Research Express@NCKU - News Release
Research Express@NCKU Volume 22 Issue 8 - July 20, 2012 [ http://research.ncku.edu.tw/re/news/e/20120720/1.html ] NCKU touts efforts to preserve cultural heritage on campus NCKU Press Center [Tainan, Taiwan, 3 July 2012]
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan, held a news press conference in Taipei June 28 to share the school’s historical treasures and to call for joint efforts among educational institutes nationwide to preserve cultural heritage on campus.
Dr. Hong-Sen Yan, vice president of NCKU, hosted the conference, in which he shared his experience in planning and preserving NCKU’s historical heritage.
A university should identify its distinctive characteristic and grow with it to achieve excellence in education, said Dr. Yan, adding that it takes time and effort to keep the artifacts with historical significance.
Dr. Kuang-Nan Huang, minister without portfolio of the Executive Yuan, Academician Ovid Tzeng of Academia Sinica, and Mr. Chen-Yu Nien, deputy director of Bureau of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, were present at the conference on behalf of their organizations.
They praised NCKU for its resolution and dedication to preserving the school’s historical assets.
Many world-renowned universities have their archives to keep the non-current records of the university, allowing the tradition and the spirit to pass down, according to Tzeng, who said NCKU’s aspiration to enlighten the students with the historical heritage is admirable.
Dr. Huang emphasized the importance of time and
resources in promoting cultural heritage. He noted that people are the key elements of culture assets.
NCKU holds numerous valuable historical artifacts, including an Edison generator, BK24 locomotive steam engine, and collections of teaching aids.
Exhibitions showing not only artifacts but also stories of NCKU are the essence of the culture heritage, including the School History Exhibition, Exhibition of Purdue-NCKU Project, Exhibition on Ancient Locks and A Glance of Professor Su Xuelin’s Study.
NCKU Museum, established in 2007, is the first museum set up on campus in Taiwan for collecting, preserving
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and exhibiting significant historical artifacts of the university, according to Ching-Hwei Chue, director of NCKU Museum.
Chue emphasized that cultural properties on campus are an important part of university education.
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Research Express@NCKU Volume 22 Issue 8 - July 20, 2012 [ http://research.ncku.edu.tw/re/news/e/20120720/2.html ] 34 U.S. students join summer Mandarin program at NCKU NCKU Press Center [Tainan, Taiwan, 5 July 2012]
The 2012 Taiwan-United States Sister Relations Alliance (TUSA) Summer Scholarship Program kicked off at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) July 2 with 34 students from 22 American universities ready to study Mandarin Chinese in a program integrating intriguing cultural sessions and travel excursions in Taiwan.
Gary G. Oba, chief of American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Kaohsiung Branch, quoted a well-known Chinese proverb which means “No pain, no gain” to encourage the students to take advantage of the learning opportunity.
During the nearly-two-month stay in Taiwan, these 34 Taiwan-US Alliance Ambassadors will dedicate themselves to building international relationships while enjoying an incomparable immersive learning experience.
NCKU Executive Vice President Huey-Jen Jenny Su, on
behalf of President Hwung-Hweng Hwung, welcomed the students as she introduced NCKU to them, pointing out NCKU’s outstanding performance in areas such as engineering and medicine.
The TUSA program provides a quality Mandarin Chinese immersion program with emphasis on speaking and simultaneous focus on all other areas of the language -- listening, reading and writing.
Chinese is a beautiful language but not easy to learn, said Oba, adding that it’s definitely a pleasure to learn Chinese at the beautiful campus of NCKU, a university that he said has rich historical heritage.
Cameron Tucker, one of the TUSA ambassadors who had learned Chinese for two years, said that he had a friend in America, a graduate of NCKU, who introduced to him some customs and culture about Taiwan that are very interesting.
Expecting real Taiwanese experience during the visit, Tucker, an engineer major, said he has resolved to master Chinese language skills in the summer program and plans to study at NCKU in the future.
The design of the courses centered on Taiwanese culture, including Mandarin Chinese classes, lectures on the language learning and Chinese culture, language exchange, one-on-one language class, Chinese word play, calligraphy, Chinese painting, Taichi, and a field trip to the historical sites in Tainan.
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Research Express@NCKU Volume 22 Issue 8 - July 20, 2012 [ http://research.ncku.edu.tw/re/news/e/20120720/3.html ] NCKU students shine in International Dragon Boat Race NCKU Press Center [Tainan, Taiwan, 4 July 2012]
A team of 43 students from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan, outdid other teams by winning the championship of female dragon boat race, the third place of male dragon boat race and the teamwork title in the 2012 International Tainan City Dragon Boat Race Championship (台南市國際龍 舟錦標賽) hosted by Tainan City Government June 23 to 27.
This is the best record NCKU dragon boat team has obtained so far, according to Chung Bao-Yi, captain of the team which intends to recruit more students who are interested in boat racing.
A total of 179 teams from government agencies, schools and social groups participated in the annual event on Tainan City Canal.
The team, organized in 2010, owes the credit to Kung Hung-Ming, the coach who is patient and persistent in coaching team members.
In the past three years, the team members whose muscles are building bigger from continuous and long-hour practice have enjoyed greeting each other by showing off their muscle in the upper arms.
Before the annual competition, the team had spent the whole semester training, including paddling practice at the swimming pool, and physical training at the Banyan Tree Garden, according to Captain Chung, who added that they had great fun in the practice.
Joining the Dragon Boat competition is a unique
experience for a university student, said Chung, as it may be an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get trained as a professional rower of a dragon boat.
A total of 18 people is required to row a large dragon boat when 5 players are needed to play a basketball game and 9 players, a baseball game, said Chung, who was amazed by the harmonious collaboration the team needed to win a dragon boat race.
“It’s wonderful to have 18 people rowing together in a boat race”, said Emily Chiu, a student of Foreign Languages and Literature at NCKU, adding that the experience is
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so invaluable that she is inspired and ready to face all challenges ahead with the same spirit of rowing a dragon boat.
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Research Express@NCKU Volume 22 Issue 8 - July 20, 2012 [ http://research.ncku.edu.tw/re/news/e/20120720/4.html ] Distinguished aviator donates to set up NCKU aerospace fund NCKU Press Center [Tainan, Taiwan, 10 July 2012]
Hischun (Mike) Hua, former executive vice president and general manager Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) and U-2 pilot, donated the majority of his life's savings to National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) July 6 to help boost Taiwan’s aerospace industry and cultivate talent in aeronautical research.
Hua, a retired 87-year-old general, who is currently based in the United States, was quoted by former Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. Chairman Yeou-kuang Shung, as saying that he decided to donate NT$15 million (US $501,680) to NCKU because aeronautical studies are vital to a nation, but do not get the attention they deserve in Taiwan.
It’s truly generous of General Hua to gift his own saving to fund aerospace studies at NCKU, where he once taught, and future domestic aeronautical industry development, according to president Hwung-hweng Hwung who was honored on behalf of NCKU to receive Hua’s donation.
With the donation, Aeronautics and Astronautics of NCKU will set up aerospace scholarship and an outstanding aviation engineer award and conduct research on domestic aviation policy and most importantly, to launch a think tank dedicated to providing feasible solutions to current technical and operational problems of the field in Taiwan.
Hua, long seen as a legendary figure in Taiwan’s aviation,
flew the high-altitude spy plane over China between 1959- 63 as a pilot with the Air Force's 35th Squadron, known as the "Black Cat Squadron," which assisted the U.S. in reconnaissance missions over China during the Cold War.
Known as the father of aviation in Taiwan, Hua also played a major role in the development of Taiwan's military planes, overseeing the design of the TCH-1 turboprop trainer, the more advanced AT-3 transonic jet- trainer, the XC-2 transport aircraft and the locally built Indigenous Defense Fighter.
Hua received the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award of Purdue University in 1990 for his exceptional technical, managerial, and diplomatic accomplishments, which have led to significant contributions in the aerospace industry.
Hua has been awarded several local military decorations in recognition of his significant contributions to national security, as well as the U.S.' Distinguished Flying Cross.
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Research Express@NCKU Volume 22 Issue 8 - July 20, 2012 [ http://research.ncku.edu.tw/re/news/e/20120720/5.html ] Taiwan, UK academics propose re-development plan for Tainan City NCKU Press Center [Tainan, Taiwan, 12 July 2012]
Professors and students of National Cheng Kung University and Architecture School of Architecture Association (AA), United Kingdom, have jointly explored possible approaches to the urban development of Tainan City in southern Taiwan.
During a 10-day NCKU-AA Intensive Workshop hosted by Tainan City Government and NCKU, 12 professors and 62 students from NCKU and Architecture School of Architecture Association (AA) discussed and debated the best way to use large chunks of public properties surrounding the NCKU area for urban regeneration.
NCKU President Hwung Hwung-Hweng welcomed tutors and students of Housing and Urbanism from AA to join the teachers and students of NCKU’s College of Planning and Design at the workshop that ended on July 11.
The collaboration between NCKU and AA on railway
underground project last year triggered productive discussions and this year’s theme -- on the holistic strategies for rejuvenating the NCKU area, according to Hwung.
The transnational academic collaboration between NCKU and AA on the issues of urban renewal is unprecedented in Taiwan, said Tainan Deputy Mayor Charles Lin who hailed the opportunity of collaboration between the two universities.
In the efforts to solve the urban problems and improve living quality of Tainan citizens, the Tainan City government is ready to take in the suggestions and proposals compiled in the workshop, according to Lin.
The subjects of the workshop are four public sites at Tainan City, namely 96 Military dependents’ village, TzuChiang Military dependents’ village, JingZhong 3rd Military dependents’ village, and Ordnance Accessories Factory, which were investigated closely by the participants divided into four groups to develop feasible plans over the 10-day workshop.
Co-Director Jorge Fiori, on behalf of AA, thanked Hwung and the staff and students for their warm hospitality, saying he was impressed by the potential of the students in the workshop who have taken advantage of the 10 days to work in teams on design and research.
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Tainan has a tremendous opportunity to reposition itself over the next 20 years with these interesting spaces within the city and the collaboration among the university, city government, and business investors. Together, they will make the city development very promising in the next steps of developing a knowledge-based economy, according to Prof. Hugo Hinsley.
On the last day of the workshop, the four groups proposed their approaches and strategies for generating a more productive urban condition in Tainan. A public debate with the Deputy Mayor, City Government officials and many of the other stakeholders was held to wrap up the workshop.
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