Students and the faculty of National Chi-Nan University (
Buildings at Nantou County's only university were destroyed in the quake, with about 2,400 students and teachers trapped on campus for 36 hours because roads to the area were blocked.
University officials reported that only minor injuries had been suffered by faculty members.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"Our more-than-2,000 faculty and students will share classrooms and facilities with National Taiwan University (NTU) from Oct. 13, as our campus buildings have been identified as dangerous at this moment," said Lee Chia-tung (李家同), president of the university.
Lee added that many university buildings, while not collapsed, showed cracks on their walls, and have been identified as dangerous after initial inspections by local civil engineering institutions.
But other officials at the university indicated that any plans for reconstructing the campus buildings and schedules for resuming classes in Nantou County would depend on the results of the next stage of inspections.
The contract for loaning academic facilities from NTU will be valid for about six months, said Hsu Hong (
"Part of our curriculum will certainly be affected in the new semester, such as computer classrooms and language training labs, as we need to coordinate with NTU for the usage of both sides," Hsu said. Chen Wei-chao (
Chi-Nan University had also coordinated with some government-run vocational training centers to provide accommodation for international students and students from distant cities before classes resumed on their own campus.
Despite the move, Lee has stressed Chi-Nan University's position of not considering abolishing the university or moving it to a different location.
"We will stay in Puli. Besides forming a working group to handle the rebuilding of our campus, we have also organized a Puli reconstruction task force," Hsu said.
"By using our manpower, with expertise in areas such as social work and administration management, we hope to help reconstruct some schools and communities in Puli township," he said.
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