Chung, Jake (12 April 2016). "KMT still hoping to beef up presence in south Taiwan". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  9. ^ Chen, Wei-han (24 February 2017). "DPP lawmakers win key convener seats". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  10. ^ Lin, Sean (9 March 2018). "DPP to dominate education committee after lawmakers choose new conveners". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  11. ^ Lee, I-chia (22 November 2017). "Women worried about economic pressure: KMT poll". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  12. ^ Lin, Chia-nan (27 May 2017). "Cross-party alliance to push renewable energy". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  13. ^ Lin, Sean (6 May 2016). "Education minister insists curriculum had 'no problems'". Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  14. ^ Lin, Sean (11 December 2016). "Thousands rally to support equal marriage rights". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  15. ^ Lin, Sean (7 October 2017). "Cabinet working on gay marriage legislation: Lai". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  16. ^ Lin, Sean (30 March 2018). "KMT demands answers about reactor incident". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  17. ^ Chang, Hung-ta; Chin, Jonathan (11 August 2017). "KMT lawmaker challenges premier on vow to meet power demand in two years". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  18. ^ "Le Cordon Bleu could start culinary program in Taiwan soon, official says". Taipei Times. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  19. ^ Gerber, Abraham (18 March 2016). "Security for musicians in China 'honor': lawmaker". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  20. ^ Shan, Shelley (14 October 2016). "Culture ministry rules out local branch of iQiyi". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  21. ^ Chen, Wei-han (23 September 2016). "Jackie Chan replicas axed". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  22. ^ Hsiao, Alison (5 March 2016). "Legislator wants children in chamber". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  23. ^ Chin, Jonathan (8 March 2018). "Discriminatory customs should be dropped: legislator". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  24. ^ Tseng, Wei-chen (7 May 2017). "Committee to begin pension reform review". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  25. ^ Lin, Sean (29 June 2017). "Teacher retirement age reform bill passes reading". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  26. ^ Lin, Sean (16 June 2017). "Party caucuses fail to agree on pension reform bills". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  27. ^ Lin, Sean (17 June 2017). "Draft to ban pension for retirees on high-paid jobs". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  28. ^ Lin, Sean (1 July 2016). "Minister pans faculty as directors". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  29. ^ Gerber, Abraham (7 July 2016). "Ministry seeks balance on holidays, pay". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  30. ^ Lin, Sean (30 March 2017). "MOE mulls student-intern rules". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  31. ^ Lin, Sean (9 October 2016). "Ministry aims to boost international student numbers". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  32. ^ Hsiao, Alison (8 December 2016). "Foreign students Tsai's 'collateral damage': KMT". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  33. ^ Shan, Shelley (14 April 2016). "Groups mull school bus regulations". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  34. ^ Chen, Yu-fu; Lin, Rachel (28 October 2017). "KMT lawmakers criticize plan to phase out military instructors from schools". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  35. ^ Lin, Sean (18 May 2017). "Foreign cram-school teachers to face tighter rules". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  36. ^ Lin, Sean (27 May 2017). "Cram-school rule changes pass third reading". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  37. ^ Lin, Chia-nan (21 November 2017). "Academia Sinica denies swaying NTU president's selection". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  38. ^ Lin, Sean (26 January 2018). "DPP accused of 'undemocratic' behavior in NTU dispute". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  39. ^ Maxon, Ann (7 March 2018). "Lawmaker quizzes Lai about Kuan". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  40. ^ Lin, Liang-sheng; Wu, Po-hsuan; Chung, Jake (5 April 2018). "KMT urges ministry to ratify NTU president election". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  41. ^ Yeh, Joseph (19 November 2023). "ELECTION 2024/Former Kaohsiung mayor tops KMT legislator-at-large list". Central News Agency. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
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