家庭中的爸爸 - Our Dad at Home

2021年 5月22日
by Nigel Liang(梁乃強) and David Liang(梁乃元) 

前言 Preface
我們的爸爸從我們有記憶以來就一直都在為著工作努力，小時候求學時期一直很怕爸，對爸的印象就是不茍言笑，一見面就問我 ”作業寫了沒？考試考幾分？”，加上爸工作繁忙，我們睡著後才回到家出門時卻都還沒起床，基本上很難見到面，因此小時候跟爸相處時，少的是喜悅多的是敬畏。長大懂事以後才知道，爸是因為對我們期待很高，要求嚴格追求卓越，就像他曾跟我說過”要做就要做到最好” 我至今都仍銘記在心。又因為知道我們當時求學最重要事情就是讀書，因此當時那些提問，是他對我們最深切的關心，只是可能因為工作繁忙疲累，表達的方式不同罷了。

我們很感恩爸爸的學生們在聽聞他逝世的消息後所有第一時間的關心與致意，甚至因為疫情的關係馬上決定要一起幫爸爸合辦線上的追思會並將框架設計出來，這種做法能很好地與爸爸的興趣跟專業契合，相信他也會感到很欣慰。因為知道爸爸雖然樂於分享家庭中發生的事物給學生知道但是比較少被家人分享關於他的事情，因此希望能用這個機會整理一些家人眼中的爸爸給大家知道。
Our dad was always busy with work. I was always afraid of him when I was young. My impression of him was that he never joked or laughed. Every time I saw him he would be asking about homework or exam scores. Plus, he was so busy, we hardly ever saw him. He wouldn’t get home until after we were asleep and would be off to work before we were up for school. Our relationship was one of reverence and veneration, not of laughter.

It was not until I grew up to be an adult did I realize that he had such high expectations of us. He would always tell us “If you are going to do something, do it the best” . We were in school at the time, so our only responsibility was to study and learn, so his asking about schoolwork was his form of caring deeply for us. He just expressed himself this way because of how overworked and tired he was.

We are very grateful for the condolences expressed by dad’s students and the rest of the community. The decision due to COVID to have an online memorial service also matches dad’s professional and personal interest. I’m sure he would be proud. I know that dad was keen to share stories about his family with his students, but you have probably very rarely heard about him from his family’s perspective. So, I hope to share some insight into how we, his children, see our father.

食- 吃遍山珍海味後仍鍾愛這一味
Culinary - His Favorite Cuisine
爸爸受外省家庭的影響，喜愛的食物以外省菜為主 - 我們家庭聚餐很常會吃餡餅粥, 牛肉麵或者是刀削麵這類的北方麵食餐館，加上一些豬耳朵, 小黃瓜, 花生米等小菜，就能讓平常在世界各地旅行參加會議，嚐遍五星飯店山珍海味的爸爸心滿意足。爸爸因為身體的關係不能吃太多奶製品，因此牛奶起司披薩這類的食物比較少會在聚餐中出現。他因為很喜歡打桌球運動，在打了幾個小時之後特別愛在巷子口的飲料店點一杯鳳梨冰茶或者是蜂蜜綠茶解渴。以前也偶而會在週末夜買鹹酥雞或是臭豆腐犒賞自己與家人一週的努力。這些飲食習慣雖然未必最健康，但是都是能讓爸爸持續做自己每天熱愛的事情、維持積極動能的燃料。
Our family was originally from the northern province of Henan in China and moved to Taiwan with the Nationalist army. As such, Dad’s pallet was heavily influenced by his upbringing and strongly favors Chinese northern cuisine. We often enjoy such delicacies as porridge, scallion pancakes or beef noodle soup with appetizers of pig ears, diced cucumbers or peanuts. He enjoyed these local foods more than he enjoyed fancy restaurant food. Dad was lactose intolerant, so foods like milk, cheese, or pizza would seldom be found at home. He loved ping pong. He often enjoyed a refreshing pineapple iced tea or green tea with honey after hours of ping pong. He also used to enjoy the occasional popcorn chicken or stinky tofu to share with family after a week's hard work. The diet may not be the most healthy of diets, but it was what he loved and helped fuel him to continue pursuing his passion.

