HKUST Newsletter, Spring 1997

Abstract

[evdate 1997-03-15] Newsletter Spring 1997 new executive mba puts hong kong at the center of international business education in asia

With the steady expansion of the Asian economy in recent years has come a corresponding need for advanced management training in the region.

For business executives in Asia, the good news is the opportunity they now have to update strategic concepts and professional skills in the one city uniquely equipped to serve as a regional center of business education圁ong Kong.

The recently announced Kellogg粀KUST Executive MBA Program is Hong Kong掇 first high-level business program with international scope and emphasis, designed for mid-career executives preparing for senior management roles, and for senior executives who wish to approach today掇 business and management decision making from a global and integrated perspective.

The program is a joint creation of the School of Business and Management of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the renowned J.芀. Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University.

Participants will earn an Executive Master of Business Administration degree jointly awarded by the two schools. Graduates of the program will be alumni of both universities.

The EMBA program draws on the strengths of each institution, offering a curriculum based on Kellogg掇 top-rated Executive Master掇 Program at Northwestern, and incorporating a strong Asia-Pacific focus, with one course module devoted entirely to China business. Teaching will be shared equally by faculty members from the two schools.

浠e are tremendously pleased to have the Kellogg School as our partner in this venture,{????}said Prof Yuk-Shee Chan, Dean of the School of Business and Management. 浠e guarantee that the participants will receive the best management education that the US and Asia have to offer.{????}

Applications are now being accepted at the School of Business and Management for the first intake of 40, for classes slated to begin in the spring semester of 1998. Duration of the program is 18 months.NEW EXECUTIVE MBA

PUTS HONG KONG AT THE CENTER OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS EDUCATION IN ASIA

A highlight of the EMBA program is the week-long residential session at Kellogg掇 James L. Allen Center in Evanston, Illinois.

Participants meet over weekends on the scenic HKUST campus, where accommodations are provided in the new University Center (left foreground). Sealing the new partnership are Sir S. Y. Chung, Chairman of the University Council; Prof Donald P. Jacobs, Dean of the Kellogg School; Prof Yuk-Shee Chan, Dean of the School of Business and Management; and President Chia-Wei Woo.Classes will be taught by faculty members from the two schools, including many of the gifted professors who have already made Kellogg's Executive Master's Program the top-rated program of its kind. A typical weekend schedule appears below.

PRESIDENT悆 PROGRESS REPORTDawning of a New Era: Education and Technology in Hong Kong

This is the final issue of our Newsletter before Hong Kong moves into a new era: that of re-unification with China and self-governance under the principle of 缹ne country, two systems{????}

Foreign journalists have long asked what will happen to this young University after July 1. In earlier years, my reply was: 浺verything will go on as usual. According to the Basic Law (often called the mini-constitution of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), we the people of Hong Kong will have complete control over our educational policies, systems, and practices. So this young University will simply continue to grow and contribute in accordance with its mission, objectives, and master plan.{????}

More recently, especially after I began to participate in the work of the various transition teams (the Preliminary Working Committee, Preparatory Committee, and Selection Committee) and saw how the transition was shaping up, my reply changed. Having gotten to know well the future leaders of Hong Kong, and noting the increased confidence with which the people of Hong Kong are approaching the transition, I now point to July 1, 1997 as the dawning of a new era for all that this young University holds dear.

Hong Kong has certainly been spectacularly successful in many ways. Our economy continues to boom. Our society is orderly and our people law-abiding. Our physical infrastructure is world-class. One could go on and on in this vein. Yet, in this rapidly advancing and fiercely competitive world, past glory does not guarantee future success. It is high time that we take new initiatives on many fronts. We need to prepare ourselves to move towards democracy at the very fast pace stipulated by the Basic Law. We need to strengthen the technical and managerial capabilities demanded by the economic transition underway in the region. And we need to improve the culture, environment, and quality of life enjoyed by a community which has heretofore been occupied almost single-mindedly with business pursuits.

