HKUST Newsletter, January 1991

Abstract

[evdate 1991-01-15] Newsletter January 1991 PUBLIC OUTREACH More than 10,000 applications were received for admission to HKUST's first class of 560 undergraduate places in the coming academic

year, 199l-92. This remarkable and overwhelming response demonstrates the acute need for tertiary education opportunities

in Hong Kong. At the same time, it testifies to the work of HKUST staff behind the scenes, telling our story. In the spring of 1989,

many people in Hong Kong had never heard of the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. Today, a year and a half later,

more than 10,000 students wish to enter. Outreach has always been a high priority on the University's agenda. The Vice-Chancellor and President speaks at graduations

and community meetings. Two student representatives from each secondary school were invited to the Foundation Stone Laying

Ceremony. University staff, both teaching and administrative, have been visiting schools, learning about Hong Kong's secondary

education, speaking about HKUST's admission procedures and academic programmes, and meeting students. HKUST videos and

posters were given to 300 secondary schools. To reach a broader audience, the University joined four territory-wide school and career

exhibitions, and produced informational displays at many MTR (subway) stations. We continuously strive to keep the public informed

through the media-in print, on radio, and on television. Indeed, as a public institution it is our obligation to do so.

Undergraduate applications for 199 l-92 have now closed, but postgraduate applications are open. The Postgraduate Prospectus

was published both as a book and as a newspaper supplement in one of Hong Kong's leading papers (the South China Morning Post).

In addition, a special symposium comprising displays, seminars, and counselling is being planned specifically to promote postgraduate

education in Hong Kong. Looking back, HKUST has accomplished a lot. Looking ahead, we still have a long way to go. We need and appreciate your help.

