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Taiwan Quick Take

■ TECHNOLOGY
Quantum tech society set up
The nation's first organization dedicated to promoting research in quantum sciences, nano technology and biomedical studies has been established at National Cheng Kung University, academic sources said yesterday. The Taiwan Society of Quantum Technology will hold its first major event -- the 2007 Seminar on Quantum and Nano-Technology -- at the end of this year, society chairman Hwang Chi-chuan (黃吉川) said. The members of the society come mainly from local academia, with 12 serving on the board of directors, said Hwang, who is also a professor in the university's Department of Engineering Science. A statement issued by the society said that its objectives include gathering information on the latest technological developments, promoting domestic research and applications and facilitating exchanges between the academia and the private and public sectors.

■ POLITICS
Yeh joins Presidential Office
Former vice premier Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭) was appointed by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) as the Presidential Office's secretary-general yesterday and will be sworn in on Monday, Deputy Secretary-General of the Presidential Office Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said yesterday. Chen Chi-mai said Yeh agreed to take the post after being asked to meet with the president yesterday. The post was left vacant by Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) in May when he assumed the post of vice premier. Yeh, a Hakka who had repeatedly expressed her interest in running as Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) vice presidential candidate, accepted Hsieh's invitation on Thursday to serve as his campaign director.

■ CULTURE
Conservation book printed
The Council for Cultural Affairs published this year's Almanac of Taiwan Cultural Properties Conservation yesterday. The almanac, which has been published annually since 2001, contains a wide variety of information, including a collection of major events related to cultural heritage preservation, descriptions of listed historic or archeological sites and new additions to UNESCO's World Heritage list. "The almanac is an important record and a very good reference book on the preservation of Taiwan's tangible cultural heritage properties," Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠) said at a news conference yesterday. A Journal of Cultural Property Conservation was also published yesterday. Wong said the journal aimed to "provide a platform for exchange and discussion of technologies in cultural heritage preservation, as well as for publishing essays and papers in the area."

■ HEALTH
Tycoon pledges vaccine
Formosa Plastics Group chairman Wang Yung-ching (王永慶) has pledged to donate 578,000 doses of pneumococcal vaccine for the elderly, a Department of Health release stated yesterday. The department said the vaccine will be delivered over the next three years and will be made available first to those over the age of 75 in Chiayi City, Chiayi County and Yunlin County, as well as state-run care facilities. The program will be expanded to cover all of those over the age of 75 for next year and 2009. Department of Health Minister Hou Sheng-mou (侯勝茂) hailed the donation as "a pioneering example of public-private partnership" at a news conference marking the event yesterday.

■ EDUCATION
MOE to boost facility use
The Ministry of Education (MOE) will earmark approximately NT$700 million (US$21 million) over the next three years to help 1,000 local schools more fully utilize their facilities, Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝) said. Tu made the announcement on Thursday at a national meeting with education bureau chiefs in Ilan County. Under the program, the ministry will help schools establish community lifelong learning centers, improve the use of school facilities and increase sports facilities, Tu said. The ministry will also encourage sustainable energy use, develop schools with distinctive features and set up more digital opportunity centers in remote areas he said. Details and applications will be available soon, Tu said, adding that the ministry would begin the program this year.

■ HEALTH
CDC to offer kids flu vaccine
Free flu vaccinations for first and second-year primary school students will begin in October, a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) official announced yesterday. Presently, the government offers free flu shots to those between six months and two years of age as well as people over 65, center Deputy Director Chou Chih-hao (周志浩) said. Studies show that first and second-year primary school students are also a high-risk group because they often bring flu home from school and infect their family, Chou said. In addition, the center will replace the tetanus and diphtheria vaccine with the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine free of charge for local first graders from September next year, Chou said. Saying that the center had to earmark an additional NT$40 million each year to provide the free Tdap vaccines, Chou added that it could greatly boost children's immunity.


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