■ International Aid
Group urges Bam donations
World Vision Taiwan is urging the public to donate money for the emergency relief program in Iran. The city of Bam, in the south of the country, was devastated by a major earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale on Friday. The death toll is now estimated to be around 40,000. World Vision is set to send relief teams and emergency supplies to Iran tomorrow. The organization estimates the first stage of its relief plan will cost around US$250,000. Hank Du (杜明翰), director of World Vision Taiwan, said Iran had suffered several earthquakes before and there was a lack of general resources in the country. Du said victims of the earthquake would need food, clothing and shelter to make it through the cold winter. Those who wish to donate money to the relief program can call 02-2585-6300 or wire money to World Vision Taiwan's post office account 15752467. They should specify the money is for the earthquake relief program.
■ Filial piety
Chen honors father
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) recalled his own father while honoring seven models of "dutiful sons" in a ceremony in Tainan County. Chen said his father helped his wife, Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍), run for a legislative seat in 1985 when Chen was at the nadir of his political career. At the time, Chen had just been defeated in the Tainan County commissioner's election and had been sentenced to jail for eight months for libel, and Wu was paralyzed from the waist down in a traffic accident. Wu succeeded in the election, but Chen's father was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and died four months after the election. Chen said his father didn't live long enough to see his son elected president. The president lauded the establishment of the prize to honor the models of filial piety, saying that filial piety can improve harmony in society. He said the founder of the prize, business tycoon Wu Hsiou-chi (吳修齊), is himself a well-known dutiful son.
■ Public transit
Special tickets to be released
The Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC, 台北捷運公司) will release commemorative tickets for next year at 9am tomorrow on the company's Web site, www.trtc.com.tw, and the MRT gift shop in Taipei Station. The tickets are in memory of pop singer Theresa Teng (鄧麗君). The package includes four tickets with Teng's stage photos, a CD single and a commemorative album, and costs NT$840. The company said it has limited the number of sets to 2,000. Another set celebrating the coming of the year of the monkey, which includes two tickets and three golden envelopes, costs NT$150.
■ Education
NTU program gets top grade
National Taiwan University's (NTU) executive master's business administration (EMBA) program leads the pack among its counterparts in Taiwan, according to a survey released yesterday. The survey, conducted by the monthly magazine Cheers, showed most respondents mentioned NTU's EMBA program as their first choice. The NTU program topped the list in the magazine's survey for the second year in a row. National Chiao Tung University finished second, followed by National Chengchi University, National Sun Yat-sen University and National Tsinghua University. The three leading considerations of respondents in choosing EMBA programs were access to the school, the quality of the faculty and the fame of the school. The survey was based on responses from executives from the top 1,000 companies in Taiwan, with 241 valid responses being collected.
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