President Hosts April Monthly Assembly Featuring Inspiring Talk by Mountaineer Chiang Hsiu-Chen
publish date :
2025-04-21
On April 11, 2025, President Yang presided over the university’s April Monthly Assembly and specially invited Secretary-General and CEO Chiang Hsiu-Chen of the Taiwan Formosa Mountain Education Promotion Association to deliver a keynote speech titled “Harnessing Adversity to Surpass the Summit.”
Chiang is the first Taiwanese woman to have climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents and the first woman in the world to summit Mount Everest from both the northern and southern routes. In recognition of her achievements, she was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Women of 2008, awarded the First-Class Medal by the Ministry of the Interior in 2009, and honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons in the 47th selection. She is also a well-known educator in life education and mountaineering safety in Taiwan.
Drawing on her personal mountaineering journey and reflections, Chiang shared the following key insights on mountaineering safety and life education:
Mountaineering education is for everyone – It helps build resilience from a young age, fosters self-awareness and confidence, and encourages teamwork and healthy living among middle-aged and older adults.
The cost of summiting: every step risks death, every step seeks survival – Danger comes not from the mountain or the sea, but from lack of preparation, carelessness, overconfidence, and distraction. From this, we gain courage, perseverance, and the strength to face challenges.
Preparing for the world’s highest peaks – Physical fitness is essential, along with the ability to adapt to "three lows" (low temperature, low pressure, low oxygen), proper equipment usage, mental readiness, and exceptional adaptability.
Transformation and transcendence – Facing storms reveals life’s resilience. Only by daring to begin can one discover their most brilliant self. Reaching the summit is only part of the challenge; descending safely is the true test.
True sense of achievement – Success is not merely reaching the summit, but applying lessons learned in mountaineering to daily life to solve real-world problems. Learn to assess risks calmly and overcome all obstacles ahead.
Life and mountaineering are intertwined – Life, like the mountain, has highs and lows, moments of calm and chaos. Dreams are more than success or failure. Influence others through your life, do the right thing, and do it well.
At the conclusion of the speech, President Yang expressed heartfelt thanks to Secretary-General Chiang for sharing her insights on mountaineering safety and life education. He deeply admired her attitude of setting ambitious goals, preparing thoroughly, and advancing fearlessly despite uncertainties. He remarked that although the journey may be filled with variables, it is undeniably remarkable. The talk offered all faculty and students a broadened perspective and a wealth of inspiration.
Chiang is the first Taiwanese woman to have climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents and the first woman in the world to summit Mount Everest from both the northern and southern routes. In recognition of her achievements, she was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Women of 2008, awarded the First-Class Medal by the Ministry of the Interior in 2009, and honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons in the 47th selection. She is also a well-known educator in life education and mountaineering safety in Taiwan.
Drawing on her personal mountaineering journey and reflections, Chiang shared the following key insights on mountaineering safety and life education:
Mountaineering education is for everyone – It helps build resilience from a young age, fosters self-awareness and confidence, and encourages teamwork and healthy living among middle-aged and older adults.
The cost of summiting: every step risks death, every step seeks survival – Danger comes not from the mountain or the sea, but from lack of preparation, carelessness, overconfidence, and distraction. From this, we gain courage, perseverance, and the strength to face challenges.
Preparing for the world’s highest peaks – Physical fitness is essential, along with the ability to adapt to "three lows" (low temperature, low pressure, low oxygen), proper equipment usage, mental readiness, and exceptional adaptability.
Transformation and transcendence – Facing storms reveals life’s resilience. Only by daring to begin can one discover their most brilliant self. Reaching the summit is only part of the challenge; descending safely is the true test.
True sense of achievement – Success is not merely reaching the summit, but applying lessons learned in mountaineering to daily life to solve real-world problems. Learn to assess risks calmly and overcome all obstacles ahead.
Life and mountaineering are intertwined – Life, like the mountain, has highs and lows, moments of calm and chaos. Dreams are more than success or failure. Influence others through your life, do the right thing, and do it well.
At the conclusion of the speech, President Yang expressed heartfelt thanks to Secretary-General Chiang for sharing her insights on mountaineering safety and life education. He deeply admired her attitude of setting ambitious goals, preparing thoroughly, and advancing fearlessly despite uncertainties. He remarked that although the journey may be filled with variables, it is undeniably remarkable. The talk offered all faculty and students a broadened perspective and a wealth of inspiration.