PROGRESS REPORT FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT School will open on 2 October 199 1, less than 40 weeks to go. Page one of this Newsletter describes, in pictorial language, how many stu-dents all over Hong Kong are waiting for that opening date. In order to insure that excellent students will be selected to fill the 560 undergraduate places, our Office of Admissions has set itself in full gear screening the 10,231 completed applications. Personal interviews will soon follow. Fourteen academic Departments, at the same time, have commenced to recruit high-quality master's and doctoral students. In past issues of the Newsletter, we reported on the campus environment, building construction, facilities and equipment, budgets, and academic staff. Many readers have commented that through these Newsletters they perceived energy, excitement, and (in the words of one reader) the "common sense and idealism which undergird the founding of this new University. We appreciate the fact that you have been able to share our purpose and enthusiasm. Since this issue will be read by many student applicants and new staff members, I would like to focus on some of the finer details: three academic support service units which are likely to impact life on campus on a daily basis. Library In Phase I, the Library will provide a seating capacity of 606. There will be six rooms for group study, two for seminars, and one for computer training (with 36computers); mediaresource services; and photocopy services. The available space will be 6,000 sq m (64,000 sq ft), approximately 45% of the total when we reach Phase III. The opening-date collection will comprise 120,000 volumes of books, 1,700 titles of journals, 8,800 items of audio-visual materials, and 35 products on magnetic tapes or CD-ROM. At present 2,000 volumes are arriving each week from all over the world. INNOPAC, an integrated library system, was installed in October 1990. By September 1991 the system will be fully operational. It will provide unified access to books, journals, media resources, and electronic publications. More specifically, databases of dictionaries, encyclopaedias, and indexes and full texts of journals will be loaded onto INNOPAC, or on the CD Network connected to INNOPAC, to allow multiple-user access. The system will also have the capability of retrieving Chinese materials by Chinese character search keys, and will become a gateway to remote databases. Beyond our own library collection, general support already available includes a Dialog online database search, document delivery arrangements from worldwide sources, inter-library loans from sister institutions in Hong Kong, and online connection with OCLC-the largest bibliographic database in the world. Computing Services and Telecommunications As the campus opens, a high-speed fibre optic network (FDDI, 100 million bits/second) will be available as a backbone for the University's computer network, which will cover the entire campus With Ethernet subnet reaching all academic buildings, staff quarters, and student rooms-right onto every user's desk top. Our philosophy is to strive for "paperless offices with the help of e-mail, bulletin boards, and highly integrated information systems. To the extent permitted by the latest technology, all systems will be bilingual in English and Chinese. We shall begin with a central cluster of VAX systems and high-speed RISC super-workstations (100 MIPS). Each academic staff member will be provided with either a powerful PC or a UNIX desktop workstation. In addition, each Department will have several UNIX workstations to be used for specialised research and teaching. There will also be a large number of PC's for the administrative staff. As a university in which all students are expected to become thoroughly familiar with the use of computers, our objective is to provide an average of one PC for 10 students. In addition, UNIX workstations will be accessible in the CAD/CAM Laboratory and in other specialised laboratories. Since students upon graduation will necessarily enter a multi-vendor computer world, we expect to surround them with a multi-vendor environment. Student Services Student housing is an important issue in Hong Kong. It is always desirable for first-year undergraduates to reside on campus. This is particularly so for a technological university where students often need access to laboratories and computer facilities during late hours. Two hundred and seventy-seven double rooms for undergraduates and 120 single rooms for postgraduates will be available in Phase I. Since the first-year intake will consist of only 560 under-graduates and 140 postgraduates, and since some of the postgraduates will be commuting part-timers, all full-time HKUST students will be able to live on campus during their first year! The student canteen will have 680 seats, located next to a terrace with a panoramic view of Port Shelter and Sai Kung Country Parks. A multi-purpose hall and a fitness centre will provide facilities for indoor sports such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, etc, and opportunities for general exercise. The student amenities area will feature a common room, a multi-purpose activity room, three conference or meeting rooms, seven rooms for various recreational use such as TV and music, and office space for student organisations. There will be a health service with an on-campus clinic to provide medical consultation and first aid, a bookshop, a photocopy centre, a convenience store, and two banks. Counselling services will be on site to assist students in solving problems affecting their studies, finance, and social life. Extra-curricular programmes will be designed to enrich their experience and enhance their campus life. We believe that all-round personal growth is a main objective of a successful tertiary education. These are just three examples. Please watch for more information on academic support services in future issues. ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS HKUST AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCHOOLS OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT On 27 October 1990, officials of HKUST and of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) signed a ground-breaking agreement formally establishing a cooperative, cultural, and academic agreement between the two universities' schools of business and management. As part of the agreement, UCLA will send staff to work with HKUST staff to co-found the School of Business and Management at HKUST, to initiate joint Executive Education Programmes, and to advise on curricular and research matters. In return, HKUST will provide a home for UCLA's Anderson Graduate School of Management in Asia-Pacific, offering opportunities for regional contacts, support, and academic expertise. At the same ceremony, the following five appointments to HKUST's School of Business and Management were announced. We welcome these outstanding scholars on board. PRO-DEAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT Dr Ernest J. SCALBERG As part of the agreement between HKUST and UCLA, Professor James Clayburn LA FORCE, Jr will serve as HKUST's Acting Dean of Business and Management while an international search for a permanent Dean continues. Professor La Force is a dynamic leader respected in all three spheres of academic, business and community life. His contributions to UCLA as Dean of the Anderson Graduate School of Management have helped make it one of the best