National Pingtung University of Science and Technology celebrated its 97th anniversary this year and thanks to one private donner, jointly celebrated the opening of the Lagoon Study Room and the Lamingo Garden.
At the opening ceremony, NPUST President Chang-Hsien Tai made some remarks, stating that “in era of technology, most students look to the internet as the source of all the information they need. Although it is convenient, the information still needs to be digested and innovatively applied in order to meet the challenges of the future. The library offers more than a digital platform, it is a place where you can think, read, be creative.”
With the new installments in place, library visitors are expected to get an extra dose of creative inspiration as they spend time in the eloquently designed study room or enjoy the atmosphere of the adjacent garden.
The new renovations came about thanks to the generous donations of Merry Yard International Enterprise Corporation CEO, Liu Pao-yu, who has had a special place in his heart for NPUST for many years.
Liu hopes that the “library will not only be used by students, but that the faculty and staff at the university will also enjoy it as well.”
As a youth, Liu already had his sights on NPUST, and it was his dream to be a student there. Although the dream didn’t materialize at the time, fifty years later he had a chance to unite with the school and become an Honorary Doctor of it. Showing care for the development of the university and the lives of the students, when he learned that the Library and Conference Hall had an old reading room that had not been renovated in thirty years, he generously donated money and materials to revamp the space and turn it into the “Lagoon Study Room” and “Lamigo Garden”, hoping to create a comfortable, high-quality reading environment for students.
The new environment adopts immersive design that is both simple and eloquent. With views of the campus scenery from the windows, the natural element extends into the room itself, with a décor that is both comfortable and meaningful. The Lamigo Garden is a leisure area connected to the study. With bright and vibrant vegetation arranged in hanging baskets and pots of all sizes, the once dark corridor which the garden now occupies has a peaceful allure that naturally leads the visitor into the study.
In his many years of business, Liu Pao-yu has traveled the world and seen a great deal of success, but he has never forgotten the hardships that farm children can face when pursuing studies; and he has never lost his own enthusiasm for agriculture. Guided by such things, Liu began supporting students at NPUST in 2013 with the La New Scholarship for Outstanding Agricultural Performance and Disadvantaged Students of NPUST”, donating NT$720,000 to the school every year for nearly 10 years now. Over this time more than 100 students have been able to benefit from his charity, and in the future other special grants will be provided to encourage more students. Based on his own experience, Liu often encourages others, pointing out “it’s never too late to learn.” Of course, for students at NPUST the time is ripe, and now with an added source of inspiration, hopefully students will take full opportunity to see how far they can take their own talents.