The keys to all these initiatives are education and technology. During the SAR election that took place last fall, every one of the major candidates campaigning for the position of Chief Executive emphasized the importance of upgrading Hong Kong掇 education and technology. The Chief Executive we elected, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, committed himself personally to reviewing and improving Hong Kong educational system. In addition to education, his five highest priorities included an upgrading of technology to revive Hong Kong掇 manufacturing industries. He saw education and technology as areas in which Hong Kong people should work out long-term objectives and invest heavily for the sake of our own future. His vision was truly refreshing.

My own view on education is this: After five years of rapid expansion, the tertiary sector is ready for a period of consolidation. Each institution now has a well-defined mission and a clear set of goals to pursue. In funding, a steady-state policy should prevail帨here should be neither an increase nor a decrease in terms of unit cost. We should further improve our quality, and focus on moving rapidly towards a four-year undergraduate curriculum.

In primary and secondary education, it is the consensus of our community that much improvement is urgently needed, and an overall review is in order. While work on academic issues such as curricula, teaching methodologies, examination system, civic education, and language instruction will be entrusted to experts with firsthand experience, the SAR Government will have the responsibility of coming up with substantial budget increases.

If we decide to move towards a six-year secondary school system to go with a four-year college curriculum, all Form-5 students will remain in school for one more year. Next, all primary school pupils should attend school all day rather than for half a day. And classes in primary and secondary schools should be considerably smaller than at present.

There will, of course, be a price. I have done what scientists call a 涀ack-of-the-envelope{????}calculation and estimated that in terms of recurrent cost an increase of a mere 1% of GDP would suffice. Considering Hong Kong掇 economic standing, and the fact that our current 2.8% spending on education ranks among the lowest in the world, a 1% increase seems amply affordable.

Turning now to technology, I am using the term in an expanded sense that includes science, from which technology emanates, and management, which uses technology to generate wealth.

Hong Kong is undergoing a critical economic transition宧rom a labor-intensive economy to a knowledge-based society, and from a peripheral trading post to a 洖ragon head{????}that will help integrate South China economically. Her service industries must learn to use current technology in a more timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner. Her traditional manufacturing sector must lower costs, enhance quality, increase product variety, improve productivity, protect the environment, and achieve higher added value. Her nascent high-tech industries must grow rapidly and be transformed into economic engines. All these processes are dependent on the wise use of technology.

For this to occur, the SAR Government must lead the way with vision. It must formulate a coherent industrial policy, build a sound technology infrastructure, establish an independent arm of government with advisory committees held accountable for their decisions, and move forward without delay. Given the pace of modern technology, windows of opportunity never stay open for long.

These views seem to be very close to what our SAR Chief Executive said as a candidate, and are consistent with the direction in which he appears to be moving. Hong Kong, taking her place among the world掇 rapidly rising economies and working hand-in-hand with her vast hinterland, now enters an exciting era of nation building.

Education and technology are what HKUST is all about. The times ahead will be good for the University. We look forward to taking up the challenges.

Like today掇 global managers, engineering students at HKUST and Stanford University are working together to move supplies and products across national and regional boundaries. The 26 students are enrolled in an innovative course on 烍irtual teaming{????}jointly offered by the Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management departments of the two universities. Each team collaborates on solving a real-world logistical problem for a multinational company in Asia, and with only two opportunities to meet face-to-face, the students in Hong Kong and California must rely on e-mail, telephone, and video-conferencing to work out their solutions.

A spirited medley of music, dance, and theater performances, together with film and video screenings and a contemporary art exhibit, filled the calendar of the University掇 first Arts Festival, organized during the week of 24{????}8 February by five student societies with the support of the HKUST Center for the Arts. Among the international events was an Indian dance recital by Siri Rama.

Opening the Fong Shu Chuen Promenade on 12 March were Dr Lau Wah-Sum, University Treasurer; Dr Fong Yun Wah, Chairman of the Fong Shu Fook Tong Foundation; and Prof Chia-Wei Woo, University President. The naming of the walkway linking Undergraduate Halls I and II commemorates the Foundation掇 gift of $2 million to establish the Fong Shu Chuen Fund for university development. Sensors to measure the frequency and amplitude of bridge vibrations were deployed on the newly built Kap Shui Mun Bridge during the month of March by researchers from the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering. The Department is working with the Hong Kong Highways Department to evaluate performance of the long-span bridge that will take passengers to and from Hong Kong掇 new international airport.

