The First Six Years 1963-69

IBM U n it Record Machines. The main purposes o f the Centre are to assist faculty research and administrative work and to or ganize the teaching o f computer science w ith in the University. Starting in the academic year 1968/69, the Centre has served various programming and data processing needs o f the three Foundation Colleges ， the Institute o f Science and Technology, the Institute o f Social Studies and the Humanities ， the Social Research Centre, the Lingnan Institute o f Business Adm inistration, the School o f Education, the U rban Study Centre, the Department o f Extramural Studies ， and other institutes o f the University. After recruiting more staff members and gaining several months ， ex perience in the 1130 Computing System, the Centre extended its programming services to the administrative departments o f the University. In addition to the research and training services that are being provided to the University ， the Centre has extended its programming and data processing services to include several meaningful research projects on problems o f concern to the com mun ity o f Hong Kong, such as: (1) The Hong Kong Urban Family Life Study: This is the first major basic social science study o f the Hong Kong population ， conducted by the Social Survey Research Centre o f the University and sponsored by a grant from the Government Lotteries Fund. (2) A Study o f Fe rtility and Fam ily Planning: This project is sponsored by The Church World Service o f Hong Kong. (3) Evaluation o f a Family Planning Programme: The Hong Kong Family Planning Association and The Hong Kong Church World Service are co-sponsors o f this research. (4) Social Survey o f Chai Wan: Support for this project is fu r nished by the Hong Kong Council o f Social Services. (5) The Study o f Kaifong Associations in Hong Kong: This study was conducted by the Urban Study Centre o f The Chinese Univer sity o f Hong Kong under a grant from the Harvard-Yenching Institute. (6) Survey o f Labour Youth in Hong Kong and a Survey o f Building Management in Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Survey Research Associates are sponsors o f these projects. The computer has had a tremendous impact on commerce and in industry world-wide over the last three decades. Hong Kong, although slow in making a start, is now strongly computer oriented. In A p ril 1968, four one-day programming courses were con ducted on an experimental basis to determine the response o f 48