This year, Taiwan Tech celebrates its 49th anniversary. March marks the beginning of Taiwan Tech's sports season, kicking off with a health run on the 16th, symbolizing the start of a series of anniversary activities. Today (March 23rd), sports day and garden outings are held, with special guest Zhu-En Lai, the silver medalist in boxing at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, adding style to the school anniversary event.

Taiwanese boxer Zhu-En Lai, after years of setbacks, has resurrected. He punched his way to the Paris Olympics with one punch. Zhu-En Lai expressed that this is the first time he had experienced such a lively and passionate sports event. He hopes that students, both in their daily lives and on the sports field, can embody the core Olympic values of "striving for excellence, mutual respect, and fostering friendships".

Taiwan Tech’s President Jia-Yush Yen (fourth from the right) along with senior executives, Taiwan Tech's mascot Tiger Duck, and guest Zhu-En Lai (third from the right) take a group photo.

President Jia-Yush Yen of Taiwan Tech remarked that after 49 years of endeavor, Taiwan Tech graduates are recognized and cherished by society. He hopes that students can continue to maintain vitality and creativity, presenting Taiwan Tech's fresh and diverse image to the world. Taiwan Tech will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, and President Jia-Yush Yen announced that the 50th-anniversary series of events will officially commence, including a series of international symposiums, a large-scale concert, and the nationwide alumni association's "Cycling around Taiwan" event, showcasing the cohesion among Taiwan Tech's students, faculty, and alumni.

This year's anniversary celebration and road race also echo environmental protection efforts and plastic reduction. Environmentally friendly water bottles are used throughout the event, and sportswear, hats, and trophies are made of eco-friendly materials. The logo design was created by students from the Department of Design, and the materials were made from recycled PET bottles and glass. The event also adopts electronic race certificates, achieving a "paperless" process, fulfilling the social responsibility of environmental protection and sustainability while promoting healthy sports activities.

The Taiwan Tech’s Health Run event kicked off on March 16th, attracting approximately one thousand faculty, staff, students, and alumni who enthusiastically participated.

The road running event was held on March 16. The run started from the Gongguan Riverside Square and followed the riverside route to Jingmei. Approximately one thousand faculty, staff, students, and alumni enthusiastically participated. Among them were visually impaired runner Ya-Hui Zhang from the Student Affairs Office and guide runner Yu-Chun Tsai from the Chinese Blind Running Association. Ya-Hui Zhang, who loves sports, recalled participating in Taiwan Tech's 3-kilometer run several years ago. This year, she bravely challenged herself by registering for the 12-kilometer category and completed the race, demonstrating boundless energy and resilience. Alumni Huo-Yan Hong and Yan-Hui-Xian Qiu from the Department of Industrial Management, both over 65 years old, participate every year. They joked, "We plan to keep participating until we can't walk anymore!"

Visually impaired runner Ya-Hui Zhang (left) and guide runner Yu-Chun Tsai (right) from the Chinese Blind Running Association successfully completed the 12-kilometer race, showing the spirit of never giving up.

In addition, exchange students from Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University participated in a creative performance for the first time. Paraguayan student, Yanina Guillen, sang the Spanish song "Paraguaya Linda", while some students danced with the Paraguayan flag draped around them. With rhythmic movements and enthusiastic smiles, they elevated the atmosphere of the ceremony to its peak.

Exchange students from Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University participated for the first time in a creative performance, with Paraguayan student Yanina Guillen singing the Spanish song "Paraguaya Linda" while her Paraguayan classmates danced alongside her.

This year also marked the first time that students and faculty from National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University, both part of the "National Taiwan University System," were invited to participate in a large team relay race to compete with each other, providing an opportunity for strengthening the bond of friendship among the three institutions. During the garden party, there were also club performances and lucky draw activities offering prizes such as AirPods and Polaroid cameras, adding a joyful atmosphere to the event. This encouraged both faculty and students to balance their busy work and study schedules with leisure activities and enjoy a happy life.

This year, for the first time, students and faculty from National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University, both part of the "National Taiwan University System," were invited to participate in a large team relay race to compete with each other and strengthen the spirit of friendship among the three institutions.

Taiwan Tech has a diverse population of international students. The picture shows the Myanmar Alumni Association also setting up a booth at the garden party to share Myanmar specialties.