HKUST Newsletter, April 1990

Abstract

[evdate 1990-04-15] Newsletter April 1990 PROGRESS ON THE ACADEMIC FRONT Second Academic Staff Meeting by Dr Henry Liu, Associate Pro- Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs From 11 to 17 January 1990, the academic staff gathered in Hong Kong for one full week of intensive planning meetings. It was the first time all Deans, Department Heads and Directors met in Hong Kong and had the opportunity to meet the staff of the Administration and Business branch and other units. During a site visit, they witnessed the actual construction of the impressive academic buildings and support facilities. For many who had been carrying on much of the planning work in isolation and through fax machines, a sense of reality began to set in. Architect's designs were taking on real shapes and forms; names on correspondences now had real faces. The dream is becoming a reality. The meeting was a resounding success with significant progress made on many important issues. Among the important tasks accomplished were the determination of the academic calendar, refinement of the modular curriculum based on the credit system, and establishment of channels for interdepartmental articulation. Academic planning is progressing to the next level of detail necessary for our projected October 1991 opening. Meetings by Schools are planned for March, to be followed by the next academic staff meeting on April 25-27,199O in Los Angeles. Prof Chia- Wei Woo opens BRI Inauguration Ceremony BRI Inauguration by Prof Mu-ming Poo, Head of Biology Department and Acting Director of BRI Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI) is the first of many inter-disciplinary research institutes to be established on the campus of HKUST. The missions of the BRI are (1) to establish a strong innovative research base in various areas of biological sciences that are directly relevant to biotechnology applications, (2) to develop techniques and products for commercial applications and to stimulate the growth of a new biotechnology industry in the Territory, and (3) to train researchers and technicians for the new biotechnology industry. The Institute will be an organisation supporting the work of as many as 50 researchers from 10 different science and engineering Departments of HKUST and from other tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. These researchers will engage in coordinated programmes in 5 different areas: Genetic Engineering & Molecular Pharmacology, Molecular Immunology, Biomedical Instrumentation & Modeling, Industrial & Agricultural Biotechnology, and Marine Biotechnology. Through these programmes, BR1 aims to facilitate the development of biotechnology industries that are crucial for the future needs of Hong Kong and to enable Hong Kong to remain competitive in the world economy of the 21st century. (Above) Hon Stephen Cheong and Prof Chih-Yung Chien at the News Conference 12th January, 1990 (Below) News Conference introducing Heads of Departments PROGRESS REPORT FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT developments. First, as you may have learned from stories in the media, Prof Chih-Yung CHIEN, our founding Dean of Science, was formally appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs (PVC-AA). We are happy that this crucial position has been filled by someone so familiar with the early stages of development of the University. The search for a new Dean of Science to replace him must now commence. We suspect that this time around the post will appear more attractive. Heads of all five Departments in the School have been appointed and are already working part-time for HKUST. The University has been guaranteed a reasonable amount of support for start-up equipment by Government, and has succeeded in raising $230 million seed funds for two research institutes. Laboratory designs for Phase I construction have long been completed and frozen, and designs for Phase II are well on their way. All in all, some of the major birth pains seem over. In the School of Engineering, we have decided to accelerate the inauguration of two Departments: Civil and Structural Engineering (C&SE) and Mechanical Engineering (ME), in response to Government's proposal to upgrade Hong Kong's physical infrastructure - as outlined in three recent white or green papers: Port and Airport Development Strategy (PADS) Transport Policy - Moving into the Twenty-First Century Environmental Policy - Pollution in Hong Kong These projects, estimated at a total cost of over $200 billion (US$25 billion), will require new technology and major increases in engineering manpower. In keeping with our stated mission, HKUST prepares to make an early and significant contribution in both areas by opening C&SE and ME Departments in our very first year of operation, commencing to enrol postgraduate students in 1991 and undergraduate students in 1992. Up to this point not much has been said about the School of Business and Management (SBM) in these Newsletters. As far as SBM is concerned, input on some of the major planning tasks, such as laboratory design and funding for research facilities, is not as urgently needed as from Science and Engineering. We have thus permitted the development of that School to lag behind. Another reason for the delay is that on account of market forces our recruitment efforts in SBM have not gone as well as in the other Schools. On-going negotiations give rise to the possibility that a "partner" will soon be identified for SBM. A major business school in California is likely to accept leadership in organising a consortium of highly respected academics to serve as our founding partner. If everything goes well, details will appear in the next issue of HKUST's Newsletter. The General Education Centre (GEC) has been re-considering its internal structure and departmental designations, indeed its own name as well. A proposal has been made to abandon the present interdisciplinary designations (such as History and Geography, China and Chinese Studies, and Local and Regional Studies) which seem to have discouraged candidacy from leading scholars who felt more at home with traditional disciplinary labels. The new structure calls for two multi-disciplinary Departments: Humanities and Social Sciences, each to feature a number of senior professors. Despite the new labels, however, scholarly pursuits carried out in the two Departments will continue to emphasise a broad-based general education and interdisciplinary areas of study identified in the University's early days of planning. There is a general consensus that GEC itself needs to be renamed. The main reason for its present designation is that, unlike the other "Schools", HKUSTenrols no fiist degree students (undergraduate majors) in the humanities and social sciences. As this practice becomes well established so that no confusion would arise, there is in principle no reason why GEC cannot be renamed a School of Humanities and Social Sciences. At the one week long January 1990 Academic Staff Meeting (see story on Page 1) convened by the PVC-AA, a number of University- wide academic policies were considered, and agreements were reached. Especially worth describing in more detail are the modular credit system and the academic calendar. At HKUST a module will stand for one or more linked courses. Examples: the Engineering Core Courses, macro and micro economics, a two-semester language sequence. Each course earns 3-4 credits, and each credit generally requires one hour of lecture and

three hours of self study per week for a semester, or the equivalent. During three years of undergraduate study (admitted after A-level preparation, i.e. 13 years of primary and secondary education), a student is expected to complete 100-105 credits of work towards a baccalaureate degree. An academic year will consist of two semesters of 15 weeks each, including one week each for examinations, starting in early September and ending in mid-June. The two semesters will be separated by a Winter Session, which will be 4-6 weeks in duration, usually spanning the period between Christmas and Chinese New Year. It will be devoted to academic work including remediation, learning of skills, open laboratories, enrichment, internships, research, special lectures, conferences, and the like - mostly learning for the sake of learning and for sheer joy, in keeping with the holiday spirit of celebration. ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS HEAD, DEPARMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY Prof Jeffrey Tze-Fei WONG Prof Jeffrey Tze-Fei WONG, presently Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto, has been designated Head of the Department of Biochemistry. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Prof Wong was a student at the Diocesan Boys' School. He received his BA in Physiology and Biochemistry and his PhD in Enzymology at the University of Toronto. After spending two years as a Research Associate at the University of Oregon, he returned to his alma mater as Assistant Professor in 1965 and was promoted to professorship in 1976. Prof Wong has held many visiting posts at international universities; among them, the University of Oxford in 1972 and 1979, the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry in 1979 and the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1988. He is a Councillor of Canadian Biochemical Society and Associate Editor of the journal Origin of Life. Prof Wong wants to see his Department at HKUST nurture both the basic and applied aspects of biochemical sciences in order to develop biotechnology research in Hong Kong. His future plans is directed toward the achievement of excellence in basic biochemical teaching and research, and the maintenance of emphasis on applications. He hopes his Department will contribute to making Hong Kong a hub of scholarly activities in Asia. Prof Wong has diverse research interests. His earlier work centred on the kinetic analysis of enzyme mechanisms. His proposal of the concept of 'degree' to identify enzyme mechanisms is now adopted by the International Union of Biochemistry. His more recent research emphasises both fundamental and applied aspects of Biochemistry. On the fundamental side, he proposed in 1975 a &evolution Theory to explain the structure and evolution of the genetic code and his laboratory isolated a bacterial mutant that