IU alumnus Spencer Yang receives Distinguished International Service Award at alumni reception in Taipei
More than 40 IU alumni gathered in Taipei, Taiwan, for a special reception with President McRobbie. Vice President for International Affairs David Zaret opened the evening’s program by presenting alumnus Spencer Yang with the Distinguished International Service Award. Yang was selected as a result of his outstanding contributions to advance the academic mission of Indiana University.
IU President Michael McRobbie presents alumnus Spencer Yang with Distinguished International Service Award.
In his remarks, Zaret first recounted Yang’s influential scholarly work, both as a graduate student of political science at IU and as a professor of political science at the Chinese Cultural University in Taiwan. Jean Robinson, Executive Associate Dean in IU’s College of Arts & Sciences, served on his dissertation committee and had this to share about him:
“The dissertation award he received from the American Political Science Association is decided by a national committee of the top scholars in political philosophy, with nominations from political science departments across the country. Thus the Leo Strauss Award he received for his dissertation was a great coup, and demonstrated his prowess and his skill in combining deep knowledge about China, about property rights, and about individual freedoms, even in a constrained political environment. I suspect that award, and his dissertation set his career forward on a leading path.”
Zaret also spoke about Yang’s close working relationship with Vincent and Lin Ostrom, the first female Nobel Prize winner for economics. In August 2010, Lin Ostrom visited Taipei, at Yang’s prompting, to give the keynote speech on “Climate Change and Global Governance” at the International Forum on the Global Solution for Climate Change. He was a gracious host, handling all aspects of her visit.
After Zaret presented the award to Yang, President McRobbie concluded the evening program with brief remarks about Indiana University’s continued progress in its internationalization efforts and ways for alumni to get engaged and support the university’s initiatives.
