The Dr. C.F. Koo and Cecilia Koo Chair endowment was established in 2008 at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Koo was a distinguished business leader and statesman who led the Taiwan-based Pan-Asian Group, and who served as senior advisor to successive presidents of Taiwan. As Chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation, he also helped to arrange the first direct talks between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China.
The Koo Chair supports the research of a distinguished faculty chairholder with research interests in East Asia whose research and teaching will contribute to the achievement of global peace and understanding. It also provides funding for currently enrolled graduate students.
The Dr. C.F. Koo and Cecilia Koo Fellowships in East Asian Studies have been established at Berkeley's Institute of East Asian Studies to honor outstanding graduate students in East Asian studies, as demonstrated by their academic record and by the submission of an original research paper. For 2019, two fellowships of $11,000 will be awarded. Students must first be nominated by a Berkeley faculty member, then will be invited to submit applications.