衣 - 穿來穿去就是那幾件
Attire - Always the Same
爸爸在穿衣治裝上的投資跟他在科技產品上的投資相比可以說幾近於零，很多衣服好幾十年爸爸都能夠一直穿。對於爸爸來說，衣服沒有壞就好，可以穿就行。在穿衣服的選擇上爸爸首重舒適休閒，如果不是專業場合必要，常看到爸穿著涼鞋、短褲、polo衫出現，甚至可能因為他接下來有桌球的練習或者是比賽要參加，會直接穿著桌球裝出現。我覺得心態上可能對於爸爸來說心思應該花費在更重要的事情上吧！衣服沒破就好，有穿就行！
Dad would rather invest in technology products than in his wardrobe. There are some outfits that he has worn for decades. To dad, as long as his clothes weren’t worn through, he would keep wearing them. He valued comfort and leisure much more than appearances. Unless he was dressing up for a professional event, we would often see him in sandals, shorts, and a polo. If he had ping pong practice or a game, he might also wear his ping pong clothes to meetings. He cared much more about the content of the meeting or discussion than about appearances. Clothes were but an afterthought.

住 - 四海為家
Accommodation - the World was His Home
因為工作的關係，爸爸時常必須要南征北討四處旅行參加發表會、研討會等，有的時候可能昨天在香港，今天在上海，明天在美國，後天預計回台灣但可能臨時要改飛回香港。之前家裡也會打趣的說，爸爸搭早上的高鐵上台北開會下午又搭高鐵回來高雄上課，真的是把高鐵當成計程車在坐。從有記憶以來爸爸就是這樣的，可以說是四海為家，一個登機箱裡面放著的盥洗衣服跟筆記型電腦就是爸爸的旅行家當。但因為爸爸是做他熱愛的事情，從來沒有聽過他喊一聲累，我想這就真的是所謂的樂此不疲吧。
Dad was always traveling for work. He had an endless amount of conferences and meetings to attend. He sometimes went from Hong Kong to Shanghai to America in a few short days, with plans to return to Taiwan that got changed so that he needed to return to Hong Kong before returning home. He would often take the high speed rail to Taipei in the morning for a meeting, and take the HSR again to return to Kaohsiung for classes in the afternoon. We always joked that he was using the HSR as his own taxi service. I can’t remember a time when he wasn’t living out of his suitcase. But, he was doing what he loved, and never complained or said that he was tired. He truly loved what he was doing.

行 - 方便第一，安全第二
Transportation - Convenience over Safety
有記憶以來爸爸在當地短距離的移動都是靠四個輪子，假如目的地方便停車且時間允許的話就會自己開車，要不然就是會搭Uber、計程車，爸爸很少搭捷運或者是公車等大眾運輸工具，我想是因為對他來說上上下下手扶梯很花時間不是很有效率吧。他總是說時間好寶貴，寧可花一點錢快一點到目的地也不要省了通勤的錢但花了不必要的時間。

規劃旅程上爸爸也通常都會把時間抓得很緊，常常會讓家人們非常緊張。剩十五分鐘就要開始的聚餐，餐廳離家裡要二十分鐘車程他可能會在電腦前面做事情到剩十分鐘就要開始聚餐了才動身，不顧我們從三十分鐘前就在叮嚀他該出發了，媽媽都說爸爸心臟很大顆神經很大條，但其實我覺得是爸爸知道事情的輕重緩急，對於爸爸來說當下比較重要的是處理眼前的事情。
For as long as I can remember, dad preferred cars for transportation. If the situation allowed, he would drive, otherwise he would take an Uber or taxi. He seldom rode the bus or mass transit. I think he thought that going up and down escalators, through gates, and waiting for the bus or train was inefficient. He always said that time is valuable and he’d rather spend a bit more to get to his destination faster rather than waste time. When planning his itinerary, he usually planned a very tight schedule. This caused his family much anxiety. For an event that is 15 minutes away but takes 20 minutes to get there, he would often continue working until there is only 10 minutes left. We would start reminding him 30 minutes before, but he never would listen. Mom always said he had nerves of steel. But, I think dad just knew how to prioritize. To him, the work he was doing at hand was more important.