represented a mutation of the amino acid code. On the applied side, his laboratory has developed a dextran-haemoglobin conjugate as an oxygen-carrying blood substitute, and has replaced all the red bloodcells of laboratory animals with the conjugate. It was the first instance where a complete red blood cell replacement followed by spontaneous recovery under room air has been achieved, and in so doing, opening the way to a totally artificial protein-based red blood cell substitute. Prof Wong has published over 70 scientific papers and the monograph Kinetics of Enzyme Mechanisms. He holds several patents. Prof Wong considers his return to contribute to the building of HKUST under the unique historical circumstances an exceptional challenge, and is excited over the role he will play as part of an important initiative to advance the competitive position of Hong Kong in the global economy. His artist wife, Eva, specialises in Chinese Landscape paintings. They have three children, and the family shares an enthusiasm for canoeing and sailing. HEAD, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Prof Pin TONG The designated Head of Mechanical Engineering, Prof Pin TONG, is presently based in Massachusetts where he is Chief of the Structures and Dynamics Division of the Transportation Systems Centre (TSC) of the United States Department of Transportation. He is responsible for the safety of transportation vehicles and systems. In the past fifteen years, he has been in charge of planning, directing, and conducting research and development with an annual budget in the millions (US Currently, he is also an Advisory Professor of the Southwest Jiaotong University and Shanghai Railway Institute of Technology and an Honorary Professor at the Chinese Academy of Railway Science. A recognised international expert in finite element methods and structural mechanics, Prof Tong pioneered the application of the finite element method to fluid mechanics. He has published over 80 papers on structural analysis, a book on finite element methods, and has edited several books and technical proceedings. His paper, "The Theory of Sphering of Red Cells" co-authored with Prof Y C Fung, was selected by the American Academy of Mechanics as the best paper in Biomechanics in the 1970's. He was honoured with the Von Karman Memorial Award with Prof T H H Pian in 1974 for most meaningful contributions to aerospace structural material technology; the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary's award for Meritorious Achievements in 1976; and was named Engineer of the Year of the Research and Special Programs Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, by the American Society of Professional Engineers in 1985. Commenting on his task at HKUST, Prof Tong said, Technolgoy and transportation have been, and will continue to be, vital to the economic growth of Hong Kong. The missions of HKUST are to educate the necessary talents and to harness the technology needed for Hong Kong's economic development." Prof Tong received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from National Taiwan University; and his MS in Aeronautics and PhD in Aeronautics and Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology in 1966. He then joined the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to teach in the fields of structural mechanics, fracture mechanics, biomechanics and computational mechanics. While at MIT, Prof Tong also served as Visiting Professor of applied mechanics at the Institute of Electronics and Information, National Research Council of Italy, and at the University of California, San Diego. He left MIT to join the TSC in 1974. Prof Tong is married with three children. His wife of twenty- five years, Jean, is a senior computerprogrammer. Prof Tong's hobbies include skiing, tennis and swimming. PROFESSOR OFMATHEMATICS Prof Chung-Chun YANG Prof Chung-Chun YANG, a Research Mathematician at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), has been appointed Professor of Mathematics. A pioneer in the study of the factorisation theory of meromorphic functions, Prof Yang has worked in areas of value-distribution theory of meromorphic functions and their applications, pattern recognition and image processing, as well as data compression techniques for large pictorial database management. He has published over 100 journal articles and book chapters, authored and edited sixteen monographs including two volumes introducing Chinese mathematicians' works, and served as a reviewer for several journals. Three of his books were published by the American Mathematical Society (AMS) in its Contemporary Mathematics Series. He has been an invited speaker at international conferences and has given lectures in various meetings. A member of the AMS Committee on Translation from Chinese, Prof Yang has served as an Organiser for two of AMS's special sessions. Prof Yang earned his BS from the National Taiwan University and his MS and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received NRL's Annual Research Publication Award in 1972 andits Special Achievement Awardin 1987. During 1983 to 1984 he was a Visiting Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Born