Bulletin Number One 1982

Profiles Professor Timothy Yu Professor Hsing Mo Huan Professor Hsing Mo Huan When Professor Hsing Mo Huan arrived in Hong Kong by air in the early spring o f 1973 to take up his appointment as Professor o f Economics at The Chinese University, the local stock market was experi encing its severest slump ever, and the restructuring o f the University was in the offing. In a sense, Professor Hsing's arrival was seasonable, for though he had not been swept into the whirlpool o f the stock exchange, he had arrived just in time to witness the debate on the restructuring o f the University at its climax and to make a valuable contribution to its subsequent reorganization. But how time flies! In a twinkling, Professor Hsing's service at the University has run into its tenth year. During his term o f office,Professor Hsing has de voted himself not only to teaching and research in the field o f economics, but also to the many academic de velopments o f the University. O f all his contributions to the University, his active involvement in its re structuring and his achievements during his term o f office as Dean o f the Graduate School stand out most conspicuously. For example, the expansion o f Master's degree programmes and the establishment o f Ph.D. degree programmes, both o f them practical steps to raise the international standing o f the University, were due, in large measure, to his efforts. In research, Professor Hsing has set a good example to others by sparing no efforts in writing papers and books after fulfilling his heavy admini strative commitments, even at the expense o f sleep. Apart from publishing a large number o f papers, he has, in collaboration w ith his colleagues, conducted a comparative study o f the productivity o f Asian countries, produced an estimation o f Hong Kong's GDP. Completed under unfavourable conditions in terms o f manpower and resources, the two large-scale projects testify to Professor Hsing's stamina and profound learning. Under his competent leadership, a strong academic atmosphere was engendered in the Department o f Economics, as is demonstrated un mistakably by its members' many articles appearing frequently in leading economic journals all over the world. Professor Hsing is sincere and kindly in his relations w ith colleagues and students. Since he joined the University he has made many intimate friends, including his staff. Students who attended his lectures not only admired his academic achieve­ ments but also derived plenty o f practical wisdom from his inspiring teaching. This is especially true o f his five to six graduate students. Professor Hsing often makes use o f the fifteen minutes between classes as a coffee break w ith students. From these fifteen minutes accumulated over the years, the graduate students have benefited a lot, which w ill stand them in good stead for the rest o f their lives. That is why all graduates o f the Economics Division (Graduate School) o f the past eight years showed up for the farewell dinner in honour o f Professor Hsing. The good attendance on the occasion showed how highly Professor Hsing was esteemed by his students. In September, Professor Hsing w ill be retiring with a distinguished record o f service to the University. Before he leaves us, let us warmly wish him good health and a happy retirement, and count on him for valuable advice on the overall development o f the University in the years to come. —T.B. Lin 8