In his autobiography, Chang reveals that the key period which shaped his life was the year he spent at Harvard at age 18. Compulsory courses there included an extensive review of the Western classics, and this not only allowed him to become familiar with the development of Western culture, but also laid down the foundations of his understanding of the humanities.
張忠謀在自傳裡剖白，型塑他一生的關鍵時期是在哈佛大學的一年，當時他十八歲，在哈佛的必修課縱覽西洋經典，不僅讓他瞭解西洋文化演進，更奠定他的人文基礎。