Bulletin Vol. 9 No. 2 Nov 1972

“ RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF THE COMPUTING CENTRE Established five years ago, the Computing Centre of the University has been offering its services with tremendous effort to assist faculty research and administrative work and to organise the teaching of computer science within the University. Before the installation of an ICL 1904A Computer System at the Joint Universities Computer Centre in January 1971 ， the Computing Centre utilized an IBM 1130 Computer System to meet the various programming and data processing needs of the three Foundation Colleges and some departments of the University. Equipped wit h the ICL 1904A Computer System, under which scheme each University possesses one 7020 remote access terminal in addition to several teletypewriters, the Computing Centre has been able to provide more efficien t and promising data processing service. The computer has been serving as an indispensable unit of device in many research projects completed by the Social Research Centre, the Department of Mathematics, the Department of Geography and the School of Education. It has also been playing a significant part in facilitating and simplifying the work of many departments o f the University such as the Department of Extramural Studies, the Bursar's Office and the Personnel Section of the University Registry. With the assistance of the computer in handling applications, processing examination results and selecting candidates for admission, the Examination Section of the University finds that the whole process of Matriculation Examinations can be handled swiftly and efficiently. Four elective courses on computer science were offered to undergraduate students in the academic year 1971-72. Beginning the academic year 1972-73 ， a minor degree course has been implemented, offering courses in programming and techniques. Since the academic year 1971-72, a one-year full- time diploma course in Systems Analysis has been offered to postgraduate students. The course consists of Systems Analysis I & II ， both of which the students are required to complete. They also attend some of the courses offered by the Lingnan Institute of Business Administration as their elective courses. For 1971-72, the following seven students will be awarded the Diploma in Systems Analysis subject to the approval of the Senate: Chan Ping Chung Hsu Ball Hung Sai King Leung Kai Yu Mak Yu Sun Ng Wing Yu Wong Yoon Look The Centre's research and diploma projects now in progress are as follows: 1. Machine Translation 2. Computer-Aided-Instruction — a new approach to Learning and to teaching It is an interactive system between a student and the computer. 3. Bus Scheduling by Simulation 4. Modelling by Non-linear Regression 5. Computer-Aided Weather Forecasting 6. Financial Modelling 7. Systems Analysis Projects Knowledge of computers has passed outside the University to the public through the joint effort of the Centre and the Department of Extramural Studies. During the year 1971-72, the following computer courses were offered to the public with little or no prior knowledge of computers: 1. Computer Techniques 2. Computer Logic Design 3. Systems Analysis 4. FORTRAN Programming 5. COBOL Programming 6. Linear Programming 7. Numerical Analysis Books and pamphlets on the computer and its programming published by the Computing Centre are listed below: 1. Computer ABC 2. General Information on IBM 1130 Computing System 3. Subroutine Packages — 7 一