Bulletin Winter 1999

News in Brief Senate Endorsed Adoption of Flexible Credit Unit System A t its meeting held on 22nd December, 1989 ， the University Senate resolve d to drop the present promotion-by-year system and move on to a truly flexible credit unit system by September 1991. The revised curriculum wit h added flexibility w i l l allow students to pace their own studies and to graduate within a three-to-six year period at their own choice. In anticipation of the improvement i n A-level courses under sixth form reform, the University is prepared to recognize A-leve l students' pre-university achievements by granting a given number of credit units to each A-level entrant. With these units, reasonably good A-level students can graduate in three years after fully satisfying major programme and general education requirements. They may however decide to benefit from a broader education taken in four years. Other students may accelerate their studies through attending summer sessions. The University would need to change its existing statute to enable students to graduate in less than four years. It would also strengthen its counselling service to assist students to make rational course combinations, so that they may derive maximum benefit from the new scheme. The new system is expected to facilitate interdepartmental, inter-institutional and international exchanges and there w i ll be checks and balances to ensure that the final product, i.e. the graduates, are up to standard. New Pro-Vice-Chancellor The Council o f the University has announced the appointment of Professor Ambrose Y . C. K i ng , chairman of the Department o f Sociology, as Pro- Vice-Chancellor of the University for a term of two years from 11th October, 1989. New Postgraduate Programmes The Senate has approved the introduction of the following postgraduate programmes in 1990-91: (a) Ph.D. programme i n computer science (b) M.Sc./M.Phil./Ph.D. programmes i n information engineering (c) Ph.D. programme in statistics (d) Ph.D. programme in education Chan Kwan Tung Inter-University Hall Foundation The foundation stone laying ceremony of the Chan Kwan Tung Inter-University Hall of the University was held on 2nd November, 1989. The ceremony was officiated by Mr. Chak Fu Chan of the Chan Kwan Tung Charitable Fund Ltd. The construction of the new hall is funded by a donation of HK$4.3 million from the Chan Kwan Tung Charitable Fund Ltd. In his welcoming speech, Professor Charles K. Kao, the Vice-Chancellor, said that the construction of the inter-university hall was most timely as it helped to cater to an increasing demand for guest-house facilities on campus. Since its inception in 1963, the 8