New Taiwan Humanities and Education Foundation

The New Taiwan Humanities and Education Foundation (財團法人新台灣人文教基金會) is a non-profit, non-governmental foundation established in Taipei in 1999 by Ma Ying-jeou. According to the foundation's own account, it was funded with roughly half of the public campaign subsidy Ma received after winning the 1998 Taipei mayoral election with 766,377 votes; the subsidy amounted to more than NT$20 million, and about half of it became the founding capital of the foundation. The organisation was registered as a 財團法人 (a Taiwanese juridical-person foundation), a legal form commonly used for endowed non-profit bodies in Taiwan. The foundation described its mission in four strands: promoting the idea of the "New Taiwanese" at home and abroad in order to encourage ethnic integration and constructive cross-strait interaction; strengthening research and development in democratic politics and local culture; advancing cultural and educational exchange between cities in Taiwan and overseas; and cultivating new urban and lifestyle concepts for the new century. In practice its programming combined public-interest education as the main axis with cultural promotion as a secondary one, working with local civic and community organisations on themed activities for schoolchildren, parents and families, and the general public. A second pillar was youth development. The foundation designed themed training courses intended to reveal students' strengths and potential, covering democratic issues, social issues and professional knowledge, with the aim of broadening the capabilities of a new generation. A third pillar was public discussion: it organised forums, seminars and online discussions that brought together scholars and experts to analyse current policy topics and public opinion, aiming to give students, professionals, journalists and interested beginners a rational, objective basis for debate. The foundation's stated long-term direction combined tradition and innovation, with emphasis on local care, civic education, democratic rooting, assistance to disadvantaged groups, ethnic integration and social consensus, as well as extending democratic literacy and international perspective to rural areas and narrowing educational gaps. Its public profile was closely tied to its founder, Ma Ying-jeou, who later served as Mayor of Taipei and as President of the Republic of China (Taiwan). On its official site the foundation announced that, its service mission having been fulfilled, it completed dissolution procedures on 31 December 2025 (民國114年12月31日). Liquidation work was to continue until the juridical person is formally extinguished. The entry therefore records the foundation as a defunct Taiwanese non-profit brand rather than an operating one.

The New Taiwan Humanities and Education Foundation was established in 1999 as a non-profit, non-governmental foundation in Taiwan. Its founding is directly linked to Ma Ying-jeou's 1998 campaign for Mayor of Taipei. According to the foundation's own account, Ma won that election with 766,377 votes and received a public campaign subsidy of more than NT$20 million; roughly half of that subsidy was used as the founding capital and fund of the new foundation, which Ma donated alone. The foundation was set up as a 財團法人 — a Taiwanese endowed juridical person — a legal form that gives a non-profit body its own legal personality and requires it to pursue a defined public-benefit purpose. Its declared purposes were fourfold: to promote the idea of the "New Taiwanese" in Taiwan and abroad in order to foster ethnic integration and positive cross-strait interaction; to strengthen research and development in democratic politics and local culture; to promote cultural and educational exchange between cities in Taiwan and overseas; and to establish new urban and lifestyle concepts for the new century. Over the following decades the foundation built its activities around three broad programme areas. The first was local care and community culture: working with local civic organisations, it ran themed activities for schoolchildren, parents and families, and the general public, aiming to introduce new lifestyle concepts and positive experiences. The second was youth development: it designed themed empowerment courses covering democratic issues, social issues and professional fields, intended to draw out students' characteristics and abilities and to broaden the capacities of a new generation. The third was academic and public discussion: it convened scholars and experts for seminars and online forums on current policy topics and public opinion, presenting rational and objective analysis for students, professionals, journalists and interested members of the public. The foundation's public identity remained closely associated with Ma Ying-jeou, who went on from the Taipei mayoralty to serve as President of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Its stated long-term direction combined tradition and innovation, with emphasis on local care, civic education, democratic rooting, assistance to disadvantaged groups, ethnic integration and social consensus, and on extending democratic literacy and international perspective to rural areas and narrowing educational gaps. On its official website the foundation announced that its service mission had been fulfilled and that it completed dissolution procedures on 31 December 2025 (民國114年12月31日). Liquidation work was to continue until the juridical person is formally extinguished. With that announcement the foundation moved from an operating non-profit to a defunct legal entity in wind-up.

• 2025

  The foundation announces that it completed dissolution on 31 December 2025 (民國114年12月31日), with liquidation to continue until the juridical person is extinguished.

• 1999

  The New Taiwan Humanities and Education Foundation is founded, donated solely by Ma Ying-jeou using roughly half of the campaign subsidy as founding capital.

• 1998

  Ma Ying-jeou wins the Taipei mayoral election with 766,377 votes and receives a public campaign subsidy of more than NT$20 million.

A non-profit, non-governmental civic-education and cultural foundation associated with the "New Taiwanese" idea and its founder Ma Ying-jeou; positioned as a public-interest education and dialogue platform rather than a commercial enterprise.

• Community and family education activities

  Themed activities organised with local civic organisations for schoolchildren, parents and families, and the general public, aimed at building new lifestyle concepts.

• Youth empowerment courses

  Themed training courses covering democratic issues, social issues and professional fields, designed to develop students' abilities and potential.

• Academic forums and seminars

  Seminars and online forums convening scholars and experts to discuss current policy topics and public opinion.

1. 1首頁sites.google.com
2. 2新台灣人文教基金會 (Wikidata)wikidata.org