Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1991

The department w ill provide both undergrad­ uate and professional courses in architecture that w ill meet the requirements o f professional institutes in Hong Kong, the UK and the USA. Prof. Charles K. Kao, the vice-chancellor, said at the ceremony that the programmes o f the department are designed to prepare the students to face the complex problems that w ill beset the 21st century: problems such as energy efficiency and environmental protection. Prof. Tunney Lee, head o f the department, stated that the basic task o f the professional architect is to design buildings and environments that can help people to enjoy more fu lfilling lives and to work more productively, and that the research objective of the department is to benefit the people and environment o f Hong Kong and the nearby regions. The Department o f Architecture is temporarily housed in the Chung Chi Library Building. A new home for it is scheduled for completion in 1993. CUH K Connected to Internet The University has become the first institution in Hong Kong to have been connected to Internet, a global computer network that links over 4,000 smaller networks serving more than one m illion users in the USA, Europe, Australia, and the Pacific Rim countries. Using a high-speed (64b/s) satellite link, Internet can provide access to a large number o f information sources over the world in a matter o f seconds. Major functions include personal communication in the form o f interactive 'talks', remote access o f infor mation and computation resources such as university catalogues, data on specific topics, and daily news. Through this network, the University can forge closer links w ith overseas tertiary institutions. Research activities w ill also be greatly facilitated. In a ceremony held on 21st November to mark Hong Kong's first-ever connection to this global net­ work, University staff from the Faculty o f Engi­ neering demonstrated to members o f the University and Polytechnic Computer Centre ways of accessing the link. The Chinese University has plans to share the link with other local tertiary institutions and set up a Hong Kong-wide sub-network. UNESCO Chooses CUH K as the Base o f Its B io conversion Technology M I R C E N in Hong Kong The University has been chosen as the site for the first Microbial Resources Centre (MIRCEN) in Hong Kong, and Prof. S.T. Chang, chairman o f the Department o f Biology, has been appointed director o f the new centre for three years from 25th June 1991. Set up under the auspices o f the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), MIRCENs are components o f a global network involving some 200 scientists at 24 locations in 19 countries, all dedicated to research and the training o f investigators in the use o f microorganisms in new industries and for environmental manage ment. Each MIRCEN serves as a centre for local and international collaboration between MIRCEN scientists and other experts in organizations w ith similar missions. Asia-Pacific centres have been estab lished in Japan, China, Thailand and Australia. The Hong Kong MIRCEN aims to foster inter national collaboration in the fields o f microbiology and biotechnology, and is expected to make a signi ficant contribution to the economic and scientific developments in the Asia-Pacific region. Donation o f HK$20 M illio n fr o m Sino Land The University recently received a major dona tion o f HK$20 m illion from Sino Land Co. Ltd. for academic and campus development programmes. A ceremony to honour the benefactor was held on 8th November 1991. The vice-chancellor ex pressed thanks for the timely contribution towards the University's expansion plans. The money w ill be used to set up a research and development fund, and a new teaching block on the Chung Chi campus w ill be named after the donor in appreciation o f their generosity. The new building w ill provide facilities primarily for the Faculty o f Social Science. NEWS 26