The Ruth Mulan Chu Chao and James Si-Cheng Chao Endowed Scholarship Fund
The Ruth Mulan Chu Chao and James Si-Cheng Chao Endowed Scholarship Fund was established as a permanent, need-based scholarship for students at SUNY Maritime College in New York. The fund will provide scholarships to qualified graduate students who have a track record of academic excellence. Preference will be given to those who have cultivated a significant interest in Chinese culture and language.
The fund is supported by Dr. James S.C. Chao, founder of Foremost Group, and his daughter Angela A. Chao, CEO of Foremost Group. The scholarship was established in memory of Dr. Chao’s late wife, Mrs. Ruth Mulan Chu Chao.
Dr. Chao was one of the youngest Chinese ship captains in modern times. As such, both he and his family understand the importance of further education when pursuing a maritime career.
Upon the establishment of the fund, Angela Chao commented: “My parents have always believed in the transformative power of education…They taught us that material things do not last while education is something you can take anywhere. When you are armed with education, you can always start again.”
Foremost Group established a similar scholarship fund, the Mulan Educational Scholarship Fund, for the students at the National Taiwan Ocean University. This fund was set up to help students at Ocean pursue a graduate degree from SUNY in New York.
The Chao family is a long-time supporter of further education, and Dr. Chao has received numerous honors and awards in recognition of his philanthropy, including being inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame at the United Nations.