■ TSMC most coveted workplace
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufact-uring Co (TSMC, 台積電) remains the most sought-after domestic employer to work for among future graduates, according to the results of a survey released yesterday by the Chinese-language Cheers magazine.
The survey was conducted in the middle of last month on 1,771 students set to graduate this summer from universities and graduate schools. TSMC captured first place in a similar survey carried out by the magazine in 2000.
Also in the top five this year are Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦), AU Optronics Corp (友達光電) and Eslite Corp (誠品), in that order.
Corporate characteristics that are most attractive to future graduates are high salaries, opportunities for advanced study and training, prestige and the popularity of the company's products.
Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble Taiwan is the most desirable foreign company to work for among students, followed by Microsoft Taiwan Corp, IBM Taiwan, Ogilvy Taiwan and Citibank Taiwan, the survey showed.
■ Chang Hwa picks acting chair
Chang Hwa Commercial Bank's (彰化銀行) board yesterday elected Henry Kao (高志尚) as acting chairman, after chairman Chang Po-shin (張伯欣) was suspended for six months by the Financial Supervisory Commission last week over a dubious role in a share-sale scandal.
Kao, vice chairman of I-Mei Foods Co (義美食品), was previously a board supervisor at Chang Hwa appointed by Taishin Financial Holding Co (台新金控), which owns a roughly 22.5 percent stake Chang Hwa. His chairmanship will last until Nov. 26, the lender said in a statement yesterday.
Taishin Financial hopes to increase its holdings in Chang Hwa to 30 percent by the end of this year.
Prosecutors investigated Chang and two other Chang Hwa executives in an alleged insider trading case involving the sale of Taiwan Development Corp (台灣土地開發) shares originally owned by the lender. The Financial Supervisory Commission suspended Chang for alleged misconduct that may have damaged the interests of Chang Hwa's shareholders.
■ Ocean research center to open
The nation's first center for deep ocean water research and development will become fully operational tomorrow and will provide key technologies to local companies, an Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) official said yesterday.
The center, based in Hsinchu County, is sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and ITRI.
The US was the first country to set up a similar center. The Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii was built in 1974 to pump water up from approximately 1,000m below the surface for use in research and commercial production. Japan also established its own facility to study the "blue gold" -- a nickname for deep ocean water.
Besides commercial uses, deep ocean water can also be used in generating power and for air-conditioning.
The official said ITRI had worked with a local company last June to set up a pipeline off the coast of Hualien to draw water from 710m below the surface, adding that several other facilities would be established along the east coast in the coming years.
■ NT dollar rises
The New Taiwan dollar gained ground against its US counterpart yesterday, rising NT$0.019 to close at NT$32.019 on the Taipei foreign exchange market.
A total of US$935 million changed hands during the day's session.
RSS