Secondary Students to Learn Physics at HKUST

Abstract

[evdate 1999-07-05] For release 29 June 1999

SECONDARY STUDENTS TO LEARN PHYSICS AT HKUST

A new Summer School to stimulate Form 6 students{????}interest in science in general and physics in particular will be organized by the Physics Department at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) from 5 to 9 July.

"We aim to enhance students{????}interest in recent major developments in physics that are not covered by standard textbooks," said Dr Wing Yim Tam, organizer of the Summer School and Associate Professor of Physics at HKUST.

"We hope that with an enlightened mind, students will be encouraged to embark on careers in science and technology, and contribute to the development of Hong Kong as a knowledge- and technology-based society," he said.

Taught mainly by professors from the Physics Department, the Summer School will focus on interesting issues from the world of physics, including astronomy, chance and probability theory, Chinese Nobel laureates, cosmology, quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, local research, special relativity and wave theory. The Summer School is free-of-charge and a certificate will be presented to those who complete the program.

In only its first year, the Summer School attracted a total of 750 nominations from 148 secondary schools. Owing to limited places, only 45 top students who obtained very high scores in the HKCEE have been selected. To compensate for this, four of the lectures will be open to the public to allow more students to experience university lectures at HKUST. Details are as follows:

Lecture 1:Fantasies in Cosmology Speaker:Prof K. L. Chan, Professor, Department of Mathematics Date:Wednesday, 7 July 1999 Time:2-3 pm Venue:Lam Woo Lecture Theater (LTB) Language:Cantonese

Lecture 2:Chance and Probability: Are they created by Man, or by God? Speaker:Dr P. W. Leung, Associate Professor, Department of Physics Date:Wednesday, 7 July 1999 Time:3:30-4:30 pm Venue:Lam Woo Lecture Theater (LTB) Language: Cantonese

Lecture 3:Chinese Nobel Laureates and More Speaker:Dr T. K. Ng, Associate Professor, Department of Physics Date:Thursday, 8 July 1999 Time:2-3 pm Venue:Lam Woo Lecture Theater (LTB) Language: Cantonese

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Lecture 4:Scientific Research in Hong Kong: Past, Present, and Future Speaker:Prof Ping Ko, Dean of Engineering Date:Thursday, 8 July 1999 Time:3:30-4:30 pm Venue:Lam Woo Lecture Theater (LTB) Language: Cantonese

Note to Editors: For further information, please call Ms Jacky Tsang of the Office of University Development and Public Affairs at 2358-6306, or email pamedia@ust.hk.