business schools in the US. Professor La Force earned his academic degrees in Economics: a BA from San Diego State College, an MA from UCLA, and a PhD also from UCLA. After graduation, he took up a teaching post in the Department of Economics at UCLA, eventually becoming its Chairman. In 1978 he assumed his current post as Dean of the Graduate School of Management, and is now in his third term. In the business world, Professor La Force serves on the boards of 11 primarily multinational corporations, including Rockwell Inter-national and Eli Lilly. He is on the boards of eight national or regional non-profit foundations, most of which are involved in some aspect of education. In addition he has served his nation and community in a variety of advisory positions, including Chairman of President Reagan's Task Force on Food Assistance, member of the National Council on the Humanities, and Chairman of the State of California Workers' Compensation Advisory Committee. Dr Ernest J. SCALBERG, Associate Dean at UCLA, will be seconded to HKUST full-time as Pro-Dean of HKUST's School of Business and Management. He has developed expertise in business and management education from a variety of perspectives over two decades. He received a BS from Southern Oregon State College, an MA from the University of Denver, and a PhD in Higher Education from UCLA. After joining the staff of UCLA in 1969, he held several administrative and research posts before moving to the Anderson Graduate School of Management in 198 1. There, he inaugurated and developed an Executive MBA Program which is now ranked among the top five in the United States. At the same time, Dr Scalberg is active in research as well as international and community affairs. He has received six federal grants and has published widely. He designed and administers the annual international survey of Executive MBA Programs, is a founding Director of the Executive MBA Council, and is a Trustee of several non-profit organisations. In 1988, he received the Dewars Corporation's California doers award for inspiration and leadership to the community. Dr Scalberg and his wife moved to Hong Kong in January 199 1. He sees his new post as "a unique opportunity in a place with a great future." Professor Nai-fu CHEN will be seconded from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) to help build the Department of Finance and Economics at HKUST. Born in Hong Kong and graduated from St. Paul's Co-educational College, Professor Chen pursued tertiary study in the US, earning a BA and PhD in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley. In 198 1, after earning a second doctorate in Finance at UCLA, Professor Chen changed careers, and joined the faculty of the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago. In 1989 he was recruited to UC1 to build the finance programme at the Graduate School of Management, where he is currently a Professor of Finance. Professor Chen has lectured at universities all over the world. He is Associate Editor of the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, and is affiliated with the Roll and Ross Asset Management Corporation. PROFESSOR AND DEPUTY HEAD DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ECONOMICS Professor Yuk-Shee CHAN Professor Yuk-Shee CHAN, Professor of Finance and Business at the University of Southern California (USC), will be seconded to HKUST as Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Finance and Economics. A native of Hainan, China, Professor Chan received his early education in Hong Kong, and his first degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Later, at the University of California, Berkeley, he earned an MBA, an MA in Economics, and a PhD in Finance and Economics. Upon graduation he became Assistant Professor of Finance at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, where he was awarded the Gutmann Research Chair in 1984. In 1986 he joined USC. Professor Chan's research focuses on the economics of information, financial institutions and contracts. He publishes widely, regularly presents papers, and is a referee for more than twenty international journals. Reader Department of accounting Dr Danny S.N. WONG comes to HKUST from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) where he has been Senior Lecturer and Chairman of the Department of Accountancy. Dr Wong received a BS in Mathematics from California State University, Fresno, and an MS and PhD in Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University. He has been on the faculties of California State University, Chico, and Ohio State University. In 1982, he took up a lectureship at CUHK. In addition to academic work, Dr Wong serves as Director of the Diploma in Management Studies (DMS) Programme for Civil Servants of the HK Government. He regularly teaches seminars for executives in business in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, and writes articles in both English and Chinese for academic and professional publications. 0 PROFESSOR AND HEAD DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Professor Peter W. CHEUNG The new Head of the Electrical & Electronic Engineering Department, Professor Peter W. CHEUNG, comes to HKUST with a distinguished record of productive research and teaching. Born in China but raised in Hong Kong, Professor Cheung earned a BS in chemistry from Oregon State University, an MS also in chemistry from the University of Puget Sound, and a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Washington. Microsensors, biomedical electronics, and biomedical instrumentation were-and are-the principal foci of his work. In 1973 Professor Cheung became Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Technical Member of the Electronic Design Center at Case Western Reserve University. He was later promoted to Associate Professor and also Director of the Electronic Design Center. In 1985 he moved to the University of Washington as Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Director of the Microsensor Research Laboratory of the Washington Technology Center. Professor Cheung has been equally active in his university community and in his research field. He has served on numerous university committees and directly supervised more than 50 MSc and PhD theses. He publishes and speaks regularly at conferences and symposia. From his various research and consulting activities, he has been granted four US patents, with four additional patents pending, in areas of biosensors, medical electronics and signal processing. He is a member of Sigma Xi, of the Editorial Board of the journal Sensors and Actuators, and of the Chinese-American Association for Science and Technology. Looking ahead, Professor Cheung has no doubt he and his staff can create a good Department. "Hong Kong has no lack of bright students. We must motivate and excite them I want to see each engineer coming out with excellent technical ability and business perspective-able to use a systems and team approach in solving problems." Professor Cheung is married, with two children aged 7 and 11. The hobby he has found most rewarding is the design and building of his own home in Seattle. When asked what he would do in Hong Kong, he joked, "Perhaps I can help design and build part of the labs for the EE Department in Phase II!" DIRECTOR OF LABORATORY Centralised services Mr. Neal E. Wolef gree in Natural Science from the University of Akron, Mr Wolfe's SERVICES first university position was as Assistant Registrar at his alma mater.

