HKUST Newsletter, Spring 2001

Abstract

[evdate 2001-03-15] Hong Kong University of Science & Technology Newsletter Spring 2001 Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China Soar, HKUST Soar High spirits and memorable occasions were the order of the day on 23 April as the much-anticipated 10th anniversary celebrations, carrying the theme "HKUST Soars", got off to a flying start. SAR Chief Executive the Hon TUNG Chee Hwa, HKUST Pro-Chancellor Dr the Hon S z e -Yuen CHUNG, Council Chairman Dr Vincent H S LO, President Chia-Wei WOO, and President-Designate Prof Paul Ching-Wu CHU were among 400 participants at a reception held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The guests were invited to look back at the many world-class achievements of the

University's first decade and forward to those to come. In attendance were leading business figures, donors, senior government officials, and representatives from the HKUST community. In his speech launching the celebrations, Mr Tung said: "Despite its relative youth, HKUST has made history in local and international academia. The can-do spirit of HKUST has set an excellent example." Birthday greetings given in 10 different languages and dialects reflect the international makeup of the HKUST community. A lion dance by Security staff and the Shaolin Martial Arts Society created a splash of traditional Chinese color. Balloons in the University's colors floated skywards as students, faculty, and staff enjoyed the Kickoff Celebration festivities in the Piazza. Earlier in the afternoon, a kick off celebration was held on campus when over 1,000 students, faculty, and staff came together in an emotional lunchtime gathering in the Piazza to share their pride in the University's quick step on to the world stage. The festive mood was captured in dragon and lion dances, music and songs, and celebratory greetings in 10 different languages and dialects from its international members. The release of hundreds of balloons in front of the "Red Bird" sundial, an icon of the University, proved a high point of the event, capturing HKUST's drive- past, present, and future-to reach for the sky. Anniversary events will continue throughout the year. For details, please visit the 10th Anniversary Website at http www.ust.hk/10A. The Chief Executive officiated at the off-campus Launching Ceremony together with the representatives of the University. Friends and supporters celebrated the University's achievements at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Spring 2001 2 President's Progress Report country; two systems" principle in sight, Hong Kong could not afford to waste time in identifying her new destiny and building a solid foundation for her future development. A world-class research university emphasizing science, engineering, and management would form an important part of that foundation. The government leadership knew that. From the time the first construction contract went out in November 1989, we were given less than two years to build the campus, recruit the first group of faculty, and open for class in October 1991. Furthermore, we were given five years thereafter to reach our full size. The most difficult task was to recruit a world-class faculty, especially senior scholars who would come as founding members of the Schools and Departments. First-class people would bring other first-class people. Second-class people would bring third-class people. Third-class people would bring people without class. In rapidly advancing fields like the basic sciences, engineering and applied technologies, and modern management, one is either first-class or without class. There was no room for compromise. But, why should first-class scholars give up prominent careers and eminent places in societies which highly valued their contributions to come to a university without a campus, without the assurance of decent funding, and so soon after the unfortunate Tiananmen incident, in a city which had invested so little in its higher education, technology, or culture? Yet they came. Pioneers all, with knowledge in their head and fervor in their heart. In threes and fives they came. Followed by high-spirited young men and women, at times as many as 10 per month. All with doctorates from the world's leading research universities. All with courage and determination to build their laboratories from the ground up. All fully prepared to face and overcome Hong Kong's many uncertainties. And they were supported by administrative staff who were equally dedicated and brave. Some were seconded from government, and some transferred from sister institutions. They gave up their safe havens to join the new institution, which had nothing to offer them besides fresh challenges. These are the people who took hold of a rare moment in history and a rare gift of geography, and labored to build this University of Science and Technology into a powerhouse for the region. Indeed, much has been achieved in 10 years. Our graduates are valued by employers both locally and abroad. Our scientific research and technology development place us at the forefront amidst the world's major universities. Our management education and research hold the leadership position in Asia. Our humanists and social scientists are very highly regarded by their peers. We are deeply grateful to members of HKUST's founding University Council, especially its Chairman Dr Sze-Yuen CHUNG, for Year 10- A Significant Milestone On 2 October this year, HKUST will be 10 years old. If everything goes as planned, we will launch our 10th anniversary celebrations in April. In fact, that event will have taken place before this Newsletter reaches you. Some would say: Most of the world's prominent universities took hundreds of years, or at least many decades, to reach where they are. So, what's 10 years? Using age as a measure, indeed, we have taken only our first step. However, times have changed. Over the past century, the pace of human progress has accelerated tremendously. Never has one year gone by without a scientific breakthrough that could improve the world's economy. Never has one decade gone by without new discoveries that could bring about fundamental changes in our lifestyle. Witness the following. In the early days of the 20th century, not all that far from the place we now call Silicon Valley, battles were still fought between the Native Americans and the early settlers. People were still throwing tomahawks and shooting at one another from atop horseback. People were still digging and panning for gold using primitive tools. People were still fighting or bullying one another for land or water. Who could have foreseen that a few decades later man would land on the moon? Or systematically decimate Mother Earth with weapons and pollutants? Or significantly improve man's quality of life and revamp the world order with information technology and biomedical science? Some of these miracles were constructive, and some terribly destructive. What cannot be denied is that it makes little sense to measure present progress with past yardsticks. When one looks at things this way, 10 years is hardly a short time. One should rather ask: Has HKUST moved fast enough? Has HKUST been able to catch up and keep pace with the world's rapid advance? Without pretensions of modesty, I suggest that the answer is yes. We have . We started at a high level, revving furiously, and hit the ground racing. The founding team recognized that Hong Kong had waited much too long to initiate her technology-based economic transition, and now every minute counted. With self-governance under the "one The Planning Committee meeting in 1987. Year 10 - The HKUST family can ask with confidence and pride: "Can you find another university anywhere in the world which has matured so fast and achieved so much in just 10 years?" Prof Chia-Wei WOO. 3 Spring 2001 HKUST Tops World in Accounting Research research is first in the world." The Accounting faculty comprises 21 accountants and four attorneys. Topics they tackled during 2000 shed light on China trends and global issues. These included "Financial Packaging of IPO Firms in China", "The Impact of Improved Auditor Independence on Audit Market Concentration in China", and "Analyst Forecasting Ability and Stock Price Reaction to Forecast Revisions". Prof Gary BIDDLE, Head of the Accounting Department and Associate Dean of the School of Business and Management, says, "The knowledge generated by our faculty creates value for our students, for Hong Kong, for China, and for accounting professionals worldwide. Our research-based teaching gives our students cutting-edge insights that won't appear in textbooks for another 10 years. It's a great advantage for our graduates that employers very much appreciate." The achievement of the Accounting Department is yet another addition to the growing list of accolades received by the School. Established in 1991, it is the only business school in Asia to be awarded dual accreditation by the US-based AACSB-the International Association for Management Education and the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). In the Financial Times 2001 MBA rankings, the School's full-time MBA program was the only Asian program that has made the world's top-50 league. their vision, leadership, and hands-on participation. We owe much to the generous donations of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and mainstream support of Hong Kong's government and community. We should congratulate ourselves for our broad perspectives, explorative spirit, and total commitment. We have created a personality that is uniquely ours, and in the process brought to Hong Kong a certain style and culture of innovation. We have established a solid reputation in the worldwide academic community, and in the process brought Hong Kong international honor and prestige. All in all, HKUST has had a pretty good 10 years. We are now engaged in consolidating our past achievements and present strengths into a concrete platform from which to once again lift off and soar. Our second 10 years will take the University into a fresh new phase of vigorous development, and, without a doubt, propel the University far above the terrestrial horizon into the wide blue yonder. Recognition is adding up for HKUST's Accounting faculty. A survey of research articles published in 2000 in five of the field's top academic journals has ranked the School of Business and Management department number one internationally. The publications surveyed were Contemporary Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, Review of Accounting Studies, and The Accounting Review. HKUST has consistently ranked among the top 10 institutions in accounting research publication in these journals since 1997, alongside such top universities as Chicago, Columbia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and California at Berkeley. Based on the recognized, author-weighted method of counting published articles, in which each co-author receives a proportional share of the credit, HKUST researchers took the top spot together with UC Berkeley, ahead of Cornell, Indiana, and Columbia universities (Panel I). If publications are counted by affiliation, giving each affiliation one point without regard to multiple co-authors from a given school, HKUST ranks 3rd in the world behind Indiana and Cornell (Panel II). If publications are counted by giving each author affiliation one point, regardless of the number of authors, HKUST Accounting again tops the list with Cornell, Indiana, and Ohio State (Panel III). "Hong Kong is the most important financial center of this hemisphere," says Prof Chia-Wei WOO, President of HKUST. "It is appropriate that it should have an accounting department whose Main Articles & Research Reports in Top Five Journals (2000) Panel I: Author Weighted Panel II: Affiliation Hits Panel III: Author Hits Rank Publications Rank Publications Rank Publications University HKUST Cornell Indiana Ohio State Colorado Michigan North Carolina Stanford UC Berkeley Chicago CityUHK Columbia Michigan State Northwestern Pennsylvania University Indiana Cornell HKUST Colorado North Carolina Chicago Columbia Michigan Ohio State Stanford Arizona Louisiana State Michigan State Northwestern NYU University HKUST UC Berkeley Cornell Indiana Columbia Stanford USC Colorado North Carolina Pennsylvania Chicago London Business School Michigan Louisiana State Northwester Spring 2001 4 Research & Development New Centrifuge Facility for Sustainable Development and Cleaner Environments tional academics and students, government departments and engineering firms the opportunity to uncover further secrets of the soil, making construction of buildings and other structures safer and more cost-effective, and environments cleaner. In the past 15 years, centrifuge testing has become an increasingly popular way to investigate engineering problems internationally, although in Hong Kong it is still relatively untried. "In a primarily Director of the GCF. "Soil, like human beings, has a memory. Its properties depend on its previous stress history and current stress states. If you have to stop and start again, you confuse the soil because you interrupt its memory. This means it will not be the same as in the field. Now we are able to more closely replicate actual conditions." The bi-axial shaking table widens research opportunities further, allowing simulation of earthquake motion in two horizontal directions. It is currently the only facility in the world to offer this, enabling testing of dams and slopes under earthquake conditions to be carried out more realistically. Completing the dynamic set-up is an interactive data acquisition and control system linked to the Internet. "This means that researchers in Canada, the US, or the UK can see our tests and directly access the data in almost real-time," says Prof Ng. "They can make a decision whether to stop or start a test while it is in progress." Serving the wider community The GCF team is looking to quickly establish a track record to match the outstanding facilities. They already have an extensive list of research projects, among them the behavior of loose-fill slopes and its stabilization with soil nails, and centrifuge modeling of pile-sand systems under multi-directional earthquake loading. The Chinese Mainland has expressed interest in tests for a new airport runway for the northwest region to check stability under earthquake loading. A delegation from Taiwan has also visited the facility to discuss earthquake research on dams, and settlement problems. The GCF has been welcomed by experts in the field, including Prof Malcolm BOLTON, traditional professional engineering society, we need innovation," says Prof Wilson TANG, Head of Civil Engineering at HKUST. "If there was an international ranking system for centrifuges, I am sure ours would be in the top five at least." Top-class equipment Pushing the HKUST facility to the forefront of geotechnical and geo-environmental research is its capacity to simulate construction activity while the centrifuge is in motion. Most centrifuges have to be stopped and re-started to conduct such tests, affecting the nature of the results. "In geotechnical tests, it's very important to get the stress levels right," explains Associate Professor Charles NG of the Civil Engineering Department and Associate Advances in geotechnical and geo-environmental engineering take on the forces of Nature with the opening of the University's latest central research facility, which will allow in-depth understanding of the earth and environmental issues around us. The multi-million dollar Geotechnical Centrifuge Facility (GCF), funded by the University Grants Committee and HKUST, opened on 3 April. Housed together with the CLP Power Wind/Wave Tunnel Facility in a purpose-built building on the HKUST campus, it incorporates the latest developments in centrifuge and information technology, including the world's first bi-axial shaking table and a state-of-the-art four-axis robotic manipulator. The result is a one-of-a-kind research center that enables small-scale physical models to be tested at elevated gravity under laboratory conditions while reproducing conditions in the field to a greater degree of accuracy than previously possible. Safer construction Catering to both basic and applied research projects in geotechnical and geo-environ-mental engineering and science, the GCF facilitates investigations ranging from slope behavior, tunneling and piling to the impact of earthquakes, the effect of long-term ground settlement and migration of pollutant s , and wave effects on environments. It affords local and international "The Centrifuge is a boon to geo-technical and geo-environmental engineers," says Associate Professor Charles Ng, Acting Director of the facility. The Geotechnical Centrifuge Facility incorporates the latest developments in centrifuge and information technology, including the world's first bi-axial shaking table and a state-of-the-art four-axis robotic manipulator

5 Spring 2001 Research & Development Material Protection from Microwaves investigating its properties, we realized would be ideal as a protective film on mobile phones. "Public concern over the safety of mobile phone radiation exposure is mounting and world health experts advocate a precautionary approach until there is hard scientific evidence either way. However, if we can find a way to minimize human exposure to these microwaves in the first place, we're effectively side-stepping the problem," he says. The new microwave absorption material offers a practical way to do this. Laboratory tests show that it cuts the transmission of electromagnetic fields emitted by today's mobile handsets, which operate at frequencies between 900 MHz and 1900 MHz, to as low as 10% to 20%. Moreover, it appears to achieve optimum absorption efficiency above 1800 MHz, which is good news in the light of the higher frequencies being adopted by third-generation (3G) handsets and WAP phones. Co-inventor Associate Professor Che Ting Chan demonstrates the material's efficiency at absorbing the electromagnetic fields emitted by a mobile phone. From left: Associate Professor Weikun Ge, Professor Ping Sheng, and Assistant Professor Weijia Wen with a sheet of their novel microwave absorption material. The material's usefulness is not limited to mobile phones. Other potential applications include shields to block radiation from other wireless devices and computers. Being thin, light and cheap, it could even be used like wallpaper to reduce interference between wireless control devices in neighboring homes and offices. Coming hot on the heels of the super thin soundproofing material reported in the Autumn 2000 issue of this Newsletter, the department's latest material breakthrough is further proof of the value of "pure" research in yielding innovative solutions to everyday issues as well as its longer term contribution to the knowledge economy. HKUST physicists have invented a new material that absorbs microwaves and offers a practical way to shield the human body from radiation emitted by mobile phones and other wireless communication devices. The new material is an ultra-thin, lightweight and flexible composite that could easily be installed inside mobile phone handsets or used as an external shield between the antenna and the user's head. The combined effect of its reflection and absorption properties blocks up to 90% of the electromagnetic fields (or microwaves) emitted by mobile handsets (approximately 70% through absorption and 20% through reflection) without affecting the quality of signal transmission. Moreover, its inventors-departmental head Prof Ping SHENG, Assistant Professor Weijia WEN, and Associate Professors Wei kun GE and Che Ting CHAN-say that it is both easy and inexpensive to fabricate, with the raw materials costing under HK$20 per square foot. Small wonder then perhaps that the discovery is arousing considerable interest among mobile phone accessory manufacturers and the media-especially given that Hong Kong has one of the highest penetrations of mobile phone users in the world. What may be more surprising to some of us is that such a practical breakthrough should come about as the unexpected "by-product" of basic research. "The inspiration for our new composite grew out of the team's long-term investigation of the interactions between electromagnetic waves and different materials," explains Prof Sheng. "We decided to put a fundamental principle we'd been mulling over to the test. And came up with a new composite material which, after Director of the renowned Schofield Centrifuge Centre at the University of Cambridge, UK, and Prof Tsutomu KIMURA, former Chairman of the Technical Committee on Centrifuge Modeling of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. Both took part in the opening ceremony on 3 April. Meanwhile, the advantages for HKUST students and the community at large are clear. "We are training the engineers of the future," says Prof Tang. "We w ant them to be familiar with these advanced tools so they can use them to enhance the profession." Diary date: HKUST is hosting an international centrifuge symposium from 8 to 9 December 2001. For details, please contact Associate Professor Charles Ng at cecwwng@ust.hk..Spring 2001 6 Research & Development Boosting Hong Kong's Semiconductor Industry Local industry has been quick to meet the Government funding scheme's requirement of at least 10% sponsorship from more than one private firm. So far, 21 semiconductor companies have donated a total of HK$2.4 million. The Center's principal industry partners, ON Semiconductor and Solomon Systech Ltd, are convinced of the value-added advantages it will create. For ON Semiconductor, a global broadband and power management ICs supplier, the availability of product analysis services at HKUST was one of the deciding factors for establishing its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. "We were attracted to Hong Kong because of its strategic location, its sound infrastructure, its pro-business attitude," explains Mr Henry Leung, the company's Asia-Pacific President. "And also because the SPADE Center is set to provide a basic semiconductor product analysis laboratory infrastructure in Hong Kong. This will enable us to shorten our product development cycle and to conduct cost-effective and high quality product analysis without having to go overseas." Project Director Prof Johnny Sin (left) and industry partner Mr Humphrey Leung, President of Solomon Systech Ltd, prepare to examine a prototype IC with the SPADE Center's cutting-edge focused-ion-beam system (inset). Reciprocal benefits Mr Humphrey Leung, President of Solomon Systech Ltd, a successful Hong Kong start-up that specializes in innovative liquid crystal display drivers and controller ICs for mobile phones and personal digital assistants, concurs on the benefits the facility will afford. His company plans to develop some new focused-ion-beam analysis techniques with the SPADE Center. Under this arrangement, the Center will benefit from the expertise of Solomon Systech's engineering team-one of the best in Hong Kong in micro-surgery on silicon chips. In turn, the Center will help Solomon Systech to train more staff in product analysis and design enhancement. HKUST is establishing a new product analysis center to meet the needs of local semiconductor companies and boost Hong Kong's competitiveness in the increasingly lucrative global semiconductor market. Scheduled to open by the fourth quarter of 2001, the Semiconductor Product Analysis and Design Enhancement (SPADE) Center will operate as a non-profit service facility for industry clients. With cutting-edge equipment such as a focused-ion-beam system and a high-resolution emission microscope, it will be the first facility for testing, debugging, and repairing integrated circuits (ICs) in Hong Kong. Meeting industry's needs There are over 40 semiconductor companies active in Hong Kong today, and the number is growing. Most of them are "fabless"(that is, without their own fabrication facilities). All of them need, and will continue to need, product analysis, design enhancement, and failure analysis facilities to do well in this high value-added hi-tech business. The lack of such facilities in Hong Kong to date has been a significant obstacle to growth in this area, particularly for small-and medium-sized local semiconductor companies unable to afford private product development facilities. Hitherto, they have had to send their new designs to Singapore, South Korea, or Taiwan for product analysis, design enhancement, and failure analysis. By providing a service only available overseas at the moment, the SPADE Center is thus set to play a vital role in helping Hong Kong build a basic infrastructure to support local semiconductor companies. It may also attract more international companies to open their design and development offices in Hong Kong. Enthusiastic response The project has met with an enthusiastic response from the Hong Kong Government and local industry. It was awarded HK$14.913 million in funding under the Government's Innovation and Technology Support Program to cover the equipment, maintenance, and staff costs needed for the Center's first three years of operation, after which it aims to become self-financing. "Still another benefit of the working relationship with the University will be access to our students as a talent pool to meet future staffing requirements," says Associate Professor Johnny Sin of HKUST's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Project