Awards & Scholarships

In mineral resources China is one of the richest countries of the world, but until recently these resources were mostly exploited by foreigners. During the last 35 or 40 years, however, a considerable number of capable Chinese engineers and scientists have been graduated from the universities in China, and in the United States and Europe, and now many of them have taken over the management of China's principal mines and industrial plants.

Prominent among China's most capable technical men is Wong Wen-Hao, geologist, Minister of Economic Affairs, and head of the National Reconstruction Commission of the Chinese Government. Wong Wen-hao was born in Chekiang in 1889. He was educated in China and in Europe, receiving his D.Sc. degree from Louvain University in Belgium. He returned to China almost immediately as a practicing geologist and in 1922 was made director of the Geological Survey of China. He took a lively interest in education almost from the beginning of his professional career and in 1931 became acting president of National Tsing Hua University. In 1934, he was appointed general manager of the important Chung Fu Mining Co.

Dr. Wong's capabilities soon attracted the attention of the Chinese Government. In 1935 he was made secretary-general of the Executive Council and in 1938 Minister of Economic Affairs to the Kuomintang Government; concurrently he served as chairman of the National Resources Commission.

Many honors have come to this distinguished engineer. He has two honorary doctor's degrees, LL.D. from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and Dr. Ing. from the Institute of Technology, Charlottenburg, Germany. He served as secretary-general of the Chinese special delegation to the coronation of King George in 1937, and he was president of the Chinese Institute of Engineers from 1941-1944. In addition to fulfilling his numerous and arduous duties as a geologist, executive, and servant of his government in many positions of high responsibility, Dr. Wong has found time to write three authoritative books on his country: "Mineral Resources of China," "Earthquake & Regions in China," and "Mountain Ranges in China."