in Wuxi, Jiangsu,Prof Yang is married with three children. PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY Prof Ernest Hsiao Ying CHU, Prof Ernest Hsiao Ying CHU, currently Professor of Human Genetics and Toxicology at the Medical School and the School of Public Health of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has been appointed Professor of Biology. Prof Chu received his BSc from Shanghai's St John's University and his MS and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, he held appointments at Yale University, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory at Tennessee and the University of Tennessee. At present, he also serves as Consultant for two US government agencies: Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Drugs, Food and Drug Administra-tion. In addition, he is an Advisory Professor of Fudan University in Shanghai. Prof Chu's research interests are in the areas of mammalian cell and molecular genetics, with emphasis on mutagenesis and DNA repair. He has published over 100 papers and one book. Prof Chu has received numerous honours and awards including fellowships of the New York Academy of Science, American Association for Advancement of Science, Josiah Macy Foundation and American Cancer Society. Prof Chu was born in Haining, Zhejiang. He is married to Nien-Si Liu. They have three children. NEWS IN BRIEF Prof Chia-Wei Woo, Prof Chih-Yung Chien and Dr Henry Liu met with 9 Chinese Middle School Principals from the Association of Hong Kong Chinese Middle Schools, on 9 January 1990. Prof E R (Ron) Oxburgh, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence, a member of the Committee of the Royal Society, and now Chairman of the UST Sub-Committee of UPGC, visited the offices of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on 12 January 1990. A press conference was held on 12 January 1990 to announce the appointment of Prof Chih-Yung Chien as Pro-Vice-Chan-cellor for Academic Affairs, and to introduce new Deans, Di-rectors, and Department Heads. A day-long boat trip was organised for the University's staff l and families on 14 January. Original intention to attempt landing on the site of the University to plant a University flag was frustrated by stormy waves which prevented the boat from sailing into Port Shelter. The Inauguration Ceremony of the Biotechnology Research Institute was held on 16 January 1990. The comprehensive symposium that followed was attended by over 100 guests. Prof Chia-Wei Woo, Prof Chih-Yung Chien, Prof H K Chang, and Prof Jay-Chung Chen visited the Chen Hsong Machinery Co Ltd at the Tai Po Industrial Estate on 17 February 1990, and exchanged views with the Managing Director, Mr C Chiang, and the Executive Director, Miss Lily Chiang. On 28 February 1990, Mr Seamus Rainbird and Mr Mufit Yildirimalp who are involved in planning a university of science and technology in Istanbul met with Mr Ian Macpherson, Prof Maurice Craft, Prof Peter Dobson, Dr Max Ivey, Dr Henry Liu, and Mr George Scott to discuss comparable experiences. On 17 March 1990, Prof Chia-Wei Woo gave a luncheon keynote address, "Technological and Educational Developments in Hong Kong in the 1990's: How can Californians participate " at a conference of the Chinese-American Engineers and Scientists Association of Southern Califomia( CESASC), Los Angeles, accompanied by a special session on HKUST organised by Prof H K Chang. Prof David J TEDFORD

Profiles of council members Prof David TEDFORD is Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and was one of the five overseas academics who HKUST Planning Committee PROFILES OF COUNCIL MEMBERS served on the . He received his BSc and PhD from Glasgow University, Born in China, Mr C D TAM came to Hong Kong in 1950. Graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1966 with a BSc(Hon),Mr Tam took up a teaching job for 2 years before joining Motorola as Ap-trained with GEC Ltd and has researched in aircraft guidance systems with Ferranti Ltd (Edinburgh). Appointed to the Chair of Electrical Engineering at Strathclyde in 197 1, he has researched in the field of dielectric materials, with over 120publications, and has been responsible for establishing and directing one of the largest and most successful electrical power engineering research groups in the UK. More recently, he has also played a leading part in many new initiatives in information technology and in technology trans-fer. He was awarded an Honorary DSc by the Technical University of Lodz in Poland, and was appointed an Advisory Professorship at Xi'an Jiaotong University in China. He was a member of Honeywell (UK)'s Technical Advisory Council and has other connections with industry. Prof Tedford served as member and chairman of two professional group committees of the IEE and as deputy chairman of its Science, Education and Technology Divisional Board. He is a member of the Executive of the British National Committee of Conference Intemationales des Grands Reseaux Electriques, of the Electricity Supply Research Council and of the Council of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In addition, he is a Director of the Scottish Engineering Training Scheme, a Member of