CENTRALISED SERVICES There he helped design and implement the computerisation of the

University's entire record-keeping system. Subsequently, seeking Mr Neal E. WOLFE more challenge, he moved into teaching electronics and instrumen

t;B zz A > tation, also at the University of Akron. For the past decade Mr Wolfe

has been Senior Engineer at the Instrumentation Systems Center of HKUST's new Director of Laboratory Services, Mr Neal WOLFE, the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has spent much of that

has a wealth of knowledge and of skills developed through intema- time abroad as a consultant, specialising in laboratory planning and

tional experience in planning university facilities. With a BS de- equipment specification for research and university 1aboratories.

Mr Lee Hon Chiu PROFILE OF COUNCIL MEMBER Mr Lee Hon Chiu, Chairman and Managing Director Chairman of of Hysan Development Company Ltd, one of the thirty-three constituent stocks of the Hang Seng Index, is also non-executive Division, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hang Seng Bank, the Hong Kong and China Gas Co., The hong kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Hsin Chong international holdings ltd, Sime Darby Hong Kong Ltd, and a number of other Hong Kong companiesthe Society from 1981 to 1983. In

Com- addition he serves in the Institute for Research and pany Ltd, one of the thirty- Consultancy of the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong. three constituent stocks of the Born in Hong Kong in 1929, Mr Lee received Hang Seng Index, is also non-executive Di- his tertiary education and early work experience in the United

rector of the Securities and Futures Commis- States. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical

sion, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hang Seng Bank, The Hong Kong engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1952, and

and China Gas Co., The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corpo- a master's degree in electronics at Stanford University in 1953. Mr

ration, Hsin Chong International Holdings Ltd, Sime Dar-by Hong Lee then worked in the television and radio division of the Westing-Kong

Ltd, and a number of other Hong Kong companies. house Electric Corporation and in the semiconductor division of the

Besides serving HKUST as Council member, Mr Lee is also a RCA Corporation before returning to Hong Kong in 1976.

member of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children since 1978 and was Chairman of the Society from 1981 to 1983. In addition he serves in the Institute for Research and Consultancy of the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong.

Born in Hong Kong in 1929, Mr Lee received his tertiary education and early work experience in the United States. He received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering at massachusetts institute of technology in 1952, and a master's degree in electronics at standford university in 1953. Mr Lee then worked in the television and radio division of the Westing-house electric corporation and in the semiconductor division of the RCA corporation before returning to Hong Kong in 1976.

Mr Lee is married with three daughters and a son.

NEWS IN BRIEF Dr I-Hsun Ni (Biology) presented a paper at the First International Conference on the Marine Biology of Hong Kong and the South China Sea, held in Hong Kong, 28 October-3 November. His paper was entitled "Population dynamics and community ecology of fisheries resources - A quantitative case study of seal-capelin-cod interactions in the Northwest Atlantic". Prof. Din-Yu Hsieh and Dr Yue-Kuen Kwok (Mathematics) were invited to speak at the ceremony founding the Chinese Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics in Beijing, l-3 November. Dr Kwok also visited Academia Sinica and lectured at the Computing Centre and the Institute of Mechanics. President Chen Sun of National Taiwan University and President Liu Chao Shiuan of National Tsing Hua University visited HKUST and met with academic staff on 3 November. Dr Y.S. Wong (Biology) delivered an invited lecture entitled Current research trends in plant heavy metal binding com-plexes" at the Symposium of Development Trends and Strategy in Plant Sciences organised by the China National Natural Science Foundation and held in Guangzhou, 5 10 November. Prof. Harold Hankins, Principal of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), visited HKUST on 20 November and met with Professors Chia-Wei Woo and Chih-Yung Chien. Prof. Jay-Chung Chen (Research Centre) has been appointed by Hong Kong's Governor to the Environmental Pollution Advisory Committee (EPCOM). Comprising 19 members representing public, professional, industrial, and academic sectors, the Committee advises the Government's Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands on local environmental concerns.

Prof. Mao Kao- Wen, (middle) former President of Tsing Hua University and current Minister of Education in Taiwan, visits HKUST campus in November.

Standford university president Donald Kennedy tours the HKUST site with Vice-chancellor and president Woo.

Vice-chancellor and president Chia-Wei Woo and Dr. Charles E. Young, Chancellor of UCLA, seal the HKUST-UCLA cooperative, cultural and academic agreement with a handshake

Sir S. Y. Chung, Chairman of university council, and MR Michael Gale, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Telecommunication Ltd, unveil the plaque of the university's HK Telecom institute of information technology, HK Telecom donated HK$100 million for the founding of this institute.

BUILDING A UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING: A PROJECT REPORT by H.K. Chang, Dean, School of Engineering Engineering is a creative process. It starts with a concept, goes through a design phase, and ends with production or construction. Creating a modern engineering school is itself a complex but exciting engineering project. At the present time, the HKUST School of Engineering is in the final-design and early-production phase. Below I will give a brief report of this three-phase project. Concept Technology plays a major role in determining how people live and how society is organised. In 197 1, just before most of HKUST's first students were born, the first microprocessor, an integrated circuit on a silicon chip, was produced; it has changed the way people live and work in nearly the entire world. Today, Hong Kong is attempting to become a bona fide post-industrialisation society and to complete the transition from a labour-intensive economy to a knowledge-intensive one. Moreover, it is destined to play an im-portant role in the continuing development of South China and Southeast Asia. A modern engineering school can provide the human resources needed for these important tasks and help herald a new era for Hong Kong and its neighbouring regions. Design - Structure and Size The School of Engineering will have six academic departments. They will begin to admit undergraduate and postgraduate students in an ordered manner over a three-year period starting in 199 1. Multidisciplinary

groupings will also be formed immediately to facilitate research and to optimise financial and human resources. The initial student intake in 1991 is projected to be 270, but by 1995, the total enrolment in the School will have increased ten-fold to about 2,700. Correspondingly, the number of faculty in 199 1 will be around 25, but by 1995 it will have grown to well over 200. -Facilities The facilities planned for the School of Engineering will be tirst-rate by any standard. Each of the six departments will have its own specialised laboratories, both for teaching and for research. In Phase I, the laboratories of the School will occupy 2,407 sq m (25,000 sq ft) of floor area. The main facilities, however, will be built in Phase II. By 1993, the School will have 65 laboratories and related rooms totalling 12,050 sq m, five times the Phase I floor area. In addition to the specialised departmental laboratories, the School will have access to, and is expected to be a major user of, nearly all of the University-wide Central Facilities, from the Ma-chine Shop to the Microelectronics Fabrication Centre. The School will also have the most advanced computer facilities linking our students and staff with researchers in other tertiary institutions in Hong Kong and around the world. - Curriculum American engineering education was overhauled around 1940 and has led the world in engineering curriculum design since the end of World War II. The Engineering Academic Advirsoy Committee meets for the first time, 5-7 November, in Hong Kong. This curriculum stresses mathematics and science and de-emphasises specific task-oriented skills. Students trained under such a system are usually highly