Putonghua students at HKUST took home the honors in two divisions of the territory-wide Putonghua Competition held on 22 March at the University掇 Language Centre. Hung Yuen Yuen, a first-year business student, was the winner in solo prose speaking, while a team from HKUST placed first in group verse speaking. Another HKUST team placed second in group prose speaking.

Building A UniversityBusiness is booming in Asia, and so is business education. Yet the effectiveness of business courses in Asia has long been limited by an acute shortage of teaching materials reflecting the actual experience of companies operating in this part of the world.

This is about to change with the publication of the first collection of case studies on Asian business, The Asian Marketing Case Book, by Noel Capon and Wilfried Vanhonacker, due later this year from Prentice Hall.

Prof Vanhonacker is Head of HKUST掇 Marketing Department, and Prof Capon was a visiting professor in the Marketing Department during 1994-95 while on leave from Columbia University. 涆he project came about because we needed something we could use in our classes,{????}said Prof Vanhonacker. The book itself is the result of a Teaching Development Grant extended to the two authors by the School of Business and Management at HKUST.

涆he value of a case study,{????}Prof Vanhonacker explained, 涐s that it brings the concept one is teaching closer to the reality of the environment. Basic business concepts don掐 change, but at the operational level you have to take into account certain cultural and political aspects, as well as social and environmental issues. The cases give an in-depth look at the particular problems companies are facing in this part of the world.{????}

Represented in The Asian Marketing Case Book are some of the biggest names in Asian business, including Star TV, Singapore Airlines, and Levi Strauss. But in a book that covers 16 Asian countries and market areas with four or five cases devoted to each area, there is also plenty of room for attention to local companies.

浢ost business schools that do case development typically look at European or American companies in Asia when they do cases on Asia at all,{????}said Prof Vanhonacker. 涆hey don掐 look at local companies. What we掯e done is to have both, but actually most of the cases are on local companies娗 unique feature.{????}

Readers in Hong Kong, for example, will be especially interested in cases involving Apple Daily, Citi Telecom, and the Mass Transit Railway.

The book is expected to be used at all levels of business education, from undergraduate courses to MBA and executive development programs. A companion volume of teaching notes will be made available to course instructors as well.

Also in the works is a video library giving additional illustrative material, planned as a special project of the School of Business and Management.

The Asian Marketing Case Book is the first book of its kind, and certainly not the last. Prof Vanhonacker is already hard at work on completing a successor娗 China case book that will extend coverage beyond marketing to the different functional areas of doing business in China.

浡oint ventures, state-owned enterprises, and private, entrepreneurial projects帨hey掞l all be there,{????}he said. 浘ook for it by the end of this year.{????}

Case Studies Teach Nuances of Asian BusinessProf Wilfried Vanhonacker, co-author of The Asian Marketing Case Book.

With the opening of China掇 economy, foreign observers and investors have a natural interest in understanding Chinese ways of doing business. One subject of particular concern is guanxi帨he relationships or connections used to facilitate business dealings in China.

Dr Larry J. L. Farh of the Management of Organisations Department has been studying guanxi. 浢y objective is to explore how Chinese managers build up their connections,{????}he says, 浾nd how those connections affect their performance and the performance of their business.{????}

Dr Farh defines guanxi as the 烢articularistic ties{????}that develop from traditional personal relationships in China, such as with family relatives, classmates, neighbors, and people from the same hometown. Dr Farh contrasts these ties with the demographic variables of age, gender, race, religion, and education that are frequently used to determine social identity in the West.

The importance of guanxi in China does not mean that people in other places do not rely on similar kinds of connections. 涆he 匭ld boy network{????}is present in all cultures,{????}he says, 涀ut it may be based on different things, and its importance elsewhere may not be as great as it is in Chinese culture.{????}

Moreover, business practices in the West are generally well developed and conducted through various professions. When a business transaction is arranged, the parties involved usually employ lawyers to draft a contract stipulating the terms of the agreement. Since a valid contract is legally binding, there is less need to rely on a relationship of mutual trust between th e two parties. But in China, where professional associations and their codes of ethics are still being formed, it is more common to see business transactions facilitated by the trust deriving from a particularistic tie.

