Chen Wen-chang (陳文章), dean of National Taiwan University’s (NTU) College of Engineering, is to become the university’s new president after yesterday winning in two rounds of voting.
A source familiar with the election process said it was convoluted because the School of Medicine and the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science nominated multiple candidates.
Aside from being a recognized academic, an eligible candidate for the nation’s national chair professorship program and holder of numerous patents, Chen is also known as a capable administrator, with one of his proudest moments being when he raised funds to build multiple dormitories for the engineering college, the source said.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kun, Taipei Times
NTU is a comprehensive university, making it difficult to secure external funding, but Chen has been competent in securing investments not only for the college, but also for other units, NTU Election Committee convener Liang Kung-yi (梁賡義) said.
The election process was “smooth and peaceful,” as the committee had previously interviewed the candidates and was fully briefed on their ideals for running a university, Liang said.
The committee met in the afternoon, debating for an hour the voting method.
It voted on six candidates in the first round, which whittled the candidates down to two, he said.
Chen is to succeed NTU president Kuan Chung-ming (管仲閔) after Kuan’s term comes to an end on Jan. 7 next year, Kung said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry