The first signing ceremony for industry's donation to develop the Chu-Bei Branch of NTU was held in the 4th Conference Room of the main campus on October 11st. The Chu-Bei branch of NTU sets its main goal in the integration of the related fields of biomedicine. Conforming to this purpose, some industry members , including Etron Technology, Inc., Health Baby Biotech Inc., (Health Baby Umbilical Cord Blood Bank), and an alumnus who is very enthusiastic about school building and who has keen interests in the development of new pharmaceuticals made donations to the Chu-Bei Branch of NTU. In this regard, their joint donations make significant contributions to the construction and development of NTU's new hinterland, the Chu-Bei Branch.

  As President Si-chen Lee points out in his speech, starting from the year 2002, NTU's roadmap to future development was focused primarily on the Hsin-chu Biomedical Park, and secondly on the Chu-Bei Branch school. Last year, in order to push forward the development plan for the Chu-Bei branch, NTU specifically set up a six-member team to actively take charge of the preparation work. Dr. Frank Huang, Chairman of the Powerchip Semiconductors Corporation who is also an outstanding alumnus of NTU, was appointed to chair the Preparatory Committee.

  Vice President of NTU Dr. Tzong-ho Bau says that the "Six-member Special Task Force" played a pivotal role in breaking through the financial deadlock for the development of the Chu-Bei Branch school. Since the Ministry of Education had no extra funding to spare, the "Six-member Special Task Force" ingeniously designed a "Strategic Alliance for Industry/University Cooperation" model, enticing industry members to make donations to the Chu-Bei Branch, thus ushering in new hopes for its development. Over the past year, members of the special task force persevered in their endeavors. With the full support from the President of NTU, they organized the "Preparatory Committee for the development of the Chu-Bei Branch," and they stayed optimistically discreet in their solicitation of corporate donations. Eventually, they successfully realized the first step of industry/university cooperation.

  Etron Technology, Inc. was founded in the Hsin-chu Science park in 1991. As an IC design company of international caliber, Etron donates N.T. 100 million to NTU's Chu-Bei Branch in the hope that the donation will enhance the academic and industrial development of Taiwan, and that by combining the resources of research and development, Etron can further develop advanced researches in the semiconductors field with the help of NTU faculty members.

  The Health Baby Cord Blood Bank (Health Baby Biotech, Inc) is known for its outstanding business achievements. As founder of Health Baby Cord Blood Bank and leader of the biomedical businesses in Taiwan, Chairman Mr. H.K. Chang set the goal for his company to become a first class biotechnical player in the world from the very beginning. At the initial stage of development, Health Baby Biotech had the foresight to cooperate with John Hopkins University, MIT, and the University of Kansas and conduct biomedical R&D with the Veterans General Hospital and Taipei Medical University to pave the ground for its future success.

  Another donor is an alumnus deeply interested in the development of new pharmaceuticals and passionate about school building. He generously promises to donate a single building within three years time span. At the joint donation ceremony, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee, Dr. Frank Huang, also promises to donate a single building. Dr. Frank Huang had a doctoral degree in medicine, he is also the Chairman of Taiwan Semiconductors Industry Association and Chairman of Powerchip Semiconductors Corporation, whose area of specialization coincides with the development plan of NTU's Chu-Bei Branch which focuses on the integration of biomedical and electronic related fields.

  Dr. Nicky Lu, Chairman of Etron Technology, Inc., says that the reason for his donation is to expect that NTU will continue to could build branch schools in the Hsin-chu County, Taiwan, or abroad. He says that alumni of NTU unite together because they cherish the memory of their alma mater, and he expects that the cooperation project between his company and NTU can make its share of contribution and let the academic circle in Taiwan feel a substantial sense of encouragement.

  Chairman H. K. Chang of the Health Baby Cord Blood Bank mentions that his company has already set up a laboratory in the Innovation Incubation Center of NTU to conduct researches in stem cell amplification and the purification of protein vaccines. In the future, he hopes that closer co-operations with NTU will bring about further breakthroughs in biotechnology.

  Chairman of Powerchip Semiconductors Corporation, Dr. Frank Huang reaffirms NTU's powerful influence in the electronic and IT industries in Taiwan. In his speech he maintains that Hsin-chu Science Park is the most important technological development center of Taiwan. In the future, when the Chu-Bei Branch School of NTU is fully developed, the potentials of the Branch School is virtually unlimited, he says, and it shall become an important benchmark for the prosperity of the Chu-Bei region.

  At the day of the signing ceremony, both the Magistrate of Hsin-chu County and the Speaker of the County Assembly showed up to deliver their speeches. Mr. Yung-chin Cheng, Magistrate of Hsin-chu County, says that over the past few years the County has considered the development of the Chu-Bei area as its key policy, and has classified the Chu-Bei area as a special security zone, where the facilities in culture/education, commerce, and sports are the best within the county. Speaker of the County Assembly, Miss Pi-ching Chang says that NTU has already distinguished itself in the areas of medicine, biomedical electronics, bio-information, and biomedical chips. She hopes that the Chu-Bei Branch School can take one step further, and let the medical achievements of Taiwan be known worldwide.