Working with Prof Anne S. Tsui, Dr Farh is analyzing the workings of guanxi in business relationships in China. So far, results of a study of business executives and their most important business connections in a central Chinese city support the idea that the trust which high-level managers feel in their connections is largely established through guanxi.

Guanxi: A Chinese Style of Doing Business

Department of Management of Organizations

Organization management is both an art and a science. Its aim is to coordinate the activities of each unit in an organization so that they work together to implement the strategic plan of the organization.

In training prospective managers, the Department of Management of Organizations studies management decisions and how they are made so as to impart to students an understanding of effective management skills and tools.

浠hat we do is look at the decisions that organizations make about how to compete in a particular industry,{????}says Prof Anne S. Tsui, Head of the Department. 浠e捯e also interested in studying how organizations and their executives manage the people side of their business.{????}

Founded in 1993, Management of Organizations is the most recently established academic department in HKUST掇 School of Business and Management. With 18 faculty members at present, the Department掇 courses in strategic planning, human resources management, and organizational theory and behavior prepare students to function effectively in a wide range of organizations, both in business and in the not-for-profit world.

Views of an Organization An organization掇 strategic plan is a statement of its long-range strategy for development. Once formulated by top management, it is implemented by all the members of an organization. They in turn can be viewed on at least three levels娗s individuals, as members of functional groups, and as constituents of the organization as a whole.

At the individual level, management studies focus on questions relating to how employees can be motivated and their leadership skills developed.

With functional groups, such as the accounting department in an office or an assembly team on a production line, the interest is in how such groups are formed, how they evolve, and in some cases, how they are superseded and vanish. Factors that affect a group掇 performance are natural focal points for such a study.

On the level of the organization as a whole, management scientists are interested in seeing how an organization adapts to changes in the external environment. The ability to anticipate future needs and opportunities is an attribute of successful organizations.

Within all organizations, the art of human resource management is vital to the success of the enterprise. Managing the 烢eople side of the business{????}involves not just the practical methods and skills used in staff recruitment and performance appraisal, but also an understanding of the motivations, values, and attitudes that affect every level of organizational behavior.

Cross-cultural Research An important thread running through much of the research in the Department of Management of Organizations is the need to determine whether western theories and behavioral models can adequately explain business practices in Asia, and to develop new explanatory models where existing ones have been shown to be deficient.

Cross-cultural testing has already demonstrated in many cases that measurements developed in one culture are not applicable across cultural boundaries. Hence the need for management scientists to develop more sensitive survey instruments capable of reflecting the cultural differences found in this part of the world.

This type of empirical testing is currently being pursued by Department researchers in many aspects of human resource management and organizational behavior. Dr Kenneth S. Law, for example, is investigating the applicability of standard personality inventories to workers in Hong Kong. Prof Tsui is identifying the factors that influence the relationship between a supervisor and a new employee, both in the US and in Hong Kong. Dr Douglas J. Sego is testing the validity of western models of organizational commitment and job turnover in China.

Dr Anne L. Lytle is undertaking a large-scale study of negotiation processes and conflict resolution in five Asian Pacific cultures. 浯ne of the interesting things,{????}she says, 涐s that the 偀onflict avoidance{????}often identified as an Asian trait is really not that at all. It掇 actually a preference for indirect methods of conflict resolution, and therefore a form of conflict management.

毣sian cultures are very rich in indirect ways of resolving conflict, and we捯e only beginning to be able to devise survey instruments that can measure them. What掇 exciting is the opportunity to break new ground in an area with such wide ramifications.

Future Development In sum, the research currently being undertaken in the Department of Management of Organizations is helping to lay the groundwork for a body of theory and data that will provide the first accurate account of management practices in Asian societies. This should lead in turn to the development of more appropriate and complete tools for management students preparing to enter the business world of the 21st century.

With the whole world taking notes on the rapid economic development of this region, the Department has a bright and challenging future ahead. 浯ur goal,{????}says Prof Tsui, 涐s to become a world-class management department known for its contributions to the field, and for offering practical, relevant courses to its students.

Management students learn practical skills in planning, decision making, and problem solving that enable them to function effectively in a wide range of organizations.

RESEARCHDEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENTRESEARCH& & Otto Lin Joins HKUST as Vice-President of Research and DevelopmentDr Otto C. C. Lin, former president of the pres-tigious Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan, became HKUST掇 Vice-President of Research and Development in early March. Recently, he paused to answer a few questions for the Newsletter.

What attracted you to HKUST? I support the mission of HKUST. Usually a university is chartered as an institution for higher education and research. But HKUST掇 objective is also to assist in the economic and social development of Hong Kong. This is a difficult challenge which should not be underestimated, but at the same time it is the additional value which the University can bring to the community at this historic juncture.

I have worked for over 30 years in science, technology, education, and industry. I am at the point in my career when I can do some work that I really enjoy and that will be helpful to the Chinese people. I feel HKUST is an exciting place that will give me this opportunity.

What is your view of research opportunities at HKUST? First of all, I believe HKUST has collected together an excellent staff. A great deal of the research accomplished here is of outstanding quality. As you might expect, the University is gravitating toward a number of major thrust areas which the R&D and Academic Affairs branches have worked together to identify. Projects in these areas obviously build on the strengths of the faculty.

A major consideration is the future of Hong Kong. We need to forecast Hong Kong's future industrial needs, as well as understand its business and social environments. Then we can position the University in accordance with that perspective. We intend to reach a point of critical mass in many related science and technology areas. But a university should also encourage and support individual research where faculty members, in a free and open environment, can follow their hunches and venture into unknown areas and create new opportunities for the future. We should create an environment where it is possible for every faculty member to pursue quality research.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? I am returning to Hong Kong. I went to junior high school here. Those schools are unfortunately no longer in existence. Then I moved to Taiwan for high school and college. I graduated from National Taiwan University with a degree in chemical engineering. Then I went to the United States for postgraduate studies. I earned a master掇 and PhD from Columbia University in chemistry.

I worked in the US for Du Pont for 17 years in product R&D. My work there was in the area of rheology帨he flow and deformation of materials. My job at Du Pont was to make good use of the rheological properties of polymer systems.

I took leave from Du Pont in 1978 to become professor of polymer science at National Tsinghua University in Taiwan and to help set up the Polymer Institute. Later I was appointed dean of engineering at Tsinghua.

The second time I returned to Taiwan to work was in 1983 when I became the founding director of the Materials Research Lab in the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), which is essentially Taiwan掇 烋ational lab.{????}I stayed at ITRI for nearly 12 years, half the time as director of the MRL and half the time as the Institute掇 president.

I was gratified to work with a group of dedicated and innovative professionals at ITRI. A great deal of our work there was to assist in establishing high-tech industries, helping Taiwan to become the third largest economy in the world in information products today. ITRI also tried to help traditional industries such as bicycles and textiles gain top market share by upgrading the value of their products.

Do you see similarities in the industrial development of Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong?

In all three places, the population is blessed with a Chinese heritage as reflected in their work ethic, diligence, desire to succeed, and innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. All three have faced many difficulties and have depended on foreign investment and technology in the initial phase of their industrial development.

Taiwan has made great strides because of its focus on education and on cultivating indigenous technologies. Manufacturing is a significant part of the economy, and it has become increasingly technology intensive. Singapore has relied on multinational corporations and, without its own natural resources, has turned to trade, commerce, and financial services as its niches. Singapore has built an excellent infrastructure, and it has an effective government and a disciplined society which has increasingly recognized the importance of science and technology as competitive tools.

Hong Kong, traditionally a leader in many industrial sectors, including plastics, textiles, and consumer electronics, has moved its manufacturing base into the Mainland and evolved to become an outstanding operations center. It must not grow complacent, because regional competition in operations is fierce. Its role as China's only or predominant entrep(tm)t may gradually erode. Hong Kong needs to develop high-value services and manufacturing industries leveraging on science and technology.

HKUST can play a vital role in helping Hong Kong掇 science, technology, and industry to develop. We can help to provide brain power, foster innovations, and promote the growth of technology to the general public. But the University cannot do it all. Successful industrial development requires an outstanding physical and social infrastructure in which the government and the business community are the major players. The University must work with them to foster economic development.

Poised to make a big splash in the international healthfood market is a new antioxidant derived from Chinese herbs that promises to combat the effects of human aging and protect against heart and liver disease.

