Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1991

reinforced w ith input from overseas collaborators. We are already engaged in a number of promising research projects that fall in this category. I see this as a vehicle to strengthen considerably our research effort. We should aim at establishing effective con­ tacts with a network o f experts around the world. Global participation allows our staff to com­ pare and contrast their work w ith the best in the world. They w ill be able to keep abreast with the development o f knowledge and conduct forefront research. This w ill help maintain the competitiveness o f our staff and, through their work, they can con­ tribute to the advancement o f Hong Kong and the world. P re se n t S itu a ti o n In September this year, we established a new adm inistrative office called O ffice o f Academic Links. This administrative office along with all other administrative units is to provide support services to our academic community. The office is headed by a director, Mr. Mark Sheldon, formerly the coordi­ nator o f the Yale-in-China Office at CUHK. He is supported by two associate directors, Dr. Luen Chih Biau, who is tasked with the special responsibility of supporting linkages with universities and institutions in China, and Dr. Law Yu Fai ， who is tasked with the responsibility o f supporting all other international exchange programmes. These three are spearheading the support functions o f this new office, which w ill serve as a clearing-house for all linkage matters. It w ill be guided on policy matters by a committee under the chairmanship o f Prof. Ambrose King, our pro-vice-chancellor. The Office o f Academic Links w ill also have direct responsibility for the management and alloca­ tion o f our guest houses and hostel facilities for visitors, both short and long term. In line with the policy o f decentralization, all initiatives for devel­ oping new linkages are expected to come from the faculties, either through the suggestion of the aca­ demic departments or the stimulation from outside institutions. A ll staff and students are urged to con­ tact the Office o f Academic Links on matters related to academic linkages. We have a number o f linkages established re­ cently that should be mentioned as examples. 1. The U n ive rs ities Service C en tre. This centre houses a collection o f newspapers and news publications o f China since 1949. This year, we have formally taken over from the American Council o f Learned Societies the ownership and management o f this research and resource centre which is currently used by a host o f local and international scholars. Through this centre we are developing strong linkages w ith different universities and research institutions. 2. P rog ram m e on Sou th C h ina S tudie This is a research project jo in tly conducted by the Hong Kong Institute o f Asia-Pacific Studies of this university and Yale's Council o f East Asia Studies, w ith a generous donation from Dr. Cheng Yu-Tung and Dr. Lee Sau-Kee. More than 10 people are already involved. The number w ill grow as the programme develops with addi­ tional participants from a number o f universities in China. Through Yale ， contacts with other East Asian scholars from Harvard, Princeton and Oxford are also expected. 3. S tuden t Exchange P rogramm es o f o f Business A dm in is tr a tio n . We have bee con­ ducting M BA student exchanges with a large number o f business schools in USA, Canada and UK. These include the University o f Chicago, New York University, University o f California at Los Angeles, University o f Western Ontario, University o f British Columbia, York University and also London Business School. The Univer­ sity o f Pittsburgh has also been sending their M BA students to our Faculty o f Business Adm in­ istration for a certain period o f their studies. MBA student exchanges with UC Berkeley w ill also take place in the next academic year. 4. F u tu re P rospects. W have received many proposals for linkages o f different types. W ith Canada, we have on-going projects and new proposals from the U n iv e rs ity o f B ritis h Columbia, the University o f Toronto, and the University o f Waterloo. From the United States, we have projects on a broad front w ith the University o f California system-wide for almost 30 years. In UK, we are exploring new possi­ bilities w ith the School o f African and Oriental Studies o f the University o f London, the Uni­ versity o f Warwick and others. The list is indeed too long to enumerate. Academic linkage activities are o f critical im ­ portance to this university especially at this juncture o f our development, and to the development of Hong Kong as a whole. I am convinced that they w ill create better options for staff and students alike. Moreover, they w ill constitute one o f the surest ways to maintain and raise our academic standard and improve our educational quality. We shall be able to clearly demon­ strate the importance of academic freedom in the worldwide context. □ NEWS 17