HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cathay United Bank has maintained a long-standing presence in Vietnam for more than two decades, with its "Elevated Tree Program" now entering its 18th year. The program continues to support underprivileged students by expanding access to educational resources and opportunities.
In 2026, Cathay United Bank Ho Chi Minh City Branch (CUBHCM) provided a total of approximately VND 720 million in scholarships across Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, helping students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds remain in school. Since its launch in 2008, the program has supported nearly 25,000 students, with total scholarships reaching approximately VND 14 billion. Over time, the initiative has not only alleviated financial pressure on families but also contributed to strengthening local education systems, becoming one of the more established education support programs in Vietnam.
This year, the Elevated Tree Program continues its cross-regional implementation model, bringing together the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Promoting Education, Da Nang City Association for Promoting Education, Lawrence S. Ting School (LSTS), educators, and local communities. Beyond scholarship provision, the initiative has evolved into a platform that integrates learning activities and community engagement.
To further support students' long-term development, the program has expanded its educational components. In collaboration with LSTS, CUBHCM has introduced a series of learning initiatives, including study skills sessions and practical financial literacy education embedded in everyday contexts. Through interactive games and teaching tools, students are guided to understand money management, differentiate between needs and wants, and apply basic financial concepts in their daily lives.
In addition, the program incorporates STEM-related activities this year, including robot demonstrations and hands-on experiences. These activities offer students, particularly those from underserved areas exposure to technology and help broaden their perspectives on future learning opportunities. A dedicated career guidance booth was also set up at the event, where educators provided advice on academic pathways and future planning, offering students valuable reference points for their next steps.
In terms of scholarship allocation, the program adopts a balanced approach across different education stages. In Da Nang, 100 primary and secondary school students each receive VND 1 million, while 40 high school students are awarded special scholarships of VND 12 million each to support their transition to higher education. In Ho Chi Minh City, the program includes 140 primary and secondary school students, each receiving VND 1 million, ensuring that resources address both foundational education and continued academic progression.
Keng Yang Lin, General Manager of Cathay United Bank, stated: "Through the Elevated Tree Program, we aim not only to provide financial assistance, but also to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence required for sustainable growth. This initiative reflects our enduring commitment to supporting local communities and nurturing Vietnam's future talent."
Truong Tinh Ha, Principal of Lawrence S. Ting School, added: "Leveraging our educational expertise, we are honored to partner with CUBHCM in delivering impactful initiatives such as the Elevated Tree Program. This collaboration also offers valuable opportunities for our students to engage in community service and foster a strong capability of socially responsibility leadership."
Over the years, the Elevated Tree Program has evolved from a scholarship-focused initiative into a comprehensive platform that integrates learning support and skills development, while working closely with local schools and communities to strengthen its role in supporting Vietnam's education ecosystem. Guided by the belief that education is fundamental to sustainable development, CUBHCM prioritizes long-term engagement over one-time contributions, aiming through sustained efforts to create lasting and meaningful impact by empowering students and supporting broader community development.
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Cathay United Bank Strengthens Youth Development in Vietnam Through 18-Year Elevated Tree Program and Financial Literacy Education
Scholarship Reframes Chinese Thought and the Definition of "China"
TAIPEI, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 Tang Prize in Sinology has been awarded to Professor Ge Zhaoguang, Distinguished Professor of Arts and Humanities at Fudan University's National Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies and Department of History, "for his mastery of ancient Chinese thought. From his early work on Chan Buddhism, Daoism, and the history of philosophical thought, to his more recent series of studies on 'What is China,' he has consistently offered original insights and groundbreaking discoveries. His achievements have not only exerted a far-reaching influence within China but have also resonated throughout the global Chinese-speaking academic community, as well as in Japan, Korea, North America, and Europe."
Professor Ge's scholarship spans a wide range of fields, including the history of Chinese thought, religion, literature, and classical philology. He is especially renowned for his work in the history of thought, with An Intellectual History of China being the defining achievement of the first half of his academic career. In this work, Professor Ge argued that intellectual history should shift its focus from the "center" to the "margins," from the "classics" to the "ordinary," and from "elite thought" to the ideas and lived mental worlds of common people, thus opening new possibilities for dialogue between intellectual history, cultural history, and social history.
In recent years, Professor Ge has devoted considerable effort to exploring historical discourses on "China." He has successively published a trilogy of studies on "China," including Here in 'China' I Dwell: Reconstructing Historical Discourses of China for Our Time, What is China? Territory, Ethnicity, Culture, and History, and Lishi Zhongguo De Nei Yu Wai: Youguan "Zhongguo" Yu "Zhoubian" Gainian De Zaichengqing [The Inside and Outside of Historical China: A Reclarification of the Concept of "China" and its "Borders"]. Drawing extensively on traditional textual and visual materials, as well as Sinitic records of the diplomatic journey to China from Joseon, Vietnam, and other neighboring states, he examines China's complex relations with the surrounding regions through perspectives from beyond its borders, inviting renewed reflection on the relationship between "historical China" and "contemporary China." This approach has shaped new directions in historical research over the past decade and more.
Professor Ge has also conducted extensive research on Buddhism, Daoism, and Chinese popular religion, while devoting long-standing attention to Chinese literature. Refusing to be confined by modern Western disciplinary divisions, he founded the National Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies at Fudan University, where he has worked to promote exchange across traditional fields such as literature, history, philosophy, religion, and art. With his works having been widely translated into English, Japanese, Korean, German, and French, he has reshaped international understanding of Chinese thought and culture.
About the Tang Prize
Since the advent of globalization, humanity has enjoyed unprecedented benefits from advances in civilization and science. Yet a multitude of challenges, such as climate change, the emergence of new infectious diseases, the widening wealth gap, and moral degradation, have surfaced along the way. Against this backdrop, Dr. Samuel Yin established the Tang Prize in December 2012. It consists of four award categories: Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology, and Rule of Law. Every two years, four independent and professional selection committees, comprising many internationally renowned experts, scholars, and Nobel laureates, choose Tang Prize laureates who have made substantive contributions and generated a far-reaching impact on the world, regardless of race, nationality, gender, or religion. A cash prize of NT$50 million (approximately US$1.6 million) is allocated to each category, with NT$10 million (approximately US$320,000) of it being a grant intended for research or educational outreach programs to encourage professionals in every field to examine mankind's most urgent needs in the 21st century, and become leading forces in the sustainable development of human society through their outstanding research outcomes and active civic engagement.
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2026 Tang Prize in Sinology Awarded to Ge Zhaoguang
