Sophie Chang (philanthropist)

Sophie Chang (Chinese: 張淑芬; pinyin: Zhāng Shúfēn; born 1944) is a Taiwanese philanthropist, author and painter. She is the chairperson of the TSMC Charity Foundation and Weiyi Social Welfare Charity Foundation. She also holds the directorship of the Dunan Foundation and Modern Women's Foundation.[1] Her work is influenced by the teachings of the Dalai Lama.[2]

Sophie Chang
張淑芬
Born1944 (age 79–80)
Occupation(s)Philanthropist, author and painter
Known forChairwoman of TSMC Charity Foundation
SpouseMorris Chang
ChildrenKaren Wu Audi, Vera Wu
RelativesTerry Gou (cousin)

Philanthropy

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Chang is the chair of the TSMC Charity Foundation. She has been the president of the TSMC Volunteer Society since 2004.[3] Chang met with the Dalai Lama in 2007 and has shaped her work according to his teachings.[2]

Chang has personally responded to natural disasters and emergencies through her role with TSMC,[3][4][5] leading the foundation and TSMC employee volunteers[2] in the support of underserved women, children,[6] and seniors[7][3] as well as education and environmental protection.[8] Her work also focuses on energy conservation and technical and vocational education.[9][10]

In 2021, Chang established three solar power stations for the Ruifu Education Centre in Tainan in collaboration with Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che, Taiju Group Chairman Wu Yigui, and National Cheng Kung University President Su Huizhen. She also worked on installing power-saving LED lights in 32 schools in the Pianxiang township as part of a “green energy for public welfare” model, to provide social welfare organizations with reduced costs and sustainable growth.[11][12][13][14]

Chang created the public welfare platform "Sending Love" to promote social responsibility and encourage other companies to get involved in philanthropy,[15] as well as the "Network of Compassion" platform which connects more than 7,000 volunteers, hospitals and health services, in order to provide medical care for low-income, isolated seniors. The network also garnered government involvement in promoting rural education in elementary and junior high schools.[16]

Chang works to promote filial piety and cooperates with the local government and the Ministry of Education to integrate the spirit of filial piety into students' lives.[17] She successfully included the subject and materials into the Ministry of Education's syllabus and created the national filial piety education workshop with the Ministry of Education's National Education Department and the National Filial Piety Resource Center alongside the National Education Administration.[18]

In 2019, she held the first National High School Filial Piety Education Microfilm Competition.[16]

Chang's work also focuses on bolstering technological and vocational education in rural communities[19][20][21] and encourages student participation and self-confidence with leadership activities and skill-building such as cycling, mountain climbing and drumming as part of a collaboration with the After School Association of Taiwan.[22][23]

Chang has collaborated with the Boyou Foundation, which aims to narrow the educational gap between students in urban and rural areas. Her work is supported by Lai Ching-te, former mayor of Tainan.[21] In 2021, Chang launched a Technical Vocational Training initiative in partnership with LOHAS and the Yunlin County Government which equipped students of a remote township with the tools to grow and sell champignon mushrooms.[24][25]

In 2012, Chang led TSMC's establishment of a new tea plant in the mountains of central Taiwan, as part of an effort to help Alishan’s indigenous people rebuild the region following Typhoon Morakot in 2009.[26]

In 2014, Chang led an on-site relief team in Kaohsiung, following the 2014 Kaohsiung gas explosions.[27] In 2018, Chang visited the site of the 6.0 earthquake in Hualien County to comfort the victims and arranged to bring 700 members of TSMC staff to the area to promote tourism. Later she planned eight more trips to revitalize the area.[28]

In 2021, she created and ran a campaign through TSMC to provide COVID-19 relief to India's hospitals,[29] and to set up contactless testing stations throughout Taiwan.[30] Later that year, TSMC also jointly donated 15 million doses of the BNT vaccines to Taiwan with Foxconn, the Yongling Foundation and the Tzu Chi Foundation, with Sophie Chang representing the company upon the arrival of the first 930,000 doses in Taiwan.[31][32] Also in 2021, she initiated a donation of 1,200 uniforms to firefighters who responded to the Taroko Express train derailment as part of an allocation by the TSMC Foundation to help improve firefighters' equipment across the country.[4]

Chang also serves as a public speaker and gave the keynote speech at the 2020 International Women's Day Forum.[33] In April 2021, she held a press conference at the Far Eastern International Hotel in Taipei, to discuss TSMC's charitable accomplishments and to encourage other enterprises to pursue philanthropy and volunteerism.[34] In 2022, Chang was invited to join Caixun’s ESG forum to discuss public welfare.[35]

Art and writings

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Chang is an author and painter. She began painting with traditional ink but transitioned to oil paints in 2019.[2] Her written works include "Guide the Way",[36] "My Growth"[37] and "Progress on the Easel".[38] In 2017, her painting "Spring Morning Dawn" was sold by Ravenel International Art Group for more than NT$4.5 million,[39] and in 2018 her painting "Samantabhadra" was sold for NT$4.5 million.[40] In 2019, Chang was invited to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leadership Summit with her husband, Morris Chang, and the pair gifted the heads of state with several of Sophie's paintings.[41] Also in 2019, her painting "Earth Mountain Lan" was donated to a charity sale at Christie's Hong Kong spring auction and sold for NT$4.93 million.[41] In 2020, her oil painting "The Source of Hope" was sold for over NT$8.7 million, with proceeds donated to the Department of Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan.[42] Also in 2020, Chang held her first solo exhibition "Love Endless" at the Tainan Art Museum featuring 15 paintings.[43] In 2021, Chang partnered with designer Wang Chen Tsai-Hsia to turn two of her paintings into clothing items as part of Shiatzy Chen’s spring 2022 fashion line. The items were included in the one-month "Zhu Yun" exhibition in Zhongshan, with proceeds donated to the TSMC Charity Foundation.[44][45][46] Chang also collaborated with Wang, the Tzu Chi Foundation and Chen Wenqian to create and deliver personal silk scarves to Syrian refugees and war victims in 2022.[47]

Recognition

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Chang was named one of the 50 most influential Asian philanthropists by Tatler Hong Kong in 2018[3] and won the 14th Compassion Award with five others in 2019.[48]

In 2019, Tatler Asia recognized Chang as one of the Top 5 Tawainese Philanthropists changing the world. [49]

In 2021, Chang was awarded the Cultural Association Medal by the Taiwanese Ministry of Culture.[50][51]

Personal life

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Sophie Chang is married to TSMC founder Morris Chang.[52][53][54]

They have two daughters, Karen Wu Audi (吳永箴) and Vera Wu (吳永儀). They dedicate their time and effort to philanthropic causes both individually and alongside their mother.[55]

References

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  1. ^ Tatler, Hong Kong. "50 Philanthropists In Asia Who Are Changing The World". Tatler Asia.
  2. ^ a b c d "「達賴喇嘛教我慈悲智慧。」張淑芬與台積電的公益之路:充實你生命的並不是付出,而是感恩". VidaOrange 生活報橘. 13 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Taiwan, Tatler. "封面人物張淑芬,慈善之路提燈前行:「作畫、做人、做慈善都是不斷學,然後發現自己可以做得更多。」". Tatler Asia (in Traditional Chinese).
  4. ^ a b "TSMC charity to donate uniforms to firefighters in Taroko train rescue – Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw (in Chinese).
  5. ^ Chiang, Cathy. "NO.109《TAIWAN TATLER》張淑芬:心中有愛". Tatler Asia.
  6. ^ "張淑芬的公益進行式 – 財訊雙週刊". 財訊- 掌握趨勢 投資未來 | 最懂投資的財經媒體 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 29 April 2017.
  7. ^ 自由時報電子報 (26 July 2017). "教育部要學校推動孝道 台積電董娘感動到想哭 – 生活". 自由時報電子報 (in Chinese).
  8. ^ 林鳳琪 (31 January 2018). "張淑芬不只捐錢 更做政府做不到的慈善工程 – 今周刊". www.businesstoday.com.tw (in Chinese).
  9. ^ "台積電延伸偏鄉技職 張淑芬親走訪". 新浪新聞中心. 2 May 2021.
  10. ^ 聯合新聞網. "台積電送愛偏鄉 深耕技職教育 | 聯合新聞網:最懂你的新聞網站". 聯合新聞網 (in Chinese).
  11. ^ "「缺什麼我就捐什麼」!台積電創新公益,張淑芬跑透全台只為捐太陽能發電站". Business Next (in Chinese). 9 October 2021.
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  14. ^ "台積電基金會協助 台南偏鄉32校更換LED節能燈具". www.cna.com.tw (in Chinese). 27 August 2021.
  15. ^ "把愛送出去". 把愛送出去.
  16. ^ a b 精選書摘 (27 April 2020). "《引路》:讓獨居老人不再是孤島,「愛互聯」串聯北中南東的醫療照護資源". The News Lens 關鍵評論網 (in Chinese).
  17. ^ "推廣孝道 張淑芬:從學校自幼扎根 | 蘋果新聞網 | 蘋果日報". 蘋果新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 20 October 2019.
  18. ^ Huang, Tracy. "台積電慈善基金會董事長張淑芬從源頭播種,落實孝道教育,以愛迎接高齡社會". Tatler Asia.
  19. ^ 遠見天下文化出版股份有限公司. "送「1號課堂」到偏鄉!張淑芬:遠距進修有助教學創新 | 羅之盈 | 遠見雜誌". 遠見雜誌 – 前進的動力.
  20. ^ "張淑芬再度出手援助偏鄉孩童,加入「偏鄉技職教育」的公益計劃,讓孩子們能學一技之長,霸氣喊:我們會用跑的到你身邊". NEWSIEI.COM.
  21. ^ a b "張淑芬 | 臺灣人民報". www.peponews.tw.
  22. ^ 聯合新聞網. "偏鄉教育三支箭 張淑芬公益引路的十年一刻". 倡議家 (in Chinese).
  23. ^ "張淑芬不只捐錢 更做政府做不到的慈善工程 – 幸福熟齡". thebetteraging.businesstoday.com.tw (in Chinese). 1 February 2018.
  24. ^ "擦亮技職農教!張淑芬的第一線溫度 攪動偏鄉教育新希望". Business Weekly Taiwan (in Chinese). 14 June 2022.
  25. ^ "台積電基金會張淑芬與張麗善閉門會談 願協助雲林青年就業". ettoday.net (in Chinese). 30 March 2022.
  26. ^ "No. 1 chip-maker unveils tea factory in central Taiwan". The China Post, Taiwan. 8 April 2012.
  27. ^ "TSMC, I-Mei exchange ideas on CSR". Taiwan News. 3 June 2015.
  28. ^ "Wife of TSMC founder takes 700 staff to quake-struck Taiwan region". Taiwan News. 24 March 2018.
  29. ^ "Taiwan's TSMC launches employee donation drive to support India". Taiwan News. 7 May 2021.
  30. ^ "TSMC to donate 'contactless' COVID testing stations across Taiwan". Taiwan News. 23 May 2021.
  31. ^ "BNT疫苗落地!張淑芬接機感嘆:有許多不容易". Yahoo! News (in Chinese). 2 September 2021.
  32. ^ "張淑芬接機BNT疫苗:感謝各方不同努力 成功提早一個月抵台". www.finance.ettoday.net (in Chinese). 2 September 2021.
  33. ^ 中時新聞網. "張淑芬:婦女的細心 社會公益發光的力量 – 財經". 中時新聞網 (in Chinese).
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  42. ^ 自由時報電子報 (10 July 2020). "收益全捐衛福部!張淑芬《希望之源》畫作878萬落槌 – 政治". 自由時報電子報 (in Chinese).
  43. ^ Tsai, Lulu. "張淑芬首個展《愛.無盡》台南市美術館登場!從慈善家到藝術家 張淑芬用畫筆讓愛流轉世間無盡". Tatler Asia (in Traditional Chinese).
  44. ^ "完美呈現畫作筆觸!夏姿攜手張淑芬 把藝術變時尚". www.udn.com (in Chinese). 18 August 2021.
  45. ^ "台積電張淑芬讚夏姿「世界級精品」 為作畫穿299元平價衣也甘願". ETFashion (in Chinese). 18 August 2021.
  46. ^ "時尚|張淑芬畫作夏姿巧藝轉生衣服上 「要讓國際看見夏姿」". Apple Daily Taiwan (in Chinese). 18 August 2021.
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  48. ^ 顾馨. "Compassion Award honors six leaders in charity". www.chinadaily.com.cn.
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  51. ^ "文化部文協獎章頒獎 感謝90名台灣文化守護者". cna.com.tw (in Chinese). 11 November 2021.
  52. ^ "第26屆APEC在巴紐 張忠謀領袖代表夫人張淑芬女士與媒體茶敘分享行前相關準備情形與心情". www.president.gov.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)).
  53. ^ "MIT to name signature building on the Charles River in honor of Morris and Sophie Chang". MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  54. ^ "張忠謀譜浪漫黃昏戀 古稀之年迎娶張淑芬 | 蘋果新聞網 | 蘋果日報". 蘋果新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 2 October 2017.
  55. ^ 簡, 妤安. "「台積電董娘」張忠謀老婆談教育:孩子不是附屬品,「當媽要像衛生紙」老了才不孤單". 女人我最大. 女人我最大. Retrieved 31 October 2023.