Ku was born in
Beijing in 1888 into a family of officials who had obtained their positions through the
imperial examination system. In 1906, Ku received a government scholarship to study
electrical engineering at the
Leipzig University, but he soon transferred to the
Humboldt University of Berlin to pursue studies in
political economy due to a lack of interest in his original field. In 1910, Ku joined the
Tongmenghui (Chinese United League). The following year, he briefly returned to China to participate in the
Xinhai Revolution. In 1912, he married Wei Zengying (韋增瑛, 1884-1975), a fellow overseas student in Germany who was known as a "modern woman" (時髦女性). The wedding ceremony was officiated by
Cai Yuanpei. They had no children. In 1913, during the
Second Revolution against
Yuan Shikai, Ku Meng-yu returned to China to join the anti-Yuan forces. Following the revolution's failure in September, he fled to
Shanghai. In 1914, he was employed as an engineer by
Siemens and relocated to
Beijing. In 1916, at the invitation of Cai Yuanpei, Ku became a professor at
Peking University, where he successively served as Head of the Department of German in the Faculty of Arts, Head of the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Law, and
Dean of Academic Affairs. As both the university’s academic dean and president of the Beijing Education Association, he actively participated in public gatherings. In 1924, Ku joined the
Kuomintang (KMT) through the introduction of
Li Dazhao, Cai Yuanpei, and
Li Shizeng. He was appointed Chief Organizer of the KMT Beijing Municipal Committee. In 1925, he became President of
National Guangdong University (later
Sun Yat-sen University). In 1926, Ku Meng-yu, along with Li Dazhao and
Xu Qian, organized protests against the
March 18 Massacre. After the Chiang-Wang split in 1927, Ku joined the
Wuhan Nationalist Government, which was loyal to
Wang Jingwei, and served as Minister of Education and head of the Central Propaganda Department. During this time, he founded
Central Daily News and served as its first president. Ku also worked with
Deng Yanda, Xu Qian,
Tan Pingshan, and
Mao Zedong to establish the Central Land Committee to address land reform issues. In June 1928, he co-founded and led the
Reorganization Group alongside Chen Gongbo. As a result, on March 15, 1929, Chiang Kai-shek convened the Kuomintang's Third National Congress in Nanjing. On March 20, the party officially issued a warning to Wang Jingwei, suspended Ku’s KMT membership for three years, and permanently expelled
Gan Nai-kuang and Chen Gongbo. In 1931, in response to the
September 18 Incident, Chiang Kai-shek restored Ku Meng-yu's membership in the Kuomintang to foster unity. The following year, he appointed Ku as Minister of Railways. In 1935, Ku was promoted to Minister of Communications. However, in the same year, Ku retired in protest over the assassination of Wang Jingwei and subsequently lived in Europe and Hong Kong. After the outbreak of the
Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Ku returned to politics. In 1938, he resumed his role as Minister of Propaganda. In December of the same year, before Wang Jingwei left Chongqing, Ku attempted to persuade him to reconsider his decision, but his efforts were unsuccessful, and he parted ways with Wang's faction. In 1941, Ku succeeded Luo Jialun as President of
National Central University. He adopted a hands-off leadership style, focusing on efficiency and advocating for academic freedom, free from party interference. At the time, Guo Tingyi, a faculty member, praised Ku for his "impeccable demeanor" and described him as a leader who "didn't involve himself in many matters, spoke little, but when he did, his words were simple and clear." In 1943, dissatisfied with the educational conflicts between
Zhu Jiahua and the
CC Clique, Ku resigned and moved to the United States. In 1948, Ku Meng-yu returned to Shanghai as an advisor to the Nationalist government. The following year, he moved to Hong Kong, where he joined
Zhang Fakui,
Carsun Chang, and
Tung Kuan-hsien in organizing a Third Force movement. In early September, the League for Freedom and Democracy held its first secret meeting in Guangzhou, electing Ku as chairman, with Tung Kuan-hsien, Cheng Siyuan, Qiu Changwei, Huang Yuren, Gan Jiaxin, Li Yongmao, and Yin Shuxian as executive members. After the movement failed, Ku went to Japan in 1952. In 1955, he relocated to Berkeley, California, where he served as an advisor at the University of California’s Center for Chinese Studies. In 1969, he returned to Taiwan, staying at the
Wistaria Tea House, the home of his former student, economist
Chou Te-wei. He died in 1972 at the age of 83 or 84. == Legacy and assessment ==