the Scottish Examination Board (Scottish Office Appointment), and Convener of the Scottish Universities' Council on Entrance. He is a recipient of the Order of Merit, Polish People's Republic. Mr John CHAN, LVO, OBE, JP The Secretary for Trade and Industry of the Government of Hong Kong, Mr John CHAN, was appointed to the University Council in April, 1988. Mr Chan joined the Hong Kong Civil Service in 1964 and has sincebeen working in the Government with the exception of a brief period, between 1978 and 1980, during which he entered the private sector. Prior to his present appointment as Secretary for Trade and Industry, he had served a variety of posts in the Government. They included Private Secretary to the Governor, Deputy Director of Trade, Director of Information Services, and Deputy Chief Secretary. He was appointed a Justice of Peace in 1984, and was awarded the OBE in 1985 and the LVO in 1986. Mr Chan holds a BA degree with honours and a Diploma in Management Studies from the University of Hong Kong. He is married with two children. He enjoys reading, swimming, and bowling. applications Engineer when it opened its semi-conductor operations in Hong Kong. He climbed the management ladder through different positions held over the past 22 years which included engineering, sales, marketing, and product operations. Mr Tam was promoted to General Manager for Motorola Asia Pacific Marketing Operations in 1979. His responsibilities were further expanded in 1982 with the opening of a modem facility in Hong Kong which also houses an advanced testing plant. In February 1984, Mr Tam was appointed as Vice President and General Manager for the Asia Pacific Semiconductor Products Division, the first Chinese to be appointed to such position by the Corporation. In November the same year, he was selected as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the Year in Hong Kong. In February 1988, Mr Tam was further promoted as Corporate Vice-President & General Manager. As the head of Motorola Semiconductors in Asia Pacific, Mr Tam's main objective is to continue to bring product and semiconductor technologies to this part of the world. His recent activities include the setting up of advanced integrated circuit design centres in both Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as the Silicon Harbour Project for Asia Pacific. As recognition of Mr Tam's contributions to the electronics industry he was recipient of the Young Industrialist Award granted by the Federation of Hong Kong Industry, and the Courvoisier Award for Business Excellence - Industry, in 1988. Mr Vincent H S LO Mr Vincent H S LO is the founder and Chair-man of the Shui On Group which engages in construction, construction materials, property development, hotel, food and leisure businesses in Hong Kong and China with an annual turnover in excess of HK$3 billion. Mr Lo is actively involved in many business, community and government committees in Hong Kong. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Basic Law Consultative Committee, the First Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries & Conditions of Service, a member of the Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries & Conditions of Service and the Executive Committee, Hong Kong Management Association. Mr Lo attended St. Joseph's College in Hong Kong and the University of New South Wales in Australia. BUILDING A UNIVERSITY: HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES By Prof Maurice Craft, Dean of General Education While placing emphasis on science, engineering, business and management, the intention from the outset has been that HKUST's graduates should be more than narrow specialists. They should also be introduced to and become familiar with a wider range of intellectual perspectives. So, up to one-third of each undergraduate's programme will be spent on required courses outside his/her chosen School, including 17% devoted to humanities and social sciences within the General Education Centre (GEC). This concern for breadth fits well with contemporary educational ideas, and with the economic and social needs of complex, modem societies characterised by rapid social change. Early specialisation is now thought less personally enriching than developing a wide range of skills and sensitivities. It is also considered that vocational pursuits should be complemented by an awareness of the arts. In the marketplace, familiarity with a variety of perspectives is felt to aid the adaptability, flexibility and creativity prized by industry, commerce, the professions and public services. And as informed citizens, HKUSTs graduates will need an awareness of the roles of science, technology and business enterprise in a fast-developing region -- a region preoccupied with technological advance but also with 'green' issues; with enhancing standards of living but also with equality of opportunities; and with working within one country, two systems'. In short, HKUST is committed to the objective of offering high level specialisation within an equally challenging all-round education. It will aim to produce skilled scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs who will also be sensitive to the arts, to the Chinese cultural heritage, and to the social, regional and international contexts. 