育 - 追求卓越的言(嚴) 教身教
Education - the Pursuit of Excellence 
因為爸爸自己是學者的關係，對於我們小朋友的教育與期待是尤其高的，總是希望我們能夠受到良好的教育與訓練之後能出類拔萃並對社會做出貢獻。從懂事以來爸爸就一直是我們的榜樣，透過身體力行以身作則的方式教育我們各種做人處事的道理。求學時期除了叮囑我們要努力讀書之外，他也有意無意地會給予我們很多資訊管理、商業管理、科技產業相關的信息，像是把他書庫裡面的書讀了放在家中的角落或者是持續不間斷地訂閱商業周刊、財訊等雜誌等，這些都影響了我跟哥哥分別在商業與軟體開發不同領域的興趣，也都在攻讀到了碩士學位後在美國工作並持續在自己的專業上精進。如果不是因為爸爸給予我們的教育，我們絕對不會有今天的成就，這都要歸功於爸爸。
Because dad was an academic, he had high expectations for us to be educated and trained to be exceptional members of society. From when we were very young, dad was always our role model leading us by example. When we were in school, in addition to making sure we were working hard and excelling in our school work, he would often share with us knowledge about information management, business management, or the technology sector. For instance, he often would share books that he was reading with us, or share magazines that he subscribed to with us. These greatly impacted both of our choices to pursue business management and software engineering as careers. If it were not for dad’s education, we would not be where we are today.

樂 - 忘卻時間地唱歌、下圍棋與打桌球
Leisure - Singing, Go, and Ping Pong
爸爸在不同時期有不同時期的娛樂喜好，但整體來說爸爸最愛的休閒娛樂就是唱歌、下圍棋跟打桌球。十幾年前因為喜愛唱歌且想要把歌唱好，爸爸曾經投資一套卡拉OK系統讓我們能夠在家裡就能練唱歌曲，也買了錄音筆把歌聲錄下後重複聽來修正音準，再次驗證爸爸事情要做就要做到最好的處事原則。我記得他很喜歡唱張雨生的大海還有辛曉琪的味道，現在回憶起來都還能聽到他的歌聲。

下棋也是爸爸熱衷的事情，可以整個晚上觀看研究名人的棋局與棋譜，自己再去線上與他人切磋一番，我想透過棋局上的策略佈局跟攻城掠地的過程爸爸可以得到跟在工作上類似的成就感吧。後期爸爸因為朋友的影響跟注重健康的關係非常地熱衷打桌球，幾乎每一天晚上都會在工作完回到家後去社區的桌球室跟鄰居打球，除了真人對打之外也透過發球機去訓練回球的穩定度。我還記得好幾次跟著爸去練球他認真回旋球的架勢跟眼神，這些專注跟努力也讓爸爸在學校跟城市的桌球賽局中得到了不少獎牌的肯定，我們都很以他為榮！
Dad had different favorite pastimes at different stages of his life. In general, the three of his favorite activities were singing, Go, and ping pong. A decade or so ago, dad invested in a high end Karaoke system in our home to perfect his singing skills. He even bought a recording pen to record his singing and play it back so he could improve. He truly lived by his own standard to “do it the best”, even in leisure. I remember his favorite song was The Sea by Tom Chang and Wei Dao by Winnie Hsin. I can still hear him singing, even now. Go was also one of dad’s favorite pastimes. He could spend hours studying famous games and playing with people online. I think he enjoyed the feeling of achievement when playing Go that he enjoyed when working.

