Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1993

Dr. Lee has worked in the f i e ld of library management for close to 30 years and has served as librarian in various state universities in USA since 1969. Before joining The Chinese University, he was library director of Texas A & I University. Dr. Lee is a member of the American Library Association and founder of the Bay Area Library Association in Texas. He has also served on many professional and advisory committees. He is married, with two daughters. New Faculty Dean Prof. Lee Kam-hon has been elected dean of business administration for a term of three years from 1st August 1993. HK$29 Million from the RGC for 57 Research Projects This year, the University has again outdone other local tertiary institutions in the competitive bid for research grants made available by the Research Grants Council (RGC). For 1993-94 the government has made available a total of HK$155 million to seven UPGC- funded local tertiary institutions for research purposes: $49 million for direct allocation to the institutions to finance projects costing less than $200,000 each; $6 million for central allocation to strengthen the research base of these institutions; and $100 million for 193 selected research proposals submitted by the academic and research personnel in the seven institutions. Among the 193 research proposals selected by the RGC for support, 57 (i.e. 29 per cent) are CUHK projects. These 57 projects receive government grants totalling HK$29.614 million, or 29.7 per cent of the RGC budget for the purpose. In terms of the number of projects supported and total allocations received, the University achieved the highest score among the seven institutions. The 57 successful projects from CUHK fall into eight different areas: administrative, business and social studies (9); architecture (1); arts and language (3); biological sciences (6); computer science, information technology and mathematics (6); electrical and electronic engineering (3); medicine (17); and physical sciences (12). HK$2.9 Million from Croucher Foundation for Research The Trustees of the Croucher Foundation recently pledged donations totalling HK$2,891,040 for four research projects launched by members of the University: (1) HK680,000 for a project entitled 'Synthesis of non-bridged rhodium [II] and iridium [II] metal dimers as potential catalysts for fuel cell technology' conducted by Dr. K.S. Chan of the Department of Chemistry. (2) HK$400,000 for a project entitled 'Numerical modelling of winter monsoon surges with forecasting applications in Southern China' conducted by Prof. Kenneth Young of the Department of Physics. (3) HK$1,324,000 for a project entitled 'Characterization of extracellular ATP-activated ion channels in single cells isolated from guinea pig sinoatrial node' conducted by Dr. Y. W. Kwan of the Department of Pharmacology. (4) HK$487,040 for a project entitled'Irondeficient and thalassaemic erythrocytes, mechanisms of protection against Plasmodium falciparum' conducted by Prof. S. J. Oppenheimer of the Department of Paediatrics. Eminent Alumnus Returns to Teach at CUHK W o r l d - r e n o w n ed mathematician and Fields Medallist, Prof. Yau Shing-tung accepted a professorial appointment at the University and assumed duties in May. He w i ll spend three months each year on CUHK campus to teach and oversee research. His greatest wish is to help strengthen mathematical research in the territory. News in Brief 35