President Chiang Kai-shek extended congratulations to St. John's University of New York on its centennial. The English translation of President Chiang's message was read by Fr. Joseph Dirvin, vice president of the university, at a convocation November 7. The Chinese text was read by Dr. Paul K. T. Sih (Hsueh Kwang-tsien), director of the St. John's Center of Asian Studies.
The chief executive praised St. John's for contributions to Sino-American cultural exchange. "This is bound to have an enduring effect on relations between our two countries," the President said.
The ceremony marked conclusion of the year-long celebration of the university. Several Asian art exhibits and conferences were held as part of the program.
A message of congratulations from President Nixon was read. Twenty paintings of Mrs. Chow Hsu Mon-ying and 50 papercuttings by Mrs. Tene Kung Yun-chang were displayed.
Attending the ceremony were General and Mrs. Wang Shu-ming, Consul General Yu Kuo-ping and members of the Chinese delegation to the 25th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
467 scholars ready to return home
Four hundred and sixty-seven Chinese scholars and graduate students are willing to return to Taiwan for a year or longer on teaching or research assignments in the next few years.
The Ministry of Education said most are in the United States or Canada and that 318 have doctorates.
Scientists number 114, engineers 181, agronomists 18, doctors of medicine 29 and students of the humanities and social sciences 125.
MOE said 163 plan to return next year, 85 in 1972 and 73 in 1973. The other 145 have no definite plans.
Travel subsidies for students returning from the United States for home service are now based on the point of departure. The new rates are US$200 for those departing from the West Coast, US$300 for those from the central United States and US$400 for those from the East Coast.
The West Coast area includes Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Idaho.
The central area covers Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Wisconsin and Illinois.
The East Coast area is made up of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Maine, Florida, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Those returning from Canada will receive subsidies on a corresponding scale.
8,566 Chinese students studying in America
The Republic of China ranked third among countries with foreign students in the United States in 1970.
Open Doors 1971, published annually by the Institute of International Education, reported that of 134,959 foreign students in the United States, 8,566 came from the Republic of China. This was about 6.3 per cent of the total. Canada ranked first and India second.
Of the ROC students, the largest number (3,301) was studying in the Pacific Coast region, followed by the Midwest (3,121) and the Northeast (2,184). The rest were scattered through the South, the Southwest, the Mountain States and even Guam.
The number of U.S. students and scholars abroad declined slightly.
19 scholars, artists win Chungshan awards
Eight scholars, nine writers and artists and two inventors received Chungshan Cultural Awards at the Taipei City Auditorium November 11. Awards are of US$1,250 each.
Winners of academic awards were Prof. Fang Tung-mei (philosophy), the Rev. Maurus Fang (history), Yang Shih-feng (linguistics), Prof. Chen Chien-shan (zoology), Prof. Wei Ju-lin (military strategy), Prof. Ma Pi (philosophy), Prof. Lai Han-ching (mathematics) and Prof. Chang Chun-yen (physics).
Awards in literature and the arts went to Sung Tien-cheng (poetry), Miss Shao Yu-hsien (painting), Lin Shu-yao (art theory), Li Yeh-shuang (history of art), Prof. Pan Hsi-chen (prose), Chao Yueh-shan (fiction), Liu Tsai (movie script) and Prof. Liao Chi-chun (Western painting).
Inventors were Wang Min-yen for a writing brush with a built-in ink supply and Chang Hsien-wen for a timepiece.
The awards commemorate the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, founding father of the Republic of China.
29 foreigners finish land reform course
Twenty-nine land reform workers from seven countries and areas of the Pacific completed two months of training at the Taoyuan Land Reform Training Institute November 14.
Dr. T. H. Shen, chairman of the board of directors, presided at the LRTI's fourth seminar. LRTI was established last year by the John C. Lincoln Institute of the University of Hartford in the United States and the Council for International Economic Cooperation and Development of the Republic of China.
Dr. Salvador Cevallos compared ROC economic achievements with those of Japan and West Germany.
On behalf of the class, Mrs. Tran Thi Ngoc Suong of Vietnam presented the institute with a bronze vase.
The 29 trainees were from Brunei, Ecuador, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific.
More than 100 participants from 12 countries and regions already have received training at the institute.
USIS presents modern Chinese art festival
The Third Modern Chinese Art Festival was held at the Lincoln Center of the United States Information Service in Taipei November 8-15.
Artists, musicians and poets exhibited their works and demonstrated their techniques.
There were four special programs: Evening of Poetry, Evening of Music, Evening of Art and lecture on art by Prof. Koo Hsien-liang.
The Evening of Music included works by composers Chen Chu-shui, Ma Shui-lung, Chen Mou-hsuan, Chao Yuan-sheng, Shu Chang-huei and Li Tai-hsiang. Prof. Shu Chang-huei spoke on the interaction of Eastern and Western Music.
Shiy De-jinn spoke on modern art and showed slides from Expo 70 at the Evening of Art. Prof. Koo Hsien-liang spoke on interaction of Chinese and American modern art.
Taking part in the art exhibition were Yao Ching-chang, Liu Kuo-sung, Shiy De-jinn, Li Hsi-chi, Liu Chung hsiun, Wu Hao, Chen Ting-shi, Chung Chiun-hsiung, Chuang Che and Koo Chung-kuang.
Poets participating were Yeh Wei-lian, Lo Fu, Fu Ti, Ta Huang, Pi Kuo, Kuan Kuan, Pai Chiu, Yang Ling-yeh, Lo Men and Hsin Yu.
Seminar on Red China slated this month
Some 190 Chinese and American scholars will meet in Taipei in mid-December 10 exchange views on the Chinese mainland situation.
Sponsored by the Institute of International Relations, the seminar will be attended by such Americans as W. Glenn Campbell, Lev E. Dobriansky, Harold C. Hinton, James T. Myers, Anthony Kubek, Kurt Gleaser, Stefan T. Possony, David N. Rowe, Robert A. Scalapioo, Richard L. Walker, William F. Dorrill, C. Martin Wilbur, Allen S. Whiting, Paul Hyer, William R. Johnson, James P. Harrison, Michael Oksenberg, George E. Taylor, Ralph Powell, and Michael Lindsay.
More than 30 papers will be submitted. Wu Chen-tsai, director of IIR, will preside over the three-day meeting.
Churches support family planning
A Christian ecumenical conference in November opposed indiscriminate abortion and backed family planning.
Conferees agreed family planning program should be introduced through educational channels with consideration for traditional morals and personal beliefs. The public was urged to accept the responsibility of supporting poor and needy children.
Church representatives opposed legalization of abortion. Proponents of abortion said the population increase had reached the point of explosion.
Central Daily News resumes movie ads
The Central Daily News, one of the three mass-circulation morning papers which have been turning away movie advertisements, has resumed carrying such ads.
The Taipei Movie Distributors Association did not reveal the new rates. Ads are still refused by the United Daily News and China Times.
Movie ads formerly occupied a full page in the three papers. The Central Daily News accorded only three-fifths of a page to movies as it resumed the ads.
Youth Corps plans big winter camps
The China Youth Corps will sponsor its largest winter camp activities in January and February to mark the 60th anniversary of the Republic of China.
The two-month program will attract 152,650 young people at 1,360 camps.
Activities include nine categories ranging from combat skills to academics.
Licensing of skilled workers proposed
A Chinese vocational education expert has urged Asian nations to set up a system of licensing skilled workers.
Tang Chih, president of the Taiwan Provincial Kaohsiung Institute of Technology, addressed the Asian Regional Conference on Educational and Vocational Guidance in Taipei November 8-11.
More than 50 delegates and observers from nine countries and areas attended.
Tang said that classified and licensed vocational graduates would find a job more easily. He also suggested a skills contest among Asian nations.
With more than 25 years' experience in vocational education, Tang said schools should offer general courses while industries conducted vocational courses and shop practice.
The Asian Regional Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance was established after the meeting. Participants agreed to set up a data center in Taipei and a training center in Japan. Dr. Chiang Chien-pei, president of the Chinese Vocational Guidance Association, is chairman.
13 records established by provincial athletes
The 25th Taiwan Provincial Games at Tainan ended November 3 with seven national records in track and field and six in swimming.
Pingtung county won the team championship in track and field and Taitung county took the championship in swimming.
The seven new records in track and field:
—Men's 200-meter dash, 21.5 seconds, by Su Wen-ho of Yunlin county.
—Men's 5,000-meter run, 15:17.8, by Chang Chin-chuan of Hsinchu county.
—Women's 800-meter run, 2:17.6, by Li Chiu-hsia of Nantou county.
—Women's 1,500-meter run, 4:48.9, by Li Chiu-hsia of Nantou county.
—Women's 1,600-meter relay, 4:13.0, by Pingtung county, Taichung and Hualien.
—Women's shot put, 13.16 meters, by Chen Fu-mei of Taichung city.
—Women's pentathlon, 4,120 points, by Lin Chun-yu of Taitung city.
The six records in swimming:
—Men's 400-meter medley, 5:11.4, by Hsu Tung-hsiung of Taitung county.
—Women's 400-meter freestyle, 5:16.6, by Hsu Yu-yun of Taitung county.
—Men's 400-meter freestyle 4:46.3, by Hsu Tung-hsiung of Taitung county.
—Women's 400-meter medley relay, 5:44.3, by Taitung county team.
—Men's 100-meter breaststroke, 1:13.7, by Wu Pai-ching of Taitung county.
—Men's 100-meter butterfly, 1:04.5, by Li Tung-hsing of Taitung county.