In recent years, dad started to enjoy ping pong for the health benefits and to play with his friends. Almost every night he would play with neighbors and friends after work. In ping pong, he also strived to be the best and would practice with a serving machine. I remember practicing with him a few times and seeing his focused posture and eyes. His focus and practice has earned him many troupes and awards in school and local ping pong tournaments. We are all very proud of him!

學術中的梁教授

5月20日對臺灣民眾的印象就是總統就職日，但2021年的5月20日對所有認識梁定澎講座教授的人們，是一個讓人震驚與哀痛的日子。

梁老師為中山資管系、臺灣、華人及國際資管領域的貢獻，真是有太多令人敬佩、感動與感謝的付出，如今哲人日已遠，典型在夙昔，留下無限的哀思！

回想1991年梁老師在美國普渡大學任教時，回到中山大學資管系擔任客座教授兼任所長，2年後，決定返國貢獻所學，努力不懈至生命最後一刻。梁老師生病後，同事提醒他「健康第一」，要多愛自己一些，未料梁老師卻回應說「過了一道生死關，未來應該還有很多有意義的事情需要我去做」。之後，還是時時看到其午夜在自己成立的電子商務發展臉書社群分享最新訊息，即使今年初做完化療後，還持續關心中山資管系老師接連退休，不易找到優秀的新進老師，願意捐200萬來協助吸引優秀老師，並持續關心中山管院如何繼續在電子商務有更先進的研究領域。這就是梁老師！

梁老師的成就與榮耀，其實來自於其許多不為人知的特質。年輕時代的梁老師不僅是成大新聞編輯、滔滔之聲主編，也是圍棋社、跆拳道社總幹事，甚至得過第三屆洪健全文學獎兒童詩首獎，赴美後，擔任過賓州大學中國同學會及北美華人企管教授學會會長，處處呈現了梁老師的文采、邏輯思考、論述等多元能力與對公共事務的熱誠。

梁老師的人生座右銘「永遠相信遠方，永遠相信夢想」，其一生確實都在追求夢想，但夢想成真並不是那麼容易，年輕時候的梁老師曾在日記本上寫下兩句話：
           一個人的成就有多高，要看他對自己的期望有多高
           成功的唯一秘訣，就是專注的投入

回臺灣後，對於夢想的追求與堅持毅力的特質絲毫不減，延續至其進入學界，不安於現狀，不怕麻煩，持續努力為學生、為系所、為學校、為資管學界，追求夢想，鍥而不捨克服困難，創造新契機、邁向國際，多年下來，逐漸開花結果。

早在1999年就創立了電子商務研究中心，2005年教育部開始推動五年五百億到現在的深耕計畫，在梁老師努力籌組研究團隊之下，時時努力創新並以創造更大的國際視野、學術研究及產學合作成果為使命，這個全台唯一的電子商務研究中心，成果輝煌，早已在國內、國際資管領域佔有舉足輕重的地位，期間有很多國際知名學者受邀來訪，對於整個研究團隊內的師生們都有莫大的助益。

多年下來，梁老師透過電子商務研究中心經費，努力協助同仁、資管學界提升研究能量，增加國際曝光度，無以計數地多次邀請國外頂尖學者前來臺灣分享研究心得，也努力支援團隊成員依研究領域自行邀請知名學者前來進行長達一個月的研究，得以有長時間的討論，對於所有參與研究的師生們，在研究態度、研究方法與國際視野都有非常大的助益。即使這樣大力支持團隊成員的許多研究，梁老師從不要求掛名為作者之一，給予團隊最大的自由度進行規劃中的研究。

其實面對自由度很高的大學教授們，要籌組研究團隊共同提出一個完整的大型研究計畫，彼此主題可以相互連結，真是很大的挑戰，除了學術能力，更要願意克服團隊合作所面臨的問題，沒有梁老師對於學術夢想的追求、願意耐心溝通與隨和的個性，加上其多方持續吸收新知的博學可以和任何成員對話，真是無法成就這樣一個大計劃，並有豐碩的成果！

