Bulletin Number Four 1987

DR. CHARLES K. KAO — OUR NEW VICE-CHANCELLOR Dr. Charles K. Kao, the new Vice-Chancellor o f the University, was born in Shanghai. He was edu cated at St. Joseph's College in Hong Kong before he went to the University o f London to study Electrical Engineering. After obtaining the degrees o f BSc in 1957 and PhD in 1965 ， Dr. Kao began his professional career first as Development Engineer, and then as Principal Research Engineer and Chief Scientist in leading telecommunication operation and research laboratories in England, Germany and the United States. As Vice-President and Director o f Research at ITT's Electro-optical Products Division and later in his role as Executive Scientist, he gained extensive experience in direct management o f large labour forces as well as coordinating experience in linking the operation o f eight main laboratories o f ITT throughout Europe and North America. A pioneer in the field o f optical fibre com­ munication technology, and regarded worldwide as father o f this modern technology, Dr. Kao haswritten as well as edited several major texts on the subject. Furthermore, he has released over one hundred research papers in international journals and confer ences. His work is significant because it made possible the commercial development o f optical fibre com munication systems and it has resulted in twenty-nine patents. Dr. Kao has also played an important role in the advancement o f learning by serving on the editorial boards of various academic journals o f inter national repute, such as the Journal o f Quantum Electronics, Optics Letters and the Journal o f Optical Communications. He also served as Visiting Professor at various universities in England and America and was an adjunct Professor at Yale University in the Department o f Electronic Engineering and the Depart­ ment o f Applied Physics. In 1970 ， Dr. Kao was appointed by The Chinese University as Reader and Chairman o f the then newly established Department o f Electronics. He was instru mental in developing a major programme in Elec tronics and was later made the first Professor o f this Department. During the same period, he also served on the Senate, Faculty Board and other committees o f the University. A fter his departure in 1974 to re join the ITT in the United States, Dr. Kao has kept a close association w ith the University. He was one of the four internationally distinguished speakers at the First International Summer School on Optoelectronics organized by the University in 1982. Upon the establishment o f an Engineering Academic Advisory Committee at the University last year for the develop­ ment o f an engineering curriculum, Dr. Kao was invited to serve as Chairman. Dr. Kao is a Fellow o f leading institutions o f Electronics and Electrical Engineering in the United Kingdom and the United States. His outstanding contribution to research in optical fibre communi cation has won him eight international awards since 1976. These include the L.M. Ericsson International Prize, a biannual award given by the King o f Sweden, and the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal. In 1984, Dr. Kao was awarded the prestigious Eleventh Marconi International Fellowship for revolutionizing com munication techniques in the form o f optical fibre technology. In recognition o f his outstanding achieve ment in scientific research, the University conferred on him the Honorary Degree of Doctor o f Science in 1985. 3