Annual Report 2009–10

6 the first Provost of the University, Professor Benjamin W. Wah, a world-renowned computer scientist, assumed office and immediately engaged himself actively in various academic and developmental initiatives. Professor Robert A. Mundell, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, who is well known as the ‘Father of the Euro’, joined the University as a Distinguished Professor-at-large in September 2009. I am pleased to see Professor Andrew C.F. Chan appointed Head of Shaw College, succeeding Professor Joseph J.Y. Sung, and Professor Shun Kwong-loi appointed Head of New Asia College, succeeding Professor Henry N.C. Wong. My sincere thanks go to Professor Sung and Professor Wong for their distinguished service to their respective Colleges; and my congratulations and best wishes to Professor Chan and Professor Shun for leading their Colleges to even higher levels of excellence. I am also pleased to see that all five new Colleges are now in the good hands of their founding masters or masters-designate. In addition to Professor Sir James A. Mirrlees, Master of Morningside College, and Professor Samuel S.M. Sun, Master of S.H. Ho College, Professor Joseph W.Y. Lau was appointed Master of Lee Woo Sing College, Professor Kenneth Young was appointed Master-designate of C.W. Chu College and Professor Rance P.L. Lee was appointed Master-designate of Wu Yee Sun College. I am confident that these new Colleges will add colour, distinction and variety to life on campus and enrich the educational experience of our undergraduate students. Research and Achievements Significant progress continued to be made in the five focused investment research areas, namely, Chinese Studies, Biomedical Sciences, Information Sciences, Economics and Finance, and Geoinformation and Earth Sciences, both in terms of capacity building and specific high-impact outcomes. In the year under review, approvals were obtained from the State Ministry of Science and Technology for the establishment of two more state key laboratories at the University. The first is the State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China (CUHK), with the mission of conducting research into the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. The second is the State Key Laboratory on Synthetic Chemistry in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong. Together with the State Key Laboratory in Oncology in South China (CUHK) and the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology (CUHK), the Chinese University is now home to four state key laboratories, testimony of the cutting-edge nature of the research being conducted at the University. 兩所書院在新院長領導下，定必更上層 樓。我也欣見五所新書院的創院院長或候 任院長全已到任。除了晨興和善衡兩所書 院分別由莫理斯教授和辛世文教授出任 院長外，劉允怡教授也獲委任為和聲書院 院長，楊綱凱和李沛良兩位教授則分別出 任敬文書院和伍宜孫書院的候任院長。這 些新書院定會為大學增添特色，使校園生 活更加繽紛，本科生的教育經驗更充實。 研究與成就 中國研究、生物醫學科學、信息科學、經 濟與金融、地球信息與地球科學這五大重 點資助的研究領域，無論在培植實力和結 出重大成果方面，都見長足進展。 是年度，中大獲國家科學技術部批准成立 兩個新的國家重點實驗室，一是植物化學 與西部植物資源可持續利用國家重點實 驗室（香港中文大學），專門研究傳統中 醫藥的現代化；另一個是與香港大學共建 的合成化學國家重點實驗室。加上之前成 立的華南腫瘤學國家重點實驗室和農業 生物技術國家重點實驗室，現時中大共有 四所國家重點實驗室，足證本校的研究首 屈一指。 陳志輝教授 Prof. Andrew C.F. Chan 信廣來教授 Prof. Shun Kwong-loi 植物化學與西部植物資源可持續利用國家重點實驗室內的 八頻道離體器官研究系統 The 8-channel ex vivo organ bath study system in the State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China