Civil Engineering Professor Lung-Chang Wang: The Man Awaiting Vindication and the Songs That Still Echo

Lung-Chang Wang, a civil engineering professor who spent his entire life at National Taipei University of Technology (formerly Taipei Institute of Technology), became a selection committee member for the 2004 bidding process of the Nangang Exhibition Center construction project due to his expertise in civil engineering regulations. Years later, when the Control Yuan was investigating former First Lady Shu-Chen Wu, it was discovered that the winning company had obtained the review committee list and offered bribes prior to the bidding. This implicated multiple scholars and experts who had participated in the evaluation in corruption allegations. Lung-Chang Wang was also drawn into this controversy. Based solely on highly questionable testimony from a tainted witness without any objective supporting evidence, Wang was convicted by the court under the Anti-Corruption Act and sentenced to 7 years and 8 months in prison.
 

Longing and Regret, Allowing Dirges to Coexist with Us

Photo: Feb. 15, 2019, Press Conference for Lung-Chang Wang's Retrial and Extraordinary Appeal Filings
 

Professor Wang's imprisonment caused an uproar among all his colleagues and students. In accounts of appeals, historical records show that numerous students came forward in his defense, frequently describing him as "rigid" and "exceedingly strict." From their descriptions, we sense that he is truly a person of exceptionally consistent character. His meticulous personality and indomitable spirit accompanied him through his years of seeking justice and sustained him, even after his release, as he returned to his post at Taipei Tech to continue his most beloved teaching and research work.

Having endured imprisonment, Professor Wang's case is still under review by the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office's Review Committee for Final Conviction Cases. Before the Lunar New Year last year, when the review committee held a meeting, Professor Wang insisted on attending despite the profound grief of his wife passing away; his legal team's dissuasion was to no avail. The choking up in Professor Wang's voice whenever he explained his case, especially the trembling when speaking of his wife, felt like an unceasing dirge coexisting with his sorrow.
 

"A Grateful Heart, Thankful to Have You, Thankful to Fate"

The teacher's pain was obvious, yet not so easily approached. We arranged our first interview with him after the Lunar New Year this year, starting with a visit to his office to see his usual workspace. Professor Wang talked endlessly throughout the afternoon, recounting his story—at times calm and incisive, at times bitter and passionate.

We asked him if there were any songs that could comfort him when his emotions welled up. He said that he was not really a music listener, but when he was feeling very depressed recently due to his case, he liked listening to "A Grateful Heart." The lyrics describe a steadfast belief in bravely facing the trials of fate, which offered him a bit of comfort.

The lyrics "A grateful heart, thankful to have you" reminded him of the colleagues and students who accompanied and firmly supported him along the way; "A grateful heart, thankful to fate" reminded him that, despite being imprisoned by the trickery of fate, he continued to preach, impart knowledge, and resolve doubts for other inmates within the correctional facility, allowing him to feel his enduring passion for teaching under different circumstances.
 

"When You Are Old, Hair Gray and Full of Sleep, and Nodding by the Fire, Take Down This Book and Slowly Read, of the Soft Look Your Eyes Had Once, and of Their Shadows Deep"

After the incident, knowing he could retire early to secure his pension, Professor Wang was unwilling to do so. He had decided to face the matter with integrity. During his life in prison, he met people he would never have crossed paths with otherwise, and even took on students behind bars. He accepted all these experiences with equanimity.

The hardest part is letting go. Professor Wang told us that as long as he lives another day, he will do his utmost to clear his name of this wrongful accusation. To him, a lifetime of integrity collapsed overnight simply because of two receipts and the testimony of a tainted witness. Thus, he fell from the academic altar, becoming a convicted felon. The depth of this resentment is unimaginable.

Fortunately, the teacher has not been crushed by self-pity. A group of like-minded friends has always been by his side. During gatherings, they occasionally sing karaoke. Typically, when he sings songs like Karen Mok's "When You Are Old" and Jody Chiang's "Home's Behind," he is able to briefly detach from his sorrow and balance his mind and body. In recent years, Professor Wang has picked up the expertise he devoted his life to studying, and has gradually returned to the university lecture hall to continue his vocation of teaching and imparting knowledge. Perhaps the busy work allows him to momentarily forget the sorrow.

"When you are old, hair gray and full of sleep, and nodding by the fire, recall your youth, how many once loved you, in your moments of glad grace." After returning, we listened to the Karen Mok song "When You Are Old" mentioned by the teacher, and found it to be a peaceful song capturing the reflection on past days during old age.

We sincerely hope that when Professor Wang enters his twilight years and looks back on the decades of his teaching career, his life will be filled with fulfillment and joy, as well as the equanimity and peace that come after clearing one's name from a miscarriage of justice.