Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

University of Southern California (USC) Provost Chrysostomos L. Max Nikias led the members of directorate during a meeting with Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin on October 30 at the city hall.
The members were in town to attend USC Global Conference, which took place in Taipei between October 29 and 30.
Hau began by introducing the city to the visiting members. He indicated that Taipei City has a population of 2.62 million with a land area of 2,700 square meters. Despite the high population density, Taipei maintains a safe city with friendly residents. He noted that when a foreigner asks for directions, nearly one-third of the residents will go all the way and take the visitor to his or her destination.
Dr. Nikias noted that among the universities in the United States, USC has one of the largest numbers of international students. Among its alumni, 6,000 came from Taiwan. He explained that this is one of the reasons for the school to choose Taipei as the venue for the 2009 Global Conference.
USC Chairman Roski, a member of the delegation and a shareholder of the Los Angeles Lakers, took the opportunity to present the mayor with L.A. Lakers cap.
Hau said the National Basketball Association (NBA) held a preseason match (Indiana Pacers vs. Denver Nuggets) in Taipei last month. The tickets sold out within an hour, showing the popularity of NBA games in Taipei.