A National Tsing Hua University student on Monday began a hunger strike to protest what he said was a flawed decisionmaking process regarding the university’s merger with National Hsinchu University of Education, which officially began yesterday.
Hsu Guangcheng (徐光成), former president of the Tsing Hua Students’ Association, has been fasting since 6pm on Monday, drinking only water to prevent himself from falling seriously ill.
Hsu said that Tsing Hua officials ignored students’ and faculty’s objections to the merger and dodged questions regarding the school’s staffing and funding after the merger.
Hsu demanded that Tsing Hua president Hocheng Hong (賀陳弘) renounce and apologize for arbitrarily changing a proposal on the merger and for saying that he has the final decision on whether the proposal should be submitted to the university’s management for review.
“The proposal was passed after bypassing due procedures,” Hsu said, calling on the Ministry of Education to intervene and order Tsing Hua to rescind the merger and urging officials, faculty and students attending a meeting next week to veto a proposal to amend the university’s articles of association.
Hsu and the university have different interpretations of the university’s handling of the merger, Tsing Hua Office of Students’ Affairs director Hsieh Hsiao-ling (謝小苓) said.
Hsieh urged Hsu not to harm himself to express his opinions, saying that the school was open to dialogue.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden