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KENDO CLUB MEETS TO BID FAREWELL TO GREAT COACH

TKU’s Kendo Club held its annual alumni meeting at the Student Activity Center on March 26. On this day, club members, new and old, bade farewell to Wu Chin-pu, the club’s coach for 34 years, who would formally retire after this day. Nearly 100 members showed up for this touching occasion to show respect to their teacher and reminiscent on good times.

INDOOR STADIUM IS EXPECTED TO OPEN IN TIME FOR THE GRAUDATION CEREMONY

The Shiao-Mo Memorial Stadium will be completed in May, just in time for the graduation ceremony. This is tremendous good news for all faculty, staff and students who have been waiting for the inauguration of this building which can finally shelter them from the bad weather, that is, sadly to say, rather common in Tamsui. However, some people are still not entirely happy with it when they heard that there would not be any indoor tennis facilities available. President Flora Chang said that the university would set up some outdoor ones instead.

PROMOTION FOR THE FACULTY MEMBERS HAS BECOME STRICTER

TKU has tightened the rules for its recently-hired faulty members, in particularly, those in the rank of assistant and associate professors by adding two new regulations. The first deals with those who have not applied for any NSC or other research grants two years consecutively. When that happens, they will be given a one-year renewable contract and a freeze in salary in this year. The second concerns assistant professors who may not have their contract renewed if they have not been promoted within eight years of service at TKU. Both regulations were passed on March 29 at the University Affairs Meeting and will come into effect at the beginning of 2006 Academic Year.

KING LEAR HAS BEEN ADAPTED AGAIN ON STAGE—THIS TIME IN A TAIWANESE ACCENT

“King Lear”, one of the most famous Shakespearean plays, has been adapted many times to fit into different time and languages in recent years. This time it was given a new breath of life by the English Department of TKU for their graduation performance. The time and characters were transformed to a bookstore owner and his three daughters in Keelung, Taiwan between 1951 and 1981. Most stories occur between them and the owner’s best friend, Gloucester and his two sons. Music, costume and stage design reflected a Taiwanese touch rather than anything that was remotely English.

WHEN CULTURES COLLIDE

The days for the students of the Department of the International Trade who participated in The Junior Year Abroad Program are drawing to a close after a 10 months sting in a foreign country. These students are the first year English Class of the Department; therefore, their experiences abroad are crucial for the succeeding classes. So far, most students are positive about their lives in a different culture, despite occasional collisions, which in turn, they believe will only expand their international vision. Such a vision, they realize is vital for their global competitive edge. In order to achieve that, they urge other students on the program to plan their future and develop their individual potentials as early as possible.

WINNERS OF SINO-JAPAN CULTURE AWARDS FOR THE YOUTH ARRIVE TKU FOR EXCHANGE

“It does not matter if you do not speak Japanese, as arts speak for themselves. They are the best communication tools,” according to Wong Shia-fan, a sophomore from the Chinese Department, who met with some Japanese animation artists on March 28 at a forum that was specifically devoted to Sino-Japan animation and calligraphy exchanges. This forum was hosted by the Japanese Department who invited the winners of the Third Sino-Japan Culture Awards for the Youth to Tamkang for some inspirational talks with TKU students. All the winners from Japan were invited to Taiwan for a week by the Awards’ organizer.

VICE-PRESIDENT LU ADDRESSES THE ISSUE OF GLOBALIZATION AT TKU

As part of the Masters Lecture Series organized by the College of International Studies, the Vice-President of Taiwan, Lu Hsiu-lien, was invited to give a talk on the future of Taiwan under the impact of globalization at 10 am on April 12 at the Chue...

TKU’S CHIU WEN SHENG HAS WON TWO GOLD AND TWO SILVER MEDALS IN THE NATIONAL PARAGAMES

Chiu Wen Sheng, a junior at the History Department of TKU attended the 2006 National ParaGames held in I-lan County Stadium from 23 to 26 of March in a stormy weather condition. Despite the bad weather, he managed to win two gold medals and two silvers in several track events.

CITY NETWORK INC., A COMPANY IN RESIDENCE AT TKU, HAS TRIPLED ITS PROFIT IN THE PAST 4 YEARS

City Network Inc. signed a special contract with the Champion Incubator Center in 2002 to become the company in residence of TKU. Such a contract allows them to cooperate with, for example, the Software Development Team led by the Chair of the Department of Information Management, Professor Shaw Ruey-shiang. This cooperation enabled them to be the first Taiwanese hi-tech company to be listed in the AMEX in the US in 2004.