Presidential Nominee Dr. Tsai Ing-wen

Date of Birth: August 31, 1956 (59 years old)

Place of Birth: Taipei, Taiwan

Hometown: Pingtung, Taiwan

Biography

Dr. Tsai Ing-wen is the chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party and its candidate for the 2016 Presidential Election. Dr. Tsai obtained her Ph.D. Law from the London School of Economics, with a focus in international trade laws and policy. She also holds a Master of Laws degree from Cornell University Law School and a Bachelor of Laws degree from National Taiwan University.

A former university professor, Dr. Tsai was a key trade negotiator for Taiwan's accession to the World Trade Organization before her appointment as chairperson of the Mainland Affairs Council in 2000. She served as a legislator from 2005 to 2006 and was appointed as Vice Premier from 2006 to 2007.

Following the DPP's election defeat in 2008, Dr. Tsai was elected the first female leader of a major political party in Taiwan. Dr. Tsai ran for president in 2012; when she came up short, she told a tearful crowd "You may cry, but don't lose heart."

After stepping down as chairperson in 2012, she was elected to the position again in 2014. In the same year, she led the party to win a landslide victory in Taiwan's largest-ever local elections. On April 15, 2015, she was officially nominated as the DPP's candidate for the 2016 presidential election.

Education

1984-2000 Professor of Law in National Chengchi University and Soochow University

1984 PhD Law, London School of Economics

1980 LLM, Cornell University Law School

1978 LLB, College of Law, National Taiwan University

Career

2014- present 15th DPP Chairperson

2010-2012 13th DPP Chairperson

2008-2010 12th DPP Chairperson

2006-2007 Vice-Premier of the Executive Yuan

2005-2006 Legislator

2004-2005 National Policy Advisor to the President

2000-2004 Chairperson, Mainland Affairs Council, Executive Yuan

1999-2000 Senior Adviser, National Security Council

1995-1998 Commissioner, Fair Trade Commission, Executive Yuan

1994-1998 Senior Adviser, Mainland Affair Council, Executive Yuan

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Vice-Presidential Nominee Dr. Chen Chien-Jen

Date of Birth: June 1, 1951 (64 years old)

Place of Birth: Qishan, Kaoshiung, Taiwan

Education

Sc.D., Department of Epidemiology, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University

M.P.H., Graduate Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University

B.Sc., Department of Zoology, College of Science, National Taiwan University

Career

2011-2015 Vice President, Academia Sinica

2006-2015 Distinguished Research Fellow, Genomic Research Center, Academia Sinica

2006-2008 Minister, National Science Council, Executive Yuan

2003-2005 Minister, Department of Health, Executive Yuan

2002-2003 Deputy Minister, National Science Council, Executive Yuan

1999-2002 Dean, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University

1997-1999 Director General, Division of Life Sciences, National Science Council, Executive Yuan, Taipei, Taiwan

1994-1997 Director, Graduate Institute of Epidemiology, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan

1993-1994 Director, Graduate Institute of Public Health, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan

1988-1994 Research Fellow, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan