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Helping the Bereft and Needy—NTU Launches Series of Relief Programs for the Victims of Typhoon Morakot

In the wake of the heavy damages caused by typhoon Morakot, National Taiwan University has launched a series of disaster relief programs from four levels. Level 1—donation of relief funds: The University administration has actively encouraged all faculty and students to make donations; Level 2—Student emergency relief: The school has conducted a comprehensive roll call of students from the disaster stricken areas to make sure that every one is safe. In addition, the University has put into enforcement its existing emergency relief mechanisms plus the newly established "National Taiwan University Emergency Relief Fund donated by Dr. Jane H. Hsiao" to assure that students from the disaster stricken areas needn't worry about their schooling; Level 3—Social services: volunteers from student associations have departed for the disaster stricken areas on August 16th on a mission called "From NTU with Love, Show Our Compassions for the Refugees", whereas the NTU Hospital has organized a "NTU Medical Relief Team for the August 8th Flood" which comprised of personnel from the Hospital's Emergency Room, Infection Control, Pediatrics, Mental, Pharmaceutical, Lab Testing and Nursing departments who departed for the Da-wu Area in Tai-tung County on August 14th on helicopters to provide emergency medical services. In the days to come, NTU Hospital shall identify the medical needs of various disaster stricken areas through its existing network to deploy its medical resources in line with the government's directives. Level 4—Academic probing: The University will hold public forums in the near future to discuss the issues of post-disaster reconstruction in the hope of providing professional assistance to the government.

The Office of Student Affairs is in charge of helping the students from the disaster stricken areas. In addition to ensuring their personal safety and keeping them stocked up with supplies, the Office also informed them of the types of assistance which the University can provide, including emergency relief stipends (from N.T. 5000 to N.T. 50,000), student loans, priority lodging, and waiver of tuition and sundry expenses (in accordance with the level of at which the student is affected by the disaster), and prioritized work-study opportunities. At present NTU has more than 400 students from the disaster stricken areas, and 60 of them are in dire need of help. The student associations which participated in the "Love from NTU, Show Our Compassion for the Refugees" mission include: the Sunshine and Kite Service Club, the Social Service Corps of the Kaoshiung Alumni Association, the NTU Nature Conservation Club, the World Volunteer Society, The Star Rain Service Corps, the Country Service Club, the Sunshine/Coconut Service Club, the Tzu-you Mountaineering Friends Association, the Nan-tou Alumni Association, the Zen Medication Club, the NTU Toastmasters Club, etc. These association members have contacted the Research Development and Evaluation Commission of the Ping-tung County government and are now on their way to the Da-tung township of Ping-tung County to help the residents to clean up their homes. This activity is divided into two echelons. The first echelon will volunteer to work from August 16th to August 21st, and the second echelon will volunteer to work from August 18th to August 21st.

"The National Taiwan University Emergency Relief Fund donated by Dr. Jane H. Hsiao" has a sum of N.T. 10 million dollars. In view of the severe damages caused by typhoon Morakot, Dr. Jane H. Hsiao, an eminent alumnus of the Department of Pharmacology, generously set up the emergency relief fund to help the needy students before the fall semester begins. The standards for subsidy are divided into four grades. Students whose conditions conform to the first grade are eligible for receiving N.T. 5000 stipend per month, plus full financial aid for tuition, sundry expenses and lodging till their graduation. As for students whose conditions conform to the fourth grade, they are entitled to receive a stipend of N.T. 3000 per month, and financial aid for 1/4 of their tuition, sundry expenses and lodging. Additionally, the Emergency Relief Fund can be appropriated for rendering social services to the disaster stricken areas.

Chinese version