In 1954, after the completion of the first batch of buildings at the Nankang campus, Acting President Chu Chia-Hua began considering expanding the campus. His plan involved both restoring old departments and establishing new ones. Initially focusing on restoring old departments, he first turned his attention to the Institute of Botany, inviting Academician Hsien-Wen Li to become the Director of the Preparatory Office for the institute. Academician Hsien-Wen Li from the Institute of Botany had relocated to Taiwan with his family at the end of 1948, taking up the position of Director at the Tainan Sugar Experiment Station. At that time, Taiwan's provincial chairman Cheng Chen was focused on revitalizing trade between Taiwan and Japan, particularly in sugar production, which became one of Taiwan's wealthiest state-run industries due to increased production. Academician Li was revered by locals as a semi-divine figure and the deity of sugarcane, earning the nickname "Sugar Li" among foreigners.

Source：Pursuing Excellence－History Website of Academia Sinica