NDA, for 烋ewly discovered antioxidant{????} is the work of Dr Robert K. M. Ko (Biochemistry) and the first product to emerge from the recently established Hong Kong Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center at HKUST.

NDA has combined the active ingredients found in a traditional Chinese herbal formula with rigorous scientific processing to guarantee safety and efficacy. It is being marketed by Lee Kum Kee Group Ltd, sponsors of the Hong Kong Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center and a leading healthfood manufacturer.

NDA brings something unique to the booming market for modern dietary supplements. But to appreciate what it does, one needs to understand how the body uses antioxidants to safeguard health.

Free Radicals For many years, research programs in laboratories around the world have investigated human aging and its role in the onset of common diseases. Recently, their attention has been drawn to a naturally occurring molecule, the free radical.

Free radicals are molecules with a missing electron. They are highly reactive because they seek to acquire that missing electron from a neighboring molecule. When that happens, the original free radical becomes stable, but at the cost of possibly creating another in its place, setting off a chain reaction.

A form of oxygen, free radicals occur as a byproduct of normal metabolic processes, but they can also be absorbed from air pollution and other environmental toxins. The danger comes when they accumulate in excess, attacking chemical bonds in proteins, cell membranes, and even the DNA in cells.

Researchers believe that as we age, the body gradually loses its natural ability to control the cellular damage caused by free radicals. This oxidative process, commonly experienced as stiffening joints and wrinkling skin, is the same one that in nature causes steel to rust, rubber to turn hard, and hoses to crack. It may come as no surprise to learn that free radicals are also believed to contribute to the development of age-related diseases such as cataracts, arthritis, circulatory disorders, and cancer.

The body掇 natural response to free radicals娗ntioxidants娗re molecules that can safely donate an electron without turning into free radicals themselves, halting the chain reaction. Recent medical advice has suggested that we can counter the effects of aging by supplementing the body掇 own supply of antioxidants宬ence the current boom in dietary supplements containing vitamins A, C, and E and certain minerals. Is there a need for another antioxidant on the market?

A New Antioxidant Dr Ko suggests that his 烋ewly discovered antioxidant{????}offers a different approach. 涆he body掇 best defense against free radicals is the proper functioning of its own antioxidant defense system,{????}he says. 涆his involves not only vitamins and minerals, but an array of enzymes and other non-enzymatic systems.{????}

Vitamins and minerals, he explains, are free radical苫cavenging antioxidants, meaning that they themselves are consumed or 烞acrificed{????}in the act of neutralizing free radicals. If free radical production exceeds the antioxidant capacity of optimum vitamin supplementation, then the additional free radicals will be left unscavenged and cell damage will result.

Therefore, supplementing the diet with vitamins and minerals alone may not be enough. According to Dr Ko, the antioxidants found in a traditional Chinese herbal formula offer greater promise in the fight against free radicals because they are able to regulate operation of the body掇 own antioxidant system.

This is in keeping with a fundamental principle of traditional Chinese medicine峮amely, that management or prevention of disease is achieved through a balancing and harmonization of the body掇 functions. Therapeutic measures seek to remove the cause of disease by regulating the cellular systems in different tissues and organs.

In his research, Dr Ko verified the validity of this approach by using western pharmacological methods such as phytochemistry and bioassays to show that the antioxidants contained in certain Chinese herbs work not only by neutralizing free radicals, but by enhancing the performance of the body掇 antioxidant system as well.

His results also offered proof that these herbal antioxidants provide protection against heart and liver disease, as well as exercise-induced muscle damage.

NDA is expected to occupy a strong position in the international healthfood market. Moreover, says Dr Ko, it is only the first in a series of related products he is developing at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center. Another herbal tonic, called Biosports, is due to be launched this summer.

New Healthfood Retards Human AgingDr Robert K. M. Ko, developer of a new antioxidant that combats the effects of human aging and protects against heart and liver disease.

Herbal components of NDA: (clockwise from upper right) schisandra, ginseng, lily-turf, and American ginseng; and NDA in tablet form.

RESEARCHDEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENTRESEARCH& & Otto Lin Joins HKUST as Vice-President of Research and DevelopmentDr Otto C. C. Lin, former president of the pres-tigious Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan, became HKUST掇 Vice-President of Research and Development in early March. Recently, he paused to answer a few questions for the Newsletter.

What attracted you to HKUST? I support the mission of HKUST. Usually a university is chartered as an institution for higher education and research. But HKUST掇 objective is also to assist in the economic and social development of Hong Kong. This is a difficult challenge which should not be underestimated, but at the same time it is the additional value which the University can bring to the community at this historic juncture.

I have worked for over 30 years in science, technology, education, and industry. I am at the point in my career when I can do some work that I really enjoy and that will be helpful to the Chinese people. I feel HKUST is an exciting place that will give me this opportunity.

What is your view of research opportunities at HKUST? First of all, I believe HKUST has collected together an excellent staff. A great deal of the research accomplished here is of outstanding quality. As you might expect, the University is gravitating toward a number of major thrust areas which the R&D and Academic Affairs branches have worked together to identify. Projects in these areas obviously build on the strengths of the faculty.

A major consideration is the future of Hong Kong. We need to forecast Hong Kong's future industrial needs, as well as understand its business and social environments. Then we can position the University in accordance with that perspective. We intend to reach a point of critical mass in many related science and technology areas. But a university should also encourage and support individual research where faculty members, in a free and open environment, can follow their hunches and venture into unknown areas and create new opportunities for the future. We should create an environment where it is possible for every faculty member to pursue quality research.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? I am returning to Hong Kong. I went to junior high school here. Those schools are unfortunately no longer in existence. Then I moved to Taiwan for high school and college. I graduated from National Taiwan University with a degree in chemical engineering. Then I went to the United States for postgraduate studies. I earned a master掇 and PhD from Columbia University in chemistry.

I worked in the US for Du Pont for 17 years in product R&D. My work there was in the area of rheology帨he flow and deformation of materials. My job at Du Pont was to make good use of the rheological properties of polymer systems. I took leave from Du Pont in 1978 to become professor of polymer science at National Tsinghua University in Taiwan and to help set up the Polymer Institute. Later I was appointed dean of engineering at Tsinghua.

The second time I returned to Taiwan to work was in 1983 when I became the founding director of the Materials Research Lab in the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), which is essentially Taiwan掇 烋ational lab.{????}I stayed at ITRI for nearly 12 years, half the time as director of the MRL and half the time as the Institute掇 president.

I was gratified to work with a group of dedicated and innovative professionals at ITRI. A great deal of our work there was to assist in establishing high-tech industries, helping Taiwan to become the third largest economy in the world in information products today. ITRI also tried to help traditional industries such as bicycles and textiles gain top market share by upgrading the value of their products.

Do you see similarities in the industrial development of Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong?

In all three places, the population is blessed with a Chinese heritage as reflected in their work ethic, diligence, desire to succeed, and innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. All three have faced many difficulties and have depended on foreign investment and technology in the initial phase of their industrial development.

Taiwan has made great strides because of its focus on education and on cultivating indigenous technologies. Manufacturing is a significant part of the economy, and it has become increasingly technology intensive. Singapore has relied on multinational corporations and, without its own natural resources, has turned to trade, commerce, and financial services as its niches. Singapore has built an excellent infrastructure, and it has an effective government and a disciplined society which has increasingly recognized the importance of science and technology as competitive tools.

Hong Kong, traditionally a leader in many industrial sectors, including plastics, textiles, and consumer electronics, has moved its manufacturing base into the Mainland and evolved to become an outstanding operations center. It must not grow complacent, because regional competition in operations is fierce. Its role as China's only or predominant entrep(tm)t may gradually erode. Hong Kong needs to develop high-value services and manufacturing industries leveraging on science and technology.

HKUST can play a vital role in helping Hong Kong掇 science, technology, and industry to develop. We can help to provide brain power, foster innovations, and promote the growth of technology to the general public. But the University cannot do it all. Successful industrial development requires an outstanding physical and social infrastructure in which the government and the business community are the major players. The University must work with them to foster economic development.

Poised to make a big splash in the international healthfood market is a new antioxidant derived from Chinese herbs that promises to combat the effects of human aging and protect against heart and liver disease.