Director of the SPADE Center. "At present, many of our top graduates are attracted by job offers overseas in Singapore and Silicon Valley. Strengthening the local semiconductor industry will generate more and better technical jobs and opportunities for career advancement here in Hong Kong. It's a win-win situation for everyone," he adds. Significant boost Semiconductors are a rapidly expanding industry, with the global market value topping US$195 billion in 2000. Asia-Pacific's contribution to this was US$44 billion, 4% of which came from Hong Kong. Prof Sin estimates that the SPADE Center could boost Hong Kong's share in the world market by as much as 30%, generating around US$2.3 billion (HK$17.85 billion 7 Spring 2001 entered the final round at the 3rd Annual Marshall International Invitational Case Competition held in Los Angeles. The HKUST team was the only Asian team to win an award-for devising a business plan for Taiwan PCgiant Acer Computer. HKUST postgraduates have been invited to present papers at the prestigious International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) for four times since 1997. This puts HKUST students on a par with top researchers from multi-national enterprises and world-renowned universities. Also known as the "Chip Olympics", the annual Conference is organized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. To date, HKUST is the only university from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland to have had research papers accepted and presented at the Conference. From 1999 to 2001, HKUST postgraduates made presentations at the Conference three years in a row. Vincent CHEUNG (above, left), a PhD student from the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, was invited twice in 2000 and 2001. Student teams from the School of Business and Management have excelled in international case study competitions. In February 1999, a team of four undergraduate business students competed with 14 teams from the world's top business schools and All-Round Education Bears Fruit HKUST students ranked among the world's top 1% of student computer programmers at the ACM International Collegiate Programming Finals held in Philadelphia in February 1996. Improving on their already impressive performance in the 1995 competition, in which HKUST was placed 13th among 780 odd teams, the University competed against 1,001 teams in 1996 and finished in the 11th place, beating traditional heavyweights such as Caltech, Columbia University, and the University of Toronto. Biology Department students developed a project called Promotion of Environmental Protection Awareness, which received grants in 1995-96 from two environmental organizations. With this support, the students were able to produce presentation materials and visit more than 30 local secondary schools to share their knowledge of environmental issues with the younger students. HKUST students have organized social services to heighten awareness of and solicit support for disadvantaged village children in the Chinese Mainland and vulnerable elderly people living alone in Hong Kong. Every year, with the support provided by the University, students from the School of Engineering and the School of Science organize summer camps for secondary school students(center). Participants are introduced to the Schools' programs and hear the experiences of alumni all useful references in their choice of university and subject. Many of HKUST's student groups have won championships and awards in open and inter-university competitions. They include the Dragon Boat teams, Rowing teams(below), Dance Society, Choir, Handball teams, Contract Bridge Club, Debating Society, Recitation teams, and so on. This proves that the University's mandate of offering an all-round education has yielded good results. The achievements of HKUST's students in various areas have attested to the success of the University's mission and long-term objectives-to give all students, undergraduates and postgraduates alike, a broadly based university experience that includes: superior training in their chosen fields of study; a well-rounded education that enhances the development of their creativity, critical thinking, global outlook, and cultural awareness; and a campus life that prepares them to be community leaders and lifelong learners. The University will maintain its commitment to nurture the professional talent essential to Hong Kong's transformation into a knowledge society. Since its official opening in 1991, the University has armed over 15,000 young professionals with the cutting-edge knowledge and innovative spirit that can benefit the Hong Kong community. Inspired and educated by a top-class and dedicated faculty, HKUST undergraduates and postgraduates have not only achieved academic distinction, but have also demonstrated outstanding performance in extra-curricular activities and community service. Here are some notable examples. 8 Spring 2001 HKUST in Action Published by the Office of University Development and Public Affairs. For information: tel (852) 2358-6302 or fax (852) 2358-0537.

PTC- G8590 International Friendship Cherished More than 80 students from overseas participated in the first International Student Gala hosted by HKUST on 4 May. The event was held to foster relationships with and among the 160 odd visiting and exchange students studying at the University. The students, who come from more than 20 ethnic origins, include Americans, Austrians, Belgians, British, Canadians, Dutch, Filipinos, French, Germans, Greeks, Indians, Indonesians, Israelis, Jamaicans, Mauritians, Mexicans, Moroccans, Nigerians, Poles, Singaporeans, Swedes, and Thais. Those who attended the event enjoyed the opportunity to mingle and socialize in games and karaoke singing. Canadian and Israeli students performed on the occasion, which was organized as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations. W3C endorses XML Schema at HKUST HKUST hosted the bi-annual meeting of the Advisory Committee of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)-a global forum created to lead the Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability-from 30 April to 1 May. Attended by W3C Director Tim BERNERS-LEE and around 200 representatives of W3C Member organizations, the meeting endorsed

the recommendation of the Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) Schema definition language for "next generation" electronic commerce systems, databases, and other

applications involving the use of large volumes of data on the Web. HKUST has been

home to the W3C office in Hong Kong since 1998 and led the successful bid to host the

10th International World Wide Web Conference held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 1 to 5 May 2001. 10th Anniversary Distinguished Lectures The University's 10th Anniversary Distinguished Lecture Series kicked off on 2 April with a talk by renowned neuro-scientist Prof Zach W HALL, Executive Vice Chancellor, University of California, San Francisco. Other academic luminaries to deliver 10th Anniversary Distinguished Lectures this semester include Prof Malcolm BOLTON (in photo), Professor of Soil Mechanics and Director of the Schofield Centrifuge Center at the University of Cambridge (3 April); modern China expert Prof Andrew G WALDER, Professor and Chair of Sociology and Co-Director of the Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University (2 May); and post-colonial theorist Prof Gayatri C SPIVAK, Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities, Columbia University (5 May). The Wolf Prize-winning mathematician, Prof Joseph B KELLER, also gave a Distinguished Lecture on wave propagation earlier on 15 February. Nanjing University Students Perform at HKUST The Nanjing University Art s Group brought Chinese music and folk songs, western songs, traditional and modern dance, and drama to HKUST in a Student Cultural Exchange Performance from 24 to 26 April. The highly professional performances were presented by students from a wide range of disciplines, including the arts, science, engineering, business, and law. They were given a warm reception by the HKUST community, which welcomed the opportunity for cultural exchange between students of the two universities. This was the first program of the University Cultural Exchange Series to celebrate HKUST's 10th anniversary. Other Mainland universities in the line up include Fudan, Jiaotong, Peking, and Renmin. Serving Hong Kong's Secondary Schools Over 120 educators from local secondary schools participated in the 2001 Principals' Day at HKUST on 30 March. Under the banner of "Partnership in enrichment programs for secondary schools", the day-long program of talks, informal discussions, and guided laboratory tours gave participants a comprehensive introduction to the resources and programs that HKUST provides to secondary schools. These include twice-yearly general knowledge talk series; IT workshops and school-based training courses for teachers; university-credit-bearing, online computer science courses for upper form

students; courses on Hong Kong history, culture, and society; and assistance with

language training, curriculum design, and the production of teaching materials. SPRING 2001 SPRING 2001 APPOINTMENTS COUNCIL MEMBER Mr Lester G HUANG Mr Lester Huang is a solicitor and notary public practicing in the Hong Kong law firm P. C. Woo & Co. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Mr Huang read law at the University of Hong Kong. As a Council Member of the Law Society of Hong Kong, Mr Huang's portfolio includes legal education and continuing professional development matters. He is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Directors and is Vice President of the Hong Kong Society of Notaries. Mr Huang is also active on government boards and committees such as the Transport Advisory Committee, the Judicial Studies Board, and the Midwives Council. He is a member of the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute. Particularly concerned with youth and education matters, Mr Huang is a council member of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. He also sits on the Board of the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong and is a founding director of the Friends of Beida (Hong Kong) Limited, a charity that principally supports Peking University. He is also a member of the Education Department's Advisory Committee on School Based Management and a lay member of the Council on Professional Conduct in