Visiting NTNU my alma mater in 2024/Carlos Pueblo

 Visiting NTNU my alma mater in 2024/Carlos Pueblo

The National Taiwan Normal University is my alma mater. I graduated from the Chemistry Department in 1971; therefore, I was eligible to apply to study abroad after my two years conscription in the Nationalist Army and two years teaching duty at high schools in Taiwan. The degree which I obtained from this University gave me the opportunity to have an assistantship to pay for my graduate study, then becoming an immigrant to the United States. I have always appreciated this opportunity and that is why I always visited NTNU campus when I come back to my home country. On the first Monday after my arrival in Taiwan, I did have a wonderful visit on both University campuses, the College of Science campus at Kongkuan as well as the main campus on the East Ho-Ping Road. After that, I did go back to visit the main campus again to refresh my fond memory dating back to 60 years ago.

I entered the Affiliated Senior High of NTNU and that was in the 60's of the last century. I was very familiar with the main campus area of the NTNU. Later, I passed the college entrance examination to enter the NTNU with a total of seven years of my young life plus a year of teaching at a junior high school at a suburban township outside of Taipei. I still visited the main campus often until I left the country in 1975.

I took the subway and exited at a station near an intersection of East Ho-Ping Road and Roosevelt Boulevard and passed by the same one story frame office building of the Taiwan Electrical Company. The entire East Ho-Ping Road are high rising buildings and can't resemble any of the bungalow frame ghettos in the past. I enter the Main gate and still see the distinguished red brick building of the original Taihoku Koudo Gatgo, Taipei Senior Academy back to the Japanese Empire Era, 1895-1945, the building was established in 1922. Now, the limited campus area is crowded with tall buildings for the expansion of the University. I still can tell those familiar buildings including classrooms, department offices, and protected classics, etc.

A mere three colleges University back then when I was on the campus for my degree, and now there are 9 colleges with 62 departments with a total 130 degrees offered. It is a major reason why I am not able to visit the University President this time. He is very busy managing the University affairs. I am going to see him in Los Angeles for the Global Alumni Meeting in June of this year and I shall visit our future University administrators in the future as long as I am healthy and appreciate the opportunity to study at this wonderful university in my life.