National Taiwan University (NTU) yesterday downplayed allegations of a conflict of interest between its president-elect, Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔), and a member of the president election committee, after media reports revealed the two are colleagues at Taiwan Mobile Co.
The CommonWealth Magazine Web site on Friday last week reported that, according to a tip-off, Kuan, who is also an independent director of Taiwan Mobile Co, was elected president because of votes he received from three company executives on the committee: Taiwan Mobile Co vice chairman Richard Tsai (蔡明興), Quanta president C.C. Leung (梁次震) and Yuanta Futures president Chou Hsiao-ling (周筱玲). The report led to allegations of a conflict of interest.
However, the votes were anonymous, the committee said in a statement yesterday.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The committee has 21 members, including three representatives from the Ministry of Education, one student representative and 17 members elected through university council meetings, it said.
Tsai did not violate the university’s regulations, since he is not a spouse, first-to-third-degree relative, thesis adviser or student of the candidate, and there is no evidence suggesting he would be biased toward Kuan, the statement said.
The university’s registration form does not require candidates to specify their roles at private companies so it cannot be said that Kuan was trying to hide that from the institution, president election committee spokeswoman Yuan Hsiao-wei (袁孝維) said.
According to the university’s regulations, Kuan would have to resign from his post at for-profit organizations to be eligible for NTU president, she added.
Later yesterday, Kuan issued a brief statement saying that he would resign from all posts he holds at for-profit organizations before taking up the role as NTU president.
The ministry is to review the election process of university presidents as required by law, Department of Personnel head Chen Kun-yuan (陳焜元) said, adding that the ministry would decide whether to approve Kuan’s appointment when it receives the document from the university.
Additional reporting by Wu Po-hsuan and Lin Hsiao-yun
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS