Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan on the 7^th of last August and wrought devastating damages to the southern part of the island. The wind was strong but it was the record-breaking rainfall, peaking at 2,777mm that brought the havoc of floods and mudslides. One mudslide buried the entire village of Hsiao Lin, killing almost all of the villagers. The fatalities were estimated at more than six hundreds and property damage exceeded NT$110 billion. While the government had mobilized a large rescue force, faculty members and students at NTHU were also quick in getting themselves organized and travelled to the affected areas with materials they themselves had donated and solicited. The first group of volunteers left Hsinchu on the 13^th and they were followed by three more groups that travelled south to villages and townships to offer their help and compassion.

These groups of volunteer relief workers went not only with tangible aid materials badly needed in the disaster areas, they also stayed and helped with the clean-up tasks, doing as much as they could to help the victims to restore their daily life.

Knowing that there are many NTHU students who are from areas affected by Morakot, President Wen-Tsuen Chen first instructed the administrative staff to make phone contact with each and every student from the damaged areas and make sure that they were physically safe. He then went on to launch a fund raising drive by writing to all the members of the greater NTHU family; students, faculty and staff as well as all the alumni asking for donations to benefit all the students whose homesteads were damaged. The response to President Chen's call has been tremendous and heart-warming. To date, about 4 million NT dollars has been raised and will be used in the form of scholarship and subsidies benefiting students who have suffered in this catastrophe.