The Executive Yuan announced today that it has accepted the resignation of Minister Chang Chia-juch from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and that Deputy Minister Woody Tyzz-jiun Duh will be taking over as head of the agency.
Duh received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in forestry from National Taiwan University before conducting postdoctoral research in environmental resource engineering at the State University of New York.
Early in his career, Duh worked as a specialist at the MOEA National Bureau of Standards, a section chief at the Executive Yuan, deputy director-general of the MOEA Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, and chief secretary of the Council for Economic Planning and Development. He has since remained at the MOEA, serving as director-general of the Department of Commerce, director-general of the Department of Industrial Technology, director-general of the Industrial Development Bureau, and most recently as vice minister and deputy minister of the MOEA.
Duh specializes in industrial policy planning, industrial technology R&D and management, as well as cross-strait and international trade cooperation. The MOEA named him an exemplary public servant in 2002, and Taiwan-based magazine CommonWealth called him a leader of the new generation in 2004. Duh also received a regional contribution award from the Asian Productivity Organization in 2011, and was named a fellow of the Chinese Society for Management of Technology in 2013.
According to the Executive Yuan, Duh started his public servant career from the bottom up, accumulating extensive experience handling MOEA affairs and coordinating efforts across agencies. In addition to demonstrating outstanding performance in strengthening guidance for traditional industries and small and medium-sized enterprises, he has contributed much to promoting industrial innovation and transformation. Duh has also served as chief negotiator of industrial issues for the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation and Framework Agreement talks with mainland China.
"Possessing a wealth of knowledge in economic policies, Duh is expected to make significant contributions to Taiwan's economic development and will be of great assistance in furthering the important tasks of the Executive Yuan," said Executive Yuan officials.