14th Century Western View of Asia How is this to be achieved? Heads of Departments have agreed that all undergraduates should take 4 courses in the GEC during the 3-year programme -- one compulsory, three as electives. The one required course, Social Context of Science, Technology & Business Enterprise, will review the origins and development of scientific thought, technology and industrialisation, and the associated social changes; and will consider the contributions of science and technology to social and economic development, and also current concerns for conservation, pollution and environmental hazards. Undergraduates will then select one of three electives felt to be of particular relevance: Hong Kong & its Region; China, its History & Culture; and Political Science. The first of these will offer an analysis of the social, political and economic structure of modem Hong Kong, and of neighbouring societies of the Pacific Rim -- including a survey of broader patterns of international relations. It will review regional trade, competition and cooperation; and it will examine regional development -- industrialisation, economic and social infrastructure, resource management and urban planning. The elective on China, its History & Culture will present a broad historical overview, a more detailed analysis of significant political, economic and social changes during the last half century, and a section on language, literature and culture. The third elective, Political Science, is felt to be particularly relevant for HKUST's undergraduates at the close of the 20th century, offering a review of significant political ideas -- from both East and West -- and presenting a critical analysis of contemporary forms of government and the machinery of public administration. It will also present an introduction to international politics, analytical and historical. The remaining electives from which each student will select two will offer a wide choice from the humanities and social sciences, and will include languages, literature, music and other performing arts. At the masters and doctoral levels will be research degrees and taught courses. There will be research projects, and a range of extra-curricular offerings. Overall, a range of stimulating opportunities for students and staff alike. BUILDING A UNIVERSITY: THE LANGUAGE CENTRE By Dr Gregory James, Director In the vibrant bilingual society that is Hong Kong, virtually the whole of the undergraduate intake is expected to consist of speakers of a first language other than English, yet English will be the University's medium of instruction. The Language Centre, therefore, has a particularly significant pan-university role to play. The Language Centre will plan to assess the English language proficiency of all students on entry, and particularly their proficiency in written and spoken English for academic purposes. All departments will wish to be satisfied that students can cope fully and effectively with lectures, seminars, texts and other English language materials; and students will value the opportunity to develop their bilingual capacity. Students will have voluntary access to the Language Centre's pre-sessional and in-course provision of English language support, and Departments may require such supplementary study. HKUST is also considering the adoption of minimum graduation requirements in communication skills for all majors, reflecting the leadership roles that students are likely to succeed to upon graduation. In addition to this vital role of maintaining effective linguistic support to all the University's academic activities, the Language Centre will also offer a programme of elective courses on modem world languages. Japanese as well as important European languages such as Spanish or French may be made available as part of the General Education Centre's provision of optional complementary studies and Putonghua will be offered on an extra-curricular basis. The Language Centre is also likely to contribute to the General Education Centre's interdisciplinary programme of taught master's degrees and research degree supervision at master's and doctoral levels, responding in particular to the significant demand for master's programmes in TESL among Hong Kong's secondary school teachers; we anticipate similar needs in commerce, industry, the professions and public services in the region. The Language Centre's physical facilities will include a number of modem audio/video and computer supported language laboratories suitable for both supervised group practice and individual study, supplemented by the availability of audio-visual student carrels in the Library, which will maintain a stock of language study materials for students to make use of. Convenient provision for the reproduction of materials will be made, so that students can continue their studies at times and places most convenient to them. An essential adjunct to a modem, well-equippeduniversity conscious not only of the particular linguistic concern of students reading for degrees in a language other than their mother-tongue, but also of the increasing need for adequate communication skills in all disciplines, the Language Centre will contribute support and enrichment, extending horizons and opportunities for all its students in the local as well as the worldwide community. Piazza under Construction

COMMUNITY COMMENTS Prof Cheng Yiu-chung Director City Polytechnic of Hong Kong As someone deeply concerned with the education of our young people in Hong Kong, I welcome the establishment of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the additional opportunity for higher education which it will provide. An increasing number of young people highly qualified in the areas of science and technology is vital for the future development of our society. I have no doubt that the University will be able to meet the challenges ahead and fulfil its mission. Like the new University, we at City Polytechnic also regard it as our mission to respond to the needs of society. Apart from the engineering and technical disciplines, we also have a balanced development in social studies, business management, accounting, economics and finance, languages, law and administration. The City Polytechnic's emphasis on the applied nature of the subjects it offers will complement the work of the University in areas of common interest. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration in the future. Prof C F Ng Dean of Science Hong Kong Baptist College The establishment of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is a milestone in the development of higher education in Hong Kong. It represents the recognition of the very important role of higher education in general and science and technology in particular to the public at this historical juncture (and beyond). As such, the public expectation of the new university is unquestionably high. I am sure the colleagues at HKUST have a very challenging, but by no means enviable, task ahead. As an academic who has been in Hong Kong for some years, it is a pleasure to learn that HKUST has been successful, to date, in attracting some talented academics to come to serve Hong Kong. The new blood of these incoming scholars will, no doubt, enhance the academic strength of Hong Kong. The arrival of these new colleagues should be welcomed by us all. On the question of academic programmes/research areas, I understand that colleagues at HKUST are paying particular attention to introducing new areas which are needed in Hong Kong but avoiding simply duplicating the efforts of other higher institutions. This is, of course, highly commendable. I would also like to see full consideration given to the available resources in Hong Kong so that the programmes of HKUST and other institutions mutually enhance each other to ensure that public monies are most effectively spent. In this connection, I am glad that the Research Centre of HKUST has begun to initiate a collaborative effort of launching a Workshop on Environmental Issues in the coming September. I hope the Workshop will be a success. More importantly, the whole concept of HKUST will be a success. Indeed, the Hong Kong public would not accept anything else. 0 Professor George J Fan Administrative Dean Engineering Programme The Chinese University of Hong Kong In the last few decades we have witnessed an unprecedented social and economical development driven by scientific and technology advancements in a broad front. These technical developments have touched all aspects of our lives and its influence is likely to continue. It seems that there are few items, if any, more important to the development of Hong Kong than emphasis on science and technological education. To create a dynamic environment where R/D and graduate education can flourish needs a great deal of investments in many fields. The formation of a third University, I-IKUST, is a key step to placing issues on a proper perspective. The base of R./D and graduate education in Hong Kong is relatively narrow today. With a new University dedicated to promoting R/D in science and technology, we can expect to see a broadening effect. It will have an important influence on the other universities, both in terms of exchanges of views and collaboration of activities such as joint research projects, sharing of resources and joint recruitment. Some reservation has been expressed that the I-IKUST, with its planned resources and a new modernized curriculum, would prove to be a tough competitor in R/D for the existing tertiary institutions; however, my belief is that a competitive situation such as this one can only benefit the students and the society in general since in the final analysis we will get better overall quality. From my interactions with the staff at HKUST, I have found a group of dedicated and accomplished research oriented educators who have defined a set of goals for research, education, and interactions with industry which reinforce and support a lot of goals we have set for ourselves in CUHK. And for that reason, many of my colleagues and myself are looking forward to having much collaborative activities with HKUST. Together, we will work on establishing Hong Kong as a fountainhead for science and technology. 香港科技大學 錢致榕教授 王子暉 董平 楊重駿 朱孝穎 戴賢範 陳祖澤先生 譚宗定 羅康瑞 鄭耀宗 吳清輝 范季融