At 10 a.m., on July 12th (Thursday) and in the main campus, NTU held the ground breaking ceremony for the second phase construction project of the New Chemical Research Building. The New Chemical Research Building is the first instance in NTU history in which an architecture was built through the collective funds donated by several hundred alumni and people who are concerned about the development of the Department of Chemistry.

  Brought into fruition chiefly by the proactive policies of the University and the Chemistry Department, plus the concern and support from Chemistry Department alumni and donations from enterprise owners who are devoted to education, the New Chemistry Research Building is to become an architecture with seven stories above ground, a basement floor, and around 18,000 square feet of usable space. After years of arduous planning, the whole project is near completion. The first phase of the project was completed in December of 2004 (the New Chemistry Building), and launched for use in June of 2005.

  The second phase will be carried out on the original sites of the Old Chemistry Building, the Chemical Center Building, and the Isotope Building (all three of them now dismantled). When completed, the New Chemical Research Building's location will be in front of the New Chemical Building, facing the Atomic Analysis Institute, and with its back toward the Drunken Moon Lake.

  In addition, part of the space released from the dismantling of the old Chemistry buildings will be used to become the green landscape of the Drunken Moon Lake, while yet another part will be used to become the road leading directly from the Palm Trees Boulevard to the Drunken Moon Lake.

  The Department of Chemistry received pledge from the Education and Culture Foundation of TSMC through the promotional efforts of Dr. Yuan-Tseh Lee, a Chemistry Department alumnus who is also a Nobel laureate. In accordance with the by-laws for reciprocating the building's donors, the Department named the new building the "Cumulative Knowledge Building, " which is scheduled for completion in 2009. Once completed, NTU will have a brand new Chemistry Research Building towering over the lside of Drunken Moon Lake, which is often considered to be the most beautiful scenic spot within the campus. And, coupled with future campus beautification and reform projects, one can see through the quiet and elegant Drunken Moon Lake directly from the majestic Palms Trees Boulevard, so the whole campus will be imbued with a poetic atmosphere.

  For the ground breaking ceremony, special invitations were extended to Chairman of TSMC, Mr. Morris Chang, Vice Chairman of TSMC and CEO of TSMC's Culture and Education Foundation, Dr. F.C. Tseng, Former Director of Academia Sinica Dr. Yuan Tseh Lee, Chairman of Tasco Chemical Corporation Mr. C.C. Wu, Academia Sinica Acamedician Mr. Tung-bin Lo., President Si-chen Li of NTU., Dean of General Affairs Mr. Hong Ki Hong, Dean of the College of Science Dr. Ching- Hua Lo., etc., to make the occasion a gathering of industrial and academic VIPs.

  Mr. Morris Chang, Chairman of TSMC indicated that, while managing its enterprise, TSMC never loses sight of the the importance to "support fundamental scientific education, and to foster talents of high technology". It was under such a principle that TSMC decided to donate N.T. 120 million to NTU for the construction of the "Cumulative Knowledge Building" (i.e., the New Chemical Research Building.) The reason the New Chemical Research Building is so named is to combine the middle Chinese name of TSMC, which is "ji", meaning "To accumulate" or "cumulative", with the middle Chinese name of the Chemistry department, which is "shueh", meaning "knowledge", or "to study." Thus, the purpose of the new building shall be for students "to accumulate knowledge." Expounding the meaning of the new building, Chairman Morris Chang also harbors two major expectations of NTU: first, he expects NTU to become a university par excellence, constantly mounting the pinnacle of academic achievement; and secondly, he expects NTU to become a cradle for fostering outstanding leaders in every field and discipline.