adaptable and can keep up with the rapid changes of technology. This education system has served the world well. Most of what we recognise as modern technology owes its origin to American engineers (and scientists) in the past fifty years. We should certainly value this proven system in designing the engineering curriculum for our new University. Nevertheless, we also have reasons to modify this system half a century after its introduction. First of all, engineering must involve both the mind and the hand. Instressing mathematical skills and basic theory we must not give undue importance to the mind over the hand. Secondly, in emphasising science, the main aim of which is to understand things or phenomena by analysis, we must not forget that the main mission of engineering is to produce or synthesise. Thirdly, engineers need a broad perspective in order to be able to make good choices in their work. We must not let the ever increasing technical content in any engineering discipline force out other aspects of an engineer's education; only a person with a strong background in the humanities, social science, and business can become a successful engineer. Thus, our curriculum will underscore the common manufacturing theme whenever possible; the skills of synthesis will be given particular attention. Students will be asked from early in their education to propose different designs and alternative solutions and to make choices. Production -Faculty Recruitment The first step in creating an engineering school and the key to its success is faculty recruitment. Because the pool of eligible candidates in Hong Kong is very limited, it was understood from the beginning that the majority of HKUST's Engineering faculty would come from overseas. North America, with its many talented academics and industrial researchers of Chinese origin, was a natural starting point. From there the net has broadened, and recruitment from all groups is being pursued with vigour. As a result, the faculty recruited to date is of a uniformly high quality and rivals any major university in the world. The present recruitment plan calls for the build-up of a solid faculty core in each of the areas of emphasis in a given department. In addition to the permanent faculty short-term appointments may be made in order to strengthen or to render distinction to a programme. Already, a number of academics of stellar quality have expressed a desire to spend at least one year at our new University. Careful selection and coordination in making visiting faculty appointments can be an important means to achieve academic excellence and enrich our engineering programmes. - Students We do not as yet know who our students will be and what they may be like when they enter HKUST's School of Engineering. However, we are most definite in knowing what they should be when they graduate: technically strong and broad-minded, methodical but adaptable, disciplined yet imaginative. -Research Given the dynamism of Hong Kong's economy, including its industrial sector, research opportunities abound for the faculty and students at HKUST. As we pursue these opportunities, HKUST must become partners with industry and Government in order to attract funding and to serve the Hong Kong community well. The motto of HKUST, "Hands on the present and eyes for the future", gives the guiding principle for the work which the faculty and students at the School of Engineering will carry out. Yes, we will stress relevance and pay attention to the economic realities of Hong Kong today. But we will not limit our vision to the present or the short term. Figuratively, our motto describes the time-axis in a four-variable time-space system. To extend the metaphor, one might classify the research to be performed at the School of Engineering in a three-dimensional spatial system: Dig Deep. This means to mine the existing but buried potentials of Hong Kong's industry. Developing existing capabilities and increasing efficiency will enhance the competitive edge in many industrial sectors. Spread Wide. This is to study the broad spectrum of issues facing the general population and propose solutions which will elevate their quality of life. Energy, transportation, housing, and pollution are some of the most commonly encountered problems. Dash Forward. Never satisfied with the status quo, we shall try to catch up with the most advanced and surpass them. New materials, new processes, and new products must be the goals of ENGINEERING ACADEMIC ADVISORY CO1MMFITEE The HKUST Engineering Academic Advisory Committee, the mission of which is to guide the development of HKUST's School of Engineering, convened for the first time, 5-7 November, in Hong Kong. It comprises 11 renowned scholars and engineering educators from the US, UK, Canada, and Japan: Sir E.A. Ash (Chair), Rector, Imperial College; Prof. J.R. Bowen, Dean, Coll. of Eng., U. of Washington; Prof. G.W. Heinke, Dean, Fac. of Applied Science & Eng., U. of Toronto; Prof. P.C. Jennings, Vice-Pres. & Provost, California Inst. of Technology; Prof. E.S. Kuh, Prof. (formerly Dean), Coll. of Eng. U. of California, Berkeley; Prof. A.W. Pense, Provost & Vice-Pres., Lehigh U Prof. W.M. Phillips, Dean, Coll. of Eng., U. of Florida; Prof. K.S. Pister, Prof. (formerly Dean), Coll. of Eng., U. of California, Berkeley; Prof. L.M. Silverman, Dean, School of Eng., U. of Southern California; Prof. H.T. Yang, Dean, School of Eng., Purdue U.; Prof. H. Yoshikawa, Dean, Fat. of Eng., U. of Tokyo. our creative research. Information technology, artificial intelligence, opto-electronics, biochemical processes, intelligent buildings and highways, and a thousand other projects all await us. Summary Most people agree that Asia-Pacific is developing faster, both socially and economically, than any other region in the world. Being in Hong Kong on the eve of the 21st century endows the School of Engineering at HKUST with rich opportunities. History and geography are indeed kind to us. We have no choice but to succeed. TOPPING OUT MARKS STRUCTURAL COMPLETION OF PHASE I His Honour the Deputy to the Governor Sir David Ford addressed some 200 invited guests at the Topping Out Ceremony of the Main

Academic Building on 30 November 1990. The ceremony, which took place on the roof of the recently completed building, marked the

end of structural works for the entire Phase I of HKUST construction. This Phase comprises student residential halls, and senior and junior

staff quarters, as well as the Academic Building housing, among others, lecture theatres, teaching and research laboratories, the library,

computer centre, support service facilities, and administrative offices. 0 COMMUNITY COMMENTS Miss Cheung Man-Yee Director of Broadcasting Radio Television Hong Kong The opening of the first phase of the new Hong Kong University of Science and Technology next year shows that Hong Kong is at last beginning to sow the seeds of serious research and development in the technology field. The move could not have come sooner. Hong Kong needs to move up-market if it is to retain its position as a manufacturing and service centre, as the production of lower-end products is shifting rapidly to other countries in the region where costs are comparatively lower. To move up-market, Hong Kong has to train more innovative and creative people and at the same time carry out research in applied technology as well as in basic science. These are areas in which the new university will be specialising. In the past, Hong Kong has paid insufficient attention to research and development. Whereas other countries have been devoting 2- 3% of their Gross National Product to research and development, Hong Kong's expenditure in this field has been just 0.05%. As a result, Hong Kong has fallen behind its main competitors such as South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. The Territory is also suffering from a brain drain, with thousands of skilled and key personnel-people it can ill-afford to lose-emigrating to Western countries because of anxiety over 1997 when sovereignty reverts to China. The community will thus be looking to the new University not only to train people in new fields, but also to provide graduates to fill gaps in existing industries and services as a result of emigration. The University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chia-Wei Woo, is to be congratulated for being able to attract some world-renowned figures to head his key departments. I sincerely hope that he will be equally successful in filling the rest of the teaching and research posts before the University's official opening. The arrival of these eminent scholars, many of whom are ethnically Chinese, is of great psychological importance, coming at a time when most of the flow is in the other direction. Hopefully, this will encourage other former residents of the territory to return and play a role in Hong Kong's development. At the same time it might, perhaps, also slow down the departures. I personally have full faith in Hong Kong's future. I may be partial, considering that I was born and educated here and have made a career here, but I firmly believe that Hong Kong is and will remain the best place in this part of the world to work and do business. I consider it to be unique, combining the best of all worlds. Of special interest to me and others in the broadcasting and information industries will be the University's Information Technology Research Institute, which is being established with a $100 million grant from Hong Kong Telecom. At present, we are almost entirely dependent on imported technology in all areas. I look forward to the day when I can point to a piece of equipment or software at my station and proudly say that this is a Hong Kong product. Dr George Shen Chief Editor Hong Kong Economic Journal In two articles which appeared in the Hong Kong Economic Journal on 28 and 29 May 1984, I stressed the importance of manpower and technological development to Hong Kong's economy. There was nothing innovative in what I wrote as Hong Kong had been trying to meet the need for educating and training her manpower and to remedy the lack of research and development for many years. I raised the issue then simply because I felt that, at a time when Hong Kong's competitors were producing more and more high quality products, it was essential for Hong Kong to restructure her economy and to transform her manufacturing sector into a capital-intensive and knowledge-intensive industry or else Hong Kong's economy would not have a very bright future compared with those of her fellow "little dragons", viz., Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Hong Kong's economy has since undergone significant restructuring but there is no denying that the progress made in manpower and technological development leaves much to be desired. A considerable number of local manufacturers have, so to speak, found an easy way out by moving their labour-intensive operations across the border to China. Those who could not do likewise due to quota or other factors have had to upgrade their machinery and equipment to cope with rising labour costs, yet Hong Kong's industry is still far from capital-intensive and knowledge-intensive. The hesitancy on the part of industrialists to increase capital investment may be due to non-economic factors, but the fact that Hong Kong continues to lag behind in manpower for research and development is a serious impediment to supplying Hong Kong's urgent need to move towards a higher level of technological sophistication in the face of fierce competition from not only the other little dragons but also the emerging industrialising economies in this region. The reason for such shortcomings needs no further emphasis: Hong Kong lacks institutionalised facilities at the highest level to nurture and foster the development of manpower to enable Hong Kong to transform herself into a high technology-based post-industrial economy. I view the establishment of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology as one of the most important events in Hong Kong in recent years because it can fill this lacuna. Perhaps this University should have been established twenty years ago, but it is not too late. The University has a most onerous task to perform in the years to come and I wish its faculty and staff every success. 香港科技大學 施介甫博士 羅富祺教授 陳乃虎 陳玉樹 黃錫楠 胡立人 張詠磐 利漢釗 張敏儀 沈鑒治