Education. COUNCIL MEMBER Mr KUNG Lin Cheng Leo Mr Leo Kung was born in Hong Kong and graduated in 1980 from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. After graduation, he joined Chemical Bank in Hong Kong and was later transferred to its headquarters in New York. In 1994, Mr Kung joined Chekiang First Bank Limited, of which he is currently a director and Deputy Chief Manager. Mr Kung is Chairman of Net Alliance Co. Limited and Vice Chairman of Bank Consortium Trust Co. Limited. He is also a director of Honfirst Investment Limited, Honfirst Property Agency Limited, Joint Electronic Teller Services Limited, Card Alliance Company Limited, and Hong Kong Life Insurance Limited. Mr Kung is active in community service and is involved with a number of non-profit groups. He is a director of the Executive Committee of the Operation Smile China Medical Mission and the Executive Committee of Helping Hand. He is also a member of the Investment and Endowment Funds Sub-Committee of the Community Chest of Hong Kong, the Manpower and Training Committee of the Employers' Federation of Hong Kong, and the Audit Committee of the Hong Kong Housing Society, as well as an advisor to the Chinese Bankers Club, Hong Kong. COUNCIL MEMBER The Hon SIN Chung-kai Mr Sin Chung-kai has served the community for over 15 years as District Board member, Regional Councilor and Legislative Councilor. Born and educated in Hong Kong, Mr Sin graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a BSc in 1982 and obtained his MBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1997. Since graduation, he has worked in the Information Technology Department of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, where he currently holds the position of Assistant Information Technology Project Manager. Representing the Information Technology functional constituency in the Legislative Council, Mr Sin is currently the chairman of the Information Technology and Broadcasting Panel. Mr Sin is a member of many IT-related and public service committees, including the Information Infrastructure Advisory Committee of the SAR Government, the Advisory Committee on the Code of Practice for Recognized Certification Authorities, and the IT Task Force of the Equal Opportunities Commission. He is a board member of the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited, a member of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Advisory Committee, and a member of the RTHK TV Program Advisory Panel. COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP CHANGES Appointment Vice-Chairman: Mr Philip N L CHEN, JP Director & Chief Operating Officer Cathay Pacific Airways Limited Re-appointment Member: Mr Ronnie C CHAN Chairman Hang Lung Development Co. Limited Expiration of term of office Dr Steven K L POON, JP (Outgoing Council Vice-Chairman) Managing Director Bright World Enterprise Limited Mr Linus W L CHEUNG, JP Deputy Chairman Pacific Century CyberWorks Limited Dr the Hon Raymond K F CH'IEN, GBS, JP Chairman Inchcape Greater China. SPRING 2001 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT OF ORGANIZATIONS Hong Seok OH 2000 PhD Pennsylvania State University (Organizational Behavior/Organization Theory) Research Interests Social capital of entrepreneurs; intra- and inter-organizational networks; groups; organizational innovation. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Limin ZHANG 1989 PhD Sichuan University (Geotechnical Engineering) 1996-1998 Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of Florida, Gainesville Research Interests Deep foundation, centrifuge modeling, numerical methods, embankments and slopes, geotechnical reliability. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT Vernon N HSU 1993 PhD University of Iowa (Operations Management) 1994-2000 Assistant and Associate Professor, George Mason University, USA Research Interests Supply chain and logistics management, optimization in operations and information systems management, e-commerce/e-business. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF INFORMATION AND SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT Paul W FORSTER 2000 PhD University of California , Irvine (Information and Computer Science) Research Interests Logistics and e-commerce; inter-organizational systems and supply chain management; organizational impacts of IT. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MARKETING Rashmi ADAVAL 1996 PhD University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA (Business Administration) 1998-2000 Visiting Assistant Professor, HKUST Research Interests Affect and information processing; representation of narratives, visual, and verbal information in memory; cognitive priming effects. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE James Tin-Yau KWOK 1996 PhD Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Computer Science) 1997-2000 Assistant Professor, Hong Kong Baptist University Research Interests Support vector machines, artificial neural networks, pattern recognition, machine learning. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING Kevin J CHEN 1993 PhD University of Maryland (Semiconductor Devices) 1999-2000 Technical Staff, Wireless Semiconductor Division, Agilent Technologies, Inc., USA Research Interests Microwave/RF device characterization and modeling, high-speed semiconductor devices for wireless communication. 黃嘉純先生 孔令成 單仲偕議員 陳南祿 陳啓宗 潘國濂博士 張永霖 錢果豐 徐寧 郭天佑 霍斯特 吳弘錫博士 張利民 陳敬