NTU's Chu-Bei Branch school held the topping out ceremony for its "Industry/University R&D Cooperation Building" on August 31st. Vice President Tsung Ho Bao, Hsin-chu County Commissioner Yung-Chin Cheng, and Dr. Yen-Liang Yin, CEO of the Ruentex Group (the major undertaker of the construction work) co-officiated the ceremony, accompanied by Dr. Ji-Wang Chern, Director of NTU's R&D Office, Dr. Fu-Shu Jeng, NTU's Dean of General Affairs, Hsin-Chu County Councilman Mr. Hsu (member of the six person team), Chairman Kuang Chao Wang of the K.C. Wang Scholarship Foundation, Chairman Lai of the Ruentex Group, and General Manager Mo of the Ruentex Group. Dr. Jane H. Hsiao, the alumnus who donated this building, was in the U.S. attending the yearly conference of the North American Alumni Association of the Department of Pharmacology, so the whole ceremony process was sent to her by video conferencing. Overall, the ceremony was simple and magnificent, and the building is expected to be completed by December of this year.

The "Industry/University R & D Cooperation Building" is a reinforced concrete architecture with six stories above ground and one basement. The main function of the building is for developing industry/university cooperation, and the units which will move into this building include the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the College of Life Science, the College of Engineering, and the College of Medicine.

In his opening speech Vice President Tsung Ho Bao indicates that both former President Dr. Wei-chao Chen and current President Dr. Si-chen Lee attached great importance to the development of the Chu-Bei Branch school. NTU is very much beholden to Dr. Jane H. Hsiao for her generous donation of this building. Her endowment to NTU allowed the construction project to become a reality, after overcoming all sorts of obstacles. Now we can proudly exclaim: "NTU is now officially in Hsin-chu!!" In the wake of Typhoon Morakot, Dr. Jane H. Hsiao further donates N.T. 10 million as emergency funding for the students from the disaster stricken areas, her generosity and her willingness to reciprocate her alma mater is truly touching and very admirable. Needless to say, it is NTU's great blessing to have an alumnus like Jane Hsiao. In addition, Hsin-chu County Commissioner Yung-Chin Cheng provided many administrative assistance, and CEO of the Ruentex Group invented the prefabricated construction method with his professional construction team, their devotion and support are also key factors in allowing the project to progress smoothly. NTU is finally able to fulfill its promise to the local residents of Hsin-chu County.

Hsin-chu County Commissioner Yung-chin Cheng expressed his hearty welcome to NTU in his speech. He thanked Dr. Jane Hsiao for her generous endowment and Dr. Samuel Yen-Liang Yin for his professionalism in construction work. In the future, the County government will continue to provide the necessary assistance to NTU so that the County will become more prosperous with the input of NTU's academic power, Cheng said.

Dr. Samuel Yen Liang Yin, who is also a NTU alumnus, also thanked Dr. Jane Hsiao for her compassionate donation. He said the construction team members were inspired by her good will and would work all the more harder to make sure that the building will be completed in December as scheduled.

All the attending guests signed their names on upper beam and wished smooth sailing for the construction project. Then, in the bombast of music and firecrackers, the upper beam of the new building (loaded with benedictions from the attending guests) slowly rose into air, and was laid atop the building, signifying that the construction project is moving toward a new milestone.