To welcome the beginning of a new semester for 2007, NTU held Freshman Orientation in the Sports Center on September 14th for the freshmen of bachelor degree and graduate degree students.

When delivering his speech, President Li urged students to pursue cross-boundary knowledge, to be concerned with the crises facing human society, to have international outlooks, and to have innovative capabilities. He asked students not to strive to be the first, but should strive to be the only. With regard to the bachelor degree students, President Li specifically urged them to abide by the four "no's": no cheating during the exams, no plagiarism, no cutting classes at will, and no parking their bicycles at random. He hoped that the students would comply with these rules.

A special feature of this year's Freshman Orientation is the debut of the robot developed by the team led by the secretary general of NTU, Mr. Li-chen Fu. This is the first artificial intelligence robot used for campus guiding tours in Taiwan, and as such attracted widespread attention.

During the orientation, Professor Pei-jung Fu of the Department of Philosophy gave a special speech for the bachelor degree students. According to him, the first important turning point in one's lifetime is when one tries to strike out, to take the active role instead of remaining in the passive. He urged students to "turn the camel into a lion," and their lives would have totally different developments.

The second key point, according to Professor Fu, is for the students to affirm their current lifestyle. They should combine their past experiences with their future visions into their present strength. In addition to learning and comprehension, the students should also enjoy their learning and derive happiness from it. This, according to Professor Fu, is the meaning of "Living in the Present." The third key point is for the students to increase their general knowledge. They should utilize the abundant resources of NTU in the areas of literature, law, and arts to become a world class competitor.