Taiwan's political and academic circles are mourning the death of Liu Yi-chou, a respected election official and scholar, in a loss felt across party lines.

• Liu Yi-chou, honorary professor of political science at National Chengchi University, has died at 78.
• He twice served as acting head of Taiwan's Central Election Commission and formally took the top job in 2015.
• He also led the Taiwanese Political Science Association and ran NCCU's election study center, training generations of political scientists.
• Colleagues and former students have been posting old photographs and tributes online since the news broke.

Outlook: Expect formal memorial events and tributes from across Taiwan's political spectrum in the coming days, especially with local elections approaching.