(ZHANG Qingqing from ThinkIT Lab) On Monday, May 12, at 2.28 p.m. Beijing time (6:28 GMT), a major earthquake, measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale, jolted southwestern China's Sichuan Province. Several lower-scale earthquakes and aftershocks followed in the same area. The quake destroyed many buildings in the area, as well as infrastructure like communication towers. According to the latest reports, more than 40,000 people have died and many more have been injured or are missing. Many schools were destroyed. As authorities reach more remote areas, these numbers are expected to rise.

On May 16, Professor Masato AKAGI, associate professor Masashi Unoki and assistant professor Junfeng Li, from school of Information Science of JAIST (Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) visited IOA (Institute of Acoustics) and heard of this harrowing news. They were in touch with IOA leaders immediately and subscribed 20,000 Japanese yen to Sichuan sufferers from earthquake. IACAS leaders were deeply grateful for their support and expressed that they would send the financial assistance to Sichuan sufferers as quickly as possible.