梁老師在協助青年學者方面，更是不遺餘力，幾乎每年都舉辦電子商務研究研討會，邀請資管領域頂尖國際期刊主編到臺灣，分享他們的研究心得，並給予在場報告研究成果的年輕資管學者完整的評論，不僅對與會學者帶來許多學術研究的新趨勢，也讓許多國內年輕學者有機會和這些國際知名學者建立關係。系上一位新進老師在剛入校時，因研究涉及大量矩陣運算，正為需要的伺服器經費傷腦筋，有天梁老師主動找他聊聊，了解了其研究方向後，主動說了“你說你做大量矩陣運算，那會需要電腦吧? 做研究，總是需要經費。我來幫你，你要多少?”，對這位老師真是及時雨，很多新進老師會擔心因此要為資深老師賣命的事情也沒發生，倒是這樣很無私不求個人回報的互動，讓這位年輕老師希望自己日後有能力時，也可霸氣地對年輕學者們說一句:
                   
“做研究，總是需要經費。我來幫你，你要多少？ ”

對於學生的訓練，梁老師負責的中山資管博班一年級必修課MIS，學生提到「應該是所有學生的惡夢，上課報告論文總是引來老師更犀利的評判，一方面也很佩服老師可以用一些更棒的觀點來看學術研究，但每每也都被批的體無完膚，這輩子上完課後會覺得虛脫，應該就只有這門課了」。不管梁老師有多忙，或者曾經利用休假到香港任教或是到政大教學研究，每星期還是固定meeting。學生回憶到「老師罵人是很常見的事情，偏偏老師罵人的觀點總是讓你無話可說，因為他會拿著理論基礎、邏輯思辯來罵你」，想想曾是成大滔滔社滔滔之聲主編的梁老師，辯論一點都不是問題，最重要的是能夠利用理論基礎、邏輯思辯來讓學生知道問題所在，梁老師的博士生們在這樣的訓練之下，幾乎個個在當今的資管學術領域佔有一席之地。

對於學生的訓練，除了課堂上的嚴格要求外，也常創造各種機會增加學生與實務接觸的機會。在1997年成立中山大學軟體創新育成中心、2000年透過中山創投和宏碁、科立爾數位科技等創辦哈瑪星科技，讓資管系學生在校時就有許多實戰的機會；梁老師亦於1999年創立電子商務時報，並曾受經濟部商業司委託計畫，連續負責出版商業現代化雙月刊好幾年，報導商業司輔導成功的各種商業現代化案例，這些作為與計畫，讓傳管所與資管所的學生們有機會努力了解許多實務發展現況與趨勢，至今「電子商務時報」已成為國內專門報導電子商務新聞，且歷史最為悠久的非營利網路媒體，哈瑪星科技也成為一家成功的企業。其實當時梁老師已經很忙了，但總是努力不懈，為學生、為同仁創造許多研究與學習的機會，提升了不少能量，並得以與時具進、與產業接軌。

在開創國際化與協助華人資管學界方面，有一件印象深刻的事，梁老師於回國後，立即於1993年率領中山資管系所有同仁創辦亞太資訊系統國際會議（Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems, PACIS），其實開創一個全新的國際研討會，真是非常挑戰的，需要各方的配合，作為啟動者的梁老師，不僅需要勇氣承擔，更需要付出，為的只是希望能為中山資管系及國內資管界帶入更多拓展國際視野的機會。在梁老師的努力下，此研討會於1995年在新加坡繼續舉行，1999年在澳洲舉行，之後每年持續至今，已經進入第25年了，早已成為亞太地區每年最重要的資管國際學術研討會。

梁老師對於華人資管學界的貢獻，就以2004年中山資管系和上海復旦大學管理學院共同主辦PACIS為例，當時大陸開放沒多久，大部分的學者缺乏國際交流經驗，學生們能看到的國際期刊非常有限，梁老師非常努力地協助復旦大學克服當時大陸舉辦研討會的各種困難，順利完成了PACIS 2004。會後，梁老師又耗費許多心力，協助大陸學者進入美國資訊系統學會（AIS），只是當時大陸經濟仍非常弱，要和各國學者繳交一樣的入會費，必然有困難，在梁老師的努力下，得到AIS的同意，特別讓大陸人士得以繳交遠低於一般入會費的方式參加AIS。當今的復旦大學，其老師人數、行政組織規模及整個管理學院的國際連結，已有一定的國際地位。現在想來，梁老師對於大陸資管領域學者開始邁向國際應是有莫大的貢獻。

今年三月，梁老師很開心第一篇fMRI的研究被發表，2010年梁老師為了夢想將神經科學應用到網路消費行為，參與政大心智、大腦研究中心，開始踏入非常陌生又挑戰的神經科學領域，必須學習超級複雜的腦神經細胞功能，為此，南北來回奔波，記得2年前左右，梁老師提到這樣跨領域的研究很難發表，當時其已經努力了近十年，仍然沒有任何發表，但堅持毅力追求夢想的精神，讓其在人生最後時刻，看到了成果被發表，應該是梁老師最欣慰的事了！

還有許多往事無法道盡，僅藉著這些許回憶來抒發對於梁老師的追思與敬佩，哲人日已遠，典型在夙昔，其在一生中對於許多人的影響，將繼續生生不息！

最後，要對梁師母與家人表達敬意與感謝，特別是師母，幾乎是把先生完全給奉獻出去，卻毫無怨言，面對梁老師的往生，師母還安慰大家說“老師一個人做了好幾個人的事情，這樣算起來也活了好幾百歲了”，多麼豁達又感傷的心思啊！相信梁老師生平所做的許多恩澤，會一路陪伴著家人繼續積極向前走！

A Life Well Lived

Professor Ting-Peng (T.P.) Liang, the influential Information Systems scholar and beloved professor who was one of the first AIS Fellows and the first AIS LEO award recipient in Asia, passed away on May 20, 2021, at Cheng Hsin General Hospital in Taipei. He was 69.

Professor Liang returned to Taiwan and served as chair and director of the Institute of Information Management at National Sun Yat-sen University in 1991 when he took leave from his teaching job at Purdue University. Two years later he made up his mind to settle back in Taiwan and dedicated himself to the place where he was born and raised. The contributions he made and the efforts he put forth in the Information Systems discipline had never abated, not even to the last leg of his life journey. As he was fighting hard against cancer and was constantly reminded by his colleagues to take more rest, he was often upbeat and replied, “Something great and meaningful must be awaiting me to carry it out once I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” He was the one who shared the most recent information and knowledge late at night in his E-Commerce facebook community even when his health was failing. He was the one who, after the chemotherapy early this year, expressed his willingness to donate two million NT dollars to attract more outstanding Information Systems scholars to NSYSU. He was the one who had faith in dreams, and who would do his best to make dreams come true.

“The higher one sets his expectations, the higher his achievements are.” “The only secret to success is absolute dedication.” the younger T.P. wrote in his diary. All his life he set high expectations for himself and dedicated to many of his causes with perseverance and enthusiasm. T.P. was an energetic and passionate youth back in college days, as his wife of 41 years, Jenny, fondly recalled. He edited the University News, was editor-in-chief for the debate team publication, served as directors for Go club and Taekwondo club when he was a college student at National Cheng Kung University. He won the first prize in Poems for Kids held by the renowned Hong’s Foundation in his early twenties. Later when he settled in the States, he chaired the Chinese Students Association at University of Pennsylvania, and served the Chinese Business Administration Association of North America as president. All of these foreshadowed his exuberance for life and commitment to public service.

The most dominant figure in the Information Systems discipline in Asia, Professor Liang helped found the Electronic Commerce Research Center (ECRC) in 1999. Since 2005, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education’s “Aim for Top University Plan Project” and “Higher Education Sprout Project,” ECRC has become an influential hub for international-level electronic commerce research. Preeminent scholars in the field were routinely invited to visit the Center and share their research insights with their counterparts in Taiwan. In addition, most of the new funding resources from the Ministry of Education were used to encourage and support researchers in Taiwan and his colleagues at NSYSU for better research performance and enhancing paper quality. In spite of giving the greatest degree of support, Professor Liang never sought undue credit; he always allowed for complete independence and full flexibility to his research team.

