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Academician Hsu Cho-yun (1930–2025) passed away on August 3, 2025, in the United States at the venerable age of 95.

Renowned for his knowledge of both Eastern and Western scholarship, Hsu was a globally respected leader in the field of history. He specialized in Ancient Chinese History, social history, and cultural history, producing an extensive body of work noted for its originality and unique insights. With a broad and global perspective, he examined ancient Chinese history not through a narrow national lens but by comparing it with other ancient civilizations, thereby illuminating the distinctive features of China’s historical development.

In 1962, Hsu earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Although he resided abroad for much of his life, he remained closely engaged with Taiwan. In particular, he was deeply invested in the academic development of Taiwan historical studies. Since the 1960s, he introduced new methods grounded in the social sciences and advocated for socioeconomic historical research through seminars and international conferences. He was a pioneer in planning and promoting the field of Taiwanese historical studies.

Moreover, to help democracy take root in Taiwan, Hsu consistently voiced his liberal humanist views, even during the authoritarian period. From the 1980s onward, he actively offered guidance on major social issues during Taiwan’s political and societal transformation, fully embodying a commitment to the pursuit of freedom.

In addition to his scholarly achievements, Hsu served multiple terms as council member of the Academia Sinica Council (2005–2014). As an Academician, he contributed to institutional reforms and the strategic development of the Humanities Division, making significant contributions to both Academia Sinica and the advancement of the humanities in Taiwan.

Hsu was a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh and a Corresponding Research Fellow in Academia Sinica's Institute of History and Philology. He previously held positions as Professor of History at National Taiwan University, Research Fellow at the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, and Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh. Throughout his life, he received numerous academic honors, including the AAS Award for Distinguished Contribution for Asian Studies (2004), the Lifetime Achievement Award in Sinology, from the Ceremony of the Global Chinese National Studies (2020), the Tang Prize in Sinology (2024), and he was elected as an Academician of Academia Sinica in 1980.