NDA, for 烋ewly discovered antioxidant{????} is the work of Dr Robert K. M. Ko (Biochemistry) and the first product to emerge from the recently established Hong Kong Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center at HKUST.

NDA has combined the active ingredients found in a traditional Chinese herbal formula with rigorous scientific processing to guarantee safety and efficacy. It is being marketed by Lee Kum Kee Group Ltd, sponsors of the Hong Kong Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center and a leading healthfood manufacturer.

NDA brings something unique to the booming market for modern dietary supplements. But to appreciate what it does, one needs to understand how the body uses antioxidants to safeguard health.

Free Radicals For many years, research programs in laboratories around the world have investigated human aging and its role in the onset of common diseases. Recently, their attention has been drawn to a naturally occurring molecule, the free radical.

Free radicals are molecules with a missing electron. They are highly reactive because they seek to acquire that missing electron from a neighboring molecule. When that happens, the original free radical becomes stable, but at the cost of possibly creating another in its place, setting off a chain reaction.

A form of oxygen, free radicals occur as a byproduct of normal metabolic processes, but they can also be absorbed from air pollution and other environmental toxins. The danger comes when they accumulate in excess, attacking chemical bonds in proteins, cell membranes, and even the DNA in cells.

Researchers believe that as we age, the body gradually loses its natural ability to control the cellular damage caused by free radicals. This oxidative process, commonly experienced as stiffening joints and wrinkling skin, is the same one that in nature causes steel to rust, rubber to turn hard, and hoses to crack. It may come as no surprise to learn that free radicals are also believed to contribute to the development of age-related diseases such as cataracts, arthritis, circulatory disorders, and cancer.

The body掇 natural response to free radicals娗ntioxidants娗re molecules that can safely donate an electron without turning into free radicals themselves, halting the chain reaction. Recent medical advice has suggested that we can counter the effects of aging by supplementing the body掇 own supply of antioxidants宬ence the current boom in dietary supplements containing vitamins A, C, and E and certain minerals. Is there a need for another antioxidant on the market?

A New Antioxidant Dr Ko suggests that his 烋ewly discovered antioxidant{????}offers a different approach. 涆he body掇 best defense against free radicals is the proper functioning of its own antioxidant defense system,{????}he says. 涆his involves not only vitamins and minerals, but an array of enzymes and other non-enzymatic systems.{????}

Vitamins and minerals, he explains, are free radical苫cavenging antioxidants, meaning that they themselves are consumed or 烞acrificed{????}in the act of neutralizing free radicals. If free radical production exceeds the antioxidant capacity of optimum vitamin supplementation, then the additional free radicals will be left unscavenged and cell damage will result.

Therefore, supplementing the diet with vitamins and minerals alone may not be enough. According to Dr Ko, the antioxidants found in a traditional Chinese herbal formula offer greater promise in the fight against free radicals because they are able to regulate operation of the body掇 own antioxidant system.

This is in keeping with a fundamental principle of traditional Chinese medicine峮amely, that management or prevention of disease is achieved through a balancing and harmonization of the body掇 functions. Therapeutic measures seek to remove the cause of disease by regulating the cellular systems in different tissues and organs.

In his research, Dr Ko verified the validity of this approach by using western pharmacological methods such as phytochemistry and bioassays to show that the antioxidants contained in certain Chinese herbs work not only by neutralizing free radicals, but by enhancing the performance of the body掇 antioxidant system as well.

His results also offered proof that these herbal antioxidants provide protection against heart and liver disease, as well as exercise-induced muscle damage.

NDA is expected to occupy a strong position in the international healthfood market. Moreover, says Dr Ko, it is only the first in a series of related products he is developing at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center. Another herbal tonic, called Biosports, is due to be launched this summer.

New Healthfood Retards Human AgingDr Robert K. M. Ko, developer of a new antioxidant that combats the effects of human aging and protects against heart and liver disease.

Herbal components of NDA: (clockwise from upper right) schisandra, ginseng, lily-turf, and American ginseng; and NDA in tablet form.

林垂宙博士 業司泰 謝顯堂 白恩寧 丁峙 克艾梅 周澤海 石豁達 張瑋 許定波 陳宏