It surely was a daunting challenge to organize a big research project team with its members consisting of various bright researchers and professors from a wide diversity of fields. Apart from his prestigious academic standing, Professor Liang’s willingness to communicate, his commitment to always doing the best, and his easy-going manners were indispensable to the success of ECRC. He was particularly keen on cultivating young scholars. Once after talking with a junior faculty member and learning that he was plagued by the need for the server required for the computation of big data, Professor Liang immediately reassured the young teacher, “You go on with your deep learning research. Let me help with the funding for computers. How much do you need?” The generous offer was selfless and inspiring, and the spirit was contagious. The junior faculty member wishes someday he will be able to re-enact the beautiful scene, telling someone younger, “You go on with your research. Let me help with the funding. How much do you need?”

Professor Liang’s passion and dedication to Information Systems scholarship was highly regarded by students and scholars the world over. One of his former PhD students vividly remembers the nerve-racking moments when they had to parry, often unsuccessfully, Professor Liang’s “interrogation” during presentation sessions in the required course of MIS. Deeply rooted in strong theoretical frameworks and remarkable logical reasoning, the professor’s acumen and profound insight helps breed a new generation of top researchers in the field of Information Systems in Taiwan.

Outside the classroom, Professor Liang sought to provide opportunities to enhance students’ hands-on experiences. With the 1997 establishment of NSYSU Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, and the 2000 founding of the HamaStar Technology, MIS students are able to gain access to the real-world IS operations. Electronic Commerce Times, the oldest NPO social media in Taiwan which was founded by Professor Liang in 1999, together with the Commercial Modernization Magazine, are effective venues for students both of MIS and of Marketing Communications to better understand the newest trend in E-Commerce. Professor Liang seldom let the chance pass when it came to enriching the research potentiality for colleagues and students.

Professor Liang’s academic contributions are not bounded by borders. Immediately after resettling back in Taiwan, he began to work with his colleagues at NSYSU to give birth to Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS). It took great courage and herculean effort to launch a brand-new international conference. After the first PACIS conference in 1993 at NSYSU in Kaohsiung, the second conference took place two years later in Singapore. Since the 1999 Australia conference, PACIS has been held annually throughout the Asia Pacific. It has become the premier information systems event in this region, attracting hundreds of registered delegates to present and discuss various information systems research papers.

The 2004 PACIS was jointly hosted by the Department of Information Management at NSYSU and the School of Management of Fudan University in China. Professor Liang selflessly shared his experience of organizing an international conference with his colleagues in Shanghai. He helped overcome many hurdles Fudan faced when China was tentatively re-implementing its opening-up policy back in 2004. Professor Liang played a pivotal role in bringing IS scholars in China to the international arena of academia.

Professor Liang was thrilled when his first research paper on fMRI was published this past March. He had long harbored a dream to apply the knowledge of neuroscience to online shopping behavior. To learn more about the unfamiliar discipline of neuroscience, he began his learning journey of the brain at the Research Center for Mind, Brain and Learning (RCMBL) of National Chengchi University in 2010. Sometimes he frowned at the slim chance of having such a cross-disciplinary research paper published, but nevertheless he kept working on it with determination and persistence. The publication of the paper on fMRI brought happiness to the bedridden Professor Liang, a life-time professor, researcher, and dreamer.

“Tears welled up in my eyes when I grieved over his passing at the age of 69,” Liang’s wife, Jenny, said. “But as I think of the many good things he has done in life, I am sadly happy that he has virtually lived several hundreds of years in a lifetime.” Yes indeed, here is a man with many hundred years of legacy and achievements.

Professor T.P. Liang is survived by his wife, sons, Nigel and David, and two grandchildren